Family Visa Rules Change Child Care Checks and Partner Permission Length
10 Jul 2026
If you are applying for a family visa with a child, or your sponsor has been granted protection status, rule changes coming on 3 August 2026 affect how your case is checked.
Statement of Changes HC 259, published on 9 July 2026, updates Appendix FM, the rules covering family (partner and child) visas. One change adds a new requirement for children applying or already in the UK on a family visa. The rules now state that "there must be suitable arrangements for the child's care and accommodation in the UK which must comply with relevant UK law." This brings a check already used elsewhere in the Immigration Rules for children into family visa cases.
A separate change affects partner visas where the sponsor has been granted protection status, such as refugee status, on a 30 month grant. Previously, partner permission lengths in these cases followed the standard family visa pattern. Under the new wording, where "the sponsor has been granted 30 months' permission on the basis of protection status," the partner's permission will instead run "for a period which ends on the same date as the sponsor's permission." This lines up the partner's visa expiry with the sponsor's, rather than running to a separate date.
These changes apply to Appendix FM decisions from 3 August 2026. If you are applying as a partner where your sponsor has protection status, or you are including a child on your family visa application, check that your evidence of care and accommodation arrangements is in order, and confirm your sponsor's exact permission dates before you apply.
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