Adding new dependants on Graduate route

Short answer

Generally, no. The Graduate route does not allow you to bring new family members who were not already your dependants. Your partner and children can only apply to stay as your dependants on the Graduate route if they were already in the UK as dependants on your current Student visa (or your old Tier 4 (General) student visa). You cannot use the Graduate route to bring family members over for the first time.

The rule in detail

This is set out in Appendix Graduate of the Immigration Rules (rule GR 9.4A). To qualify as a dependant of a Graduate, a person must fall into one of the following categories:

1. A partner who currently has, or was last granted, permission as the dependent partner of the Student who is now moving into (or has moved into) the Graduate route.

2. A child who currently has, or was last granted, permission as the dependent child of the Student or of the Student’s dependent partner.

3. A child born in the UK during the Student’s last grant of permission.

4. A child born in the UK to a Graduate who already holds Graduate permission.

The common thread is that the partner or child must already have (or have last held) dependant permission linked to your Student visa. There is no provision allowing a spouse, partner or child who was outside this arrangement to join for the first time on the Graduate route.

Why family cannot join for the first time

The Graduate route was deliberately designed as a short, unsponsored post-study route, and the Home Office restricts dependants to those already present as your dependants. This is different from most work routes (such as the Skilled Worker route), where a partner or child overseas can generally apply to join the main applicant as a new dependant. On the Graduate route, being a pre-existing dependant is a validity requirement, and an application that does not meet it may be rejected as invalid under GR 9.5.

Situations that can still work

Your family may still be able to be with you if:

Your partner or child already holds dependant permission under your Student visa. They can apply to switch into Graduate dependant status when you move onto the Graduate route.

You have a child born in the UK during your Student or Graduate permission. That child can apply even though they were never previously granted a visa.

Note the specific rule for older children: if your child is 18 or over, they must already have been a dependant on your Student or Tier 4 (General) visa to qualify.

Options if your family were not previous dependants

If your partner or child was never a dependant on your Student visa, you cannot simply add them on the Graduate route. Realistic alternatives include:

1. Consider whether you can move onto a route that does permit new dependants. For example, if you secure a suitable sponsored job you may be able to switch into the Skilled Worker route, which generally allows a partner and children to apply as dependants even if they are currently overseas, provided the relationship and financial requirements are met.

2. If your partner is settled or a British citizen, that changes the analysis entirely and a family route may be available instead.

3. Check whether your partner or child could qualify in their own right on a separate route, for example as a student or worker.

Key facts that would refine this answer

The precise position depends on several things it would help to confirm: whether your family members ever held dependant permission linked to your Student visa; the current immigration status and location of each family member; the age of any children; and whether you have, or expect to have, any alternative basis to sponsor them, such as a Skilled Worker job offer. If any of these differ from the assumptions above, the outcome could change.

For the authoritative position, see the GOV.UK Graduate visa guidance on partners and children and Appendix Graduate of the Immigration Rules, which set out these requirements in full.