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Family Lives in UK
Starting off, this page is designed for South Africans that have family currently living in the UK. We have a different page that caters for South Africans that have family born in the UK (different provisions available to these cases).
Family in the UK often invite their South Africans relatives to come over to the UK. This is common practice which has motivated us to help clarify the visa perspective.
There are no special visas available to South Africans with UK residing family members. No exemption from visitor visa requirements nor work permits.
From an immigration perspective, having UK residing family members is contributing factor (and not a qualifying one).
Border Control Perspective
There are three aspects that need to be taken into consideration:
1. The applicants intent.
2. The applicants expected duration of stay.
3. The nature of their relationship with family in question.
The above three aspects are further described below:
1.The applicants intent.
Starting off, the applicants intent (the reason why they wish to go to the UK) is very important. Different UK visas grant different permissions (permitted and restricted activities in the UK).
Provision is made for the following:
Starting off, the applicant has to be honest about what they are looking to do in the UK. Defining their intent helps clarify which visa is best applicable.
2.The applicants expected duration of stay.
Knowing how long the applicant expects to be in the UK helps clarify the applicants intent. For example if the applicant presents a visa case, saying their intent is visit for tourism purposes but they demonstrate an expected duration of stay for 6 months, the likelihood that the applicant genuinely will only engage in tourism activities in the UK is not high.
3.The nature of their relationship with family in the UK.
Immediate family members (father, mother, brother or sister) are more credible sources of support. Distant family members (aunts, uncles, grandparent, cousins, nephews or nieces) are slightly less credible sources of support.
This page hopefully reveals that simply telling the UK government that the applicant has family in the UK is not sufficient grounds to qualify. Further evaluation of the applicants intent and expected duration needs to be taken into consideration.
Our recommendation, for applicants with family living in the UK, is that they contact us. Let’s assess the intent and duration and then can best further evaluate options applicable.
Alternatively, we have put together further content to address the following circumstances:
Another option, which we also encourage, is that applicants can try our quick, free and easy online visa assessment.
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