Highly skilled workers
Partners
This page explains how your partner can apply to stay in or come to the United Kingdom if you are applying under the highly skilled worker category (Tier 1 General) of the points-based system to work in the United Kingdom.
To be given permission to enter or stay, a partner must meet the conditions set out in the immigration rules at paragraph 319C of part 8, which you can find on the right side of this page. You must read the policy guidance before you apply under this category. You can download the guidance and application form from the Applying section.
The conditions partners must meet to get permission to stay
If the application succeeds, the partner will be given entry clearance, or permission to stay, subject to the following conditions:
- he/she must have no recourse to public funds, which means he/she will be unable to claim most benefits paid by the state;
- he/she must register with the police, if paragraph 326 of the immigration rules requires him/her to do so;
- as the spouse, civil partner, unmarried, or same-sex partner of a migrant given permission to stay under parts 3, 5 or 6 of the immigration rules; or
- as the partner of a highly skilled worker (provided that permission was not subject to a condition prohibiting employment as a doctor in training).
Application forms
Dependants of points-based system migrants - for applications made inside the United Kingdom
- Application for an extension of stay as a dependant of a points-based system migrant PDF 899KB opens in a new window
- Points-based system dependants - policy guidance PDF 315KB opens in a new window
See also
Terms explained
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Leave to remain
Leave to remain is permission to stay in the United Kingdom, either temporarily (limited leave to remain) or permanently (indefinite leave to remain).
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Public funds
Public funds are income-related benefits paid by the state. They include income support, income-based job seekers allowance, housing and homelessness assistance, housing and council tax benefit, working families' tax credit, a social fund payment, child benefit and any disability allowance. Benefits paid as a result of contributions, such as the state pension, are not considered to be public funds. Social housing is not considered to be a public fund either. Claiming public funds when you are not eligible is known as benefit fraud and it is a criminal offence.