Dear Mr Bassie,

I am a British citizen and I am living in the United Kingdom. I have an elderly parent who is living in Jamaica and I would like him to come and stay with me. Please tell me how I would go about this.

Any advice would be appreciated.

- PA

Dear PA,

It is possible for an adult dependent relative/family member to go and live permanently in the United Kingdom as an adult dependent relative of someone who is already a permanent resident there. That dependent relative will have to apply for permission to settle permanently there. This is known as 'indefinite leave to enter or remain'. This route is available to the relative if he or she is aged 18 or over, and to a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, son, or daughter of a British citizen or person who is settled in the United Kingdom.

criteria

There are certain criteria that have to be met before a person can apply to join a settled person in the United Kingdom. The applicant would need to show that he or she is in need of long-term personal care such as washing and cooking to assist him or her for the purpose of carrying out daily tasks, and that the care that the applicant needs is not available in the country where he or she is residing. The applicant's circumstances would be considered by the British authorities.

In addition, the applicant's sponsor must show that he or she is able to provide adequate maintenance, accommodation, and care for the applicant without having to rely on public funds. It will be necessary for the sponsor to sign a sponsorship undertaking form to confirm that they would be responsible for the applicant's care without relying on public funds for a period of at least five years.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the applicant can only apply if he or she is residing outside of the United Kingdom, and in addition, the applicant must obtain a visa as an adult dependent relative before he or she travels to the United Kingdom.

It will depend on the country where the applicant lives whether he or she would need to make his or her application online or by using the application form VAF4A. To find out which application method is applicable, the applicant should check with the local representative of the United Kingdom Border agency in his or her country of residence.

The applicant must also provide documents to support his or her visa application. These documents should include a sponsorship undertaking form signed by the British citizen or settled person on whom the applicant is dependent, that is, his or her sponsor.

The applicant should also be aware that as part of his or her application, he or she will need to enrol his/her fingerprints and facial image at a visa application centre. This is known as 'biometric information'.

Good luck!

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator; and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (U.K.). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com