# I want my INDEPENDENT parents to settle in UK - Help!



## FrooGal (Jan 31, 2012)

Hi

I am Chinese and now a British citizen.

My elderly parents and I both want them to move from China and settle in the UK to be close to me (their only child) and their two grand-daughters.

The UK Border Agency state this is possible for Dependent elderly relatives, ie.

You must provide evidence that:
1) you depend wholly or mainly on your settled relative for money;
2) you (and any dependants you have) can and will be maintained and housed adequately, without needing public funds, in accommodation which your settled relative owns or occupies exclusively; and
3) you have no other close relatives in your own country who can support you financially.​
However, I don't send money to my parents as they don't need it. In fact, they have a good income in China and want to sell their flat and buy a property in the UK to live in (or they could stay with my family for a while).

We want them across here for family reasons, not financial - we want them close to us to enjoy family life.

Is there any other way they can apply for settlement in the UK as financially independent family members?

I really would appreciate any comments and help as I feel we a re stuck and cannot move forward.

Thanks for looking.

Cindy


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

FrooGal said:


> Hi
> 
> I am Chinese and now a British citizen.
> 
> ...


I'm afraid there isn't. You can only bring your parents (extended family members) to UK for compassionate, financial reasons.

Buying a property in UK doesn't give them any right to live here.

They have to qualify in some other ways, such as business investor (£1 million minimum to invest) or extrepreneur (£200k min to invest and take active part in running a UK business). Visa for retired persons of independent means was abolished in 2008.

They can come as a visitor, six months maximum each time. They need a visitor visa, and they may get one for 5 or more years if they have a family here, visit regularly and have adequate finance, but each stay is limited to 6 months and usually only 6 months in 12 months.


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## FrooGal (Jan 31, 2012)

Thank you for your quick reply - it is bad news as I suspected 

I wonder why they abolished it in 2008? (if only I had applied for them earlier).

I would have thought that, on compassionate grounds, families (especially the elderly who are not in the best of health) have a right to be together.

It is almost barbaric to keep us apart!

Any thoughts?!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

FrooGal said:


> Thank you for your quick reply - it is bad news as I suspected
> 
> I wonder why they abolished it in 2008? (if only I had applied for them earlier).
> 
> ...


It was abolished because it wasn't very popular - only about 100 annually applied, and they wanted to close doors to further migration.

As for compassionate grounds, remember there is a huge number (millions) of settled people in UK with elderly relatives at home, esp in the Indian subcontinent, and if they allow easy way for them to settle in UK, they will swamp overstretched public services like NHS and social care. So only the most compassionate, humanitarian cases are considered. Remember they have no control over EEA citizens and have to allow them free access to health and social care on arrival, as UK system isn't based on compulsory insurance like in most other EU countries (where you can only access public health care if you start contributing, even as EU citizens).

Their argument will be if your parents have enough money they can visit UK regularly, and you can travel out with your children too, as most people do. So you needn't be kept apart. They have to act in the national interest of controlling immigration and reducing burden on public services.


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## FrooGal (Jan 31, 2012)

Thanks again for clarifying the situation.

It just seems strange to me that elderly relatives who are dependent on family settled in the UK can come across and stay whereas independent elderly relatives cannot.

Surely, financially speaking, there is a much higher risk of the UK being 'out of pocket' if it encourages those with no means to come here instead of those who can afford to! I know that sponsors are supposed to shoulder the financial burden, but circumstances can change!

Just a thought!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

FrooGal said:


> Thanks again for clarifying the situation.
> 
> It just seems strange to me that elderly relatives who are dependent on family settled in the UK can come across and stay whereas independent elderly relatives cannot.
> 
> ...


UK tries to honour its commitment to assist those in most pressing, humanitarian needs, like destitute, elderly parents living in squalid condition and under poor health care in a shanty town in India. Since such numbers are small, they won't create *undue *burden on the state. They have to keep the barrier high enough not to open the floodgate of applicants who are nowhere near in their predicament, to control migration and reduce *general *demand on public services. 

Even those who are sponsored by UK-based family still have the right to access certain services.

Also UK must act in allowing migration only in the national interest - those who will make a positive contribution to UK economy and cultural life. While not neglecting its international obligation to help those fleeing from persecution and in most pressing, humanitarian needs, immigration must generally contribute to national prosperity, and burden on public services must be more than offset by positive economic, cultural, academic and sporting contributions that migrants will make.


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## Kitara (Nov 29, 2011)

How about my 66years old mom? I am the only child and my mom has divorce with my dad. After a few years, if my mom really like staying in Uk, can I apply for family settlement? She only have me in Singapore. Currently, I am putting maid to take care of her so that I can live with my husband. I will also give her some monthly allowance. Any advice?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Kitara said:


> How about my 66years old mom? I am the only child and my mom has divorce with my dad. After a few years, if my mom really like staying in Uk, can I apply for family settlement? She only have me in Singapore. Currently, I am putting maid to take care of her so that I can live with my husband. I will also give her some monthly allowance. Any advice?


There are two main pre-conditions for a settlement visa for your mother as extended family member: She has to be mainly financially dependent on you , i.e. she cannot survive without regular monetary support from you, and there is no family member in Singapore able to look after her financially. If they are met, you need to see if she can satisfy maintenance and accommodation requirements, i.e. to be housed and manage financially in UK without recourse to public funds.

So you need to show she cannot manage financially without regular, substantial contribution from you, with evidence as such as bank transfer record, bank statement etc. You need to list all your close relatives in Singapore and how any of them isn't in a position to support her financially. If any one individual cannot support her on their own, others may be expected to chip in to raise the funds required. Plus proof of accommodation and financial support in UK. 

Application will be made by your mother to the UKBA in Singapore, who may make a local enquiry among your relatives living there. They will scrutinise this matter to ensure that bringing her to UK is the only way.

See http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/s...dischapter8/08section6/annexv.pdf?view=Binary


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## Kitara (Nov 29, 2011)

Thank you. 

May i know if i can apply when i am on spouse or only allow me to apply this when i am on ILR? 

Yeah, my mom only have step brother and no one allow her to stay with them. Therefore, i had a maid to take care of her as she is prone to falling. However, it is not fair to move her to UK if she didn't like it. So I plan, to let her try stay up to 6 month on visitor visa for a few round before we decided to apply. 

If we decided to apply for this, i will have to fly back to help her with the processing. She is already on her pension. However, pension amount is very little and probably could last till 10 years.

All she has is a small apartment. I am unable to put my name in the apartment if i would like to purchase a house in UK. That is the govt regulation in SG. 

Should we also get a doctor letter with regards to her condition? She did a few operation before. Before i got married, i was the only one supporting the family.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Kitara said:


> Thank you.
> 
> May i know if i can apply when i am on spouse or only allow me to apply this when i am on ILR?
> 
> ...


You need to be her 'settled relative', so you must first have ILR status.
Her financial resources must be insufficient to live on without substantial, regular contributions from you. Yes, bring her over on visits to see whether she likes it here. Climate will be a big change - so bring her during the winter as well and 6 hours of sunlight.
A doctor's letter will be a good addition.


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## Kitara (Nov 29, 2011)

yeah.. thanks for the advice. I will do that.. 

I need to see if she can get use without air conditioning.. hehee.. 

She can't stand hot weather even though she is born in Singapore. Probably because of her illness. 

The long and short day light will be something different too..


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