Refugee Family Reunion Solicitors

Appendix Family Reunion (Sponsors with Protection) remains closed to new applications pending review. The closure took effect at 3pm on 4 September 2025 and applies to both applications from abroad and applications inside the UK.

Do not use older guidance presenting refugee family reunion as an open, generally fee-free route. Refugee status or humanitarian protection does not currently allow a partner or child to make a new application under that closed Appendix.

No reopening date is assumed here. Check the current official position before choosing an application; announcements about future changes do not themselves reopen a route.

• Current refugee family reunion position
• Immigration Rules: Family Reunion and transition

Applications made before 3pm on 4 September 2025 continue to be considered under the Appendix Family Reunion rules in force at that time. Preserve the submission confirmation, application reference and relevant correspondence so the date and basis of the application can be checked.

The former route concerned qualifying pre-flight partners and dependent children of a person with protection status or relevant protection-route settlement. Being related to a refugee was not, on its own, enough. The applicable relationship and family-life requirements remain relevant to a pending case.

A draft form, an intention to apply or informal advice before the cutoff does not establish that a qualifying application was made. Validity, outstanding identity or biometric steps, evidence requests and any change in circumstances should be reviewed against the actual record.

A pending application is not guaranteed approval or a particular decision date. Respond to requests and use the appropriate official process for any case-specific enquiry.

Current official guidance points partners and children towards Appendix FM during the suspension. Protection status can be a qualifying sponsor status, but the relevant relationship, financial, accommodation, language and other requirements still need assessment.

The former refugee family reunion rules must not be carried across as an assumed exemption from Appendix FM requirements. Depending on the application and circumstances, exceptions, fee-waiver provisions or a human-rights assessment may be relevant; none creates automatic eligibility.

Where core requirements are not met, official guidance provides for consideration of whether refusal would cause unjustifiably harsh consequences breaching Article 8. This requires a case-specific assessment of the evidence, not simply a statement that family separation is distressing.

• Family visa options
• Partner and spouse applications
• Child applications
• Family visa partner requirements

Appendix Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection) is separate from the suspended partner-and-child reunion route. It can concern a child joining or staying with a qualifying close relative who has protection status and is not settled.

Requirements include a genuine existing family relationship, the relevant age, independent-life and care rules, and no other family who could reasonably be expected to support or care for the child. Adequate maintenance and accommodation and the other applicable requirements also need assessment.

This is not a general replacement for every child excluded from the former family reunion route. The sponsor’s status, exact relationship and care circumstances determine whether it is relevant.

• Child Relative: sponsors with protection

The useful evidence depends on whether the matter is a pending pre-closure claim or a different proposed route. Begin with the sponsor’s protection decision, the family relationship and the dates of any previous applications.

Separation or displacement may make records difficult to obtain. Explain missing evidence and identify reliable material that is available; do not assume missing documents always end the matter or that informal evidence will necessarily be accepted.

Where children are involved, explain their present care arrangements, parental responsibility and any relevant welfare concerns. Current location, identity evidence and access to application or biometric facilities may affect practical steps, but no exemption from those steps should be assumed.

• Evidence of the sponsor’s protection status and current permission or settlement.
• Marriage, partnership, birth and family-life evidence relevant to the proposed route.
• Pre-closure submission records, references, biometric correspondence and outstanding requests, if applicable.
• Care, accommodation and financial information where the current alternative route requires it.

A legal assessment can distinguish a protected historical application from a new case, identify the relevant family rules, review evidence gaps and consider a refusal. Highfin’s existing material identifies family eligibility and evidence preparation as areas of enquiry; current availability and the scope of work must be agreed.

If an application has been refused, retain the full decision and record when it arrived. The right of appeal and deadline depend on the decision and legal basis. Do not assume the closed route can be used to submit a replacement application or that every refusal has the same remedy.

An initial enquiry should give the sponsor’s status, family relationship, current locations, whether an application was submitted before the cutoff and any deadline. Do not send sensitive identity or protection documents through the initial development form.

• Appeals and judicial review
• Asylum and refugee matters