Bringing Elderly mother over question/advice

Hi all, my wife has her ILR and has lived here in the uk for  nearly 6 years ( getting her citizenship this year yay! ), her mother is over 70 ( usa)and *supposed* to be looked after by her brother and his wife but basically they only see her once a week and she stuck in the house alone until they come round, she has failing eye site so cant go out alone as she trips easily , so we where thinking of looking in to the visa that you can get to look after an elderly relative. Does anyone have experience of this? She has her own money so wouldn't need us for that, would she be allowed to live in her own place or would she have to move in with us ( unfortunately we dont have room till one of the kids grows and moves out in around 3 yrs when my son finishes college, maybe! lol) any words of wisdom or advice would be great thank you

Unfortunately this is a visa that is NEVER granted.   

We've never seen a single one approved on this board.

Unfortunately, it's extremely difficult to qualify for the Elderly Dependant Relative visa and I've never heard of anyone being granted one before.

You have to be able to show that:
- she has no money of her own at all and is 100% financially dependant on you (and will be for the next 5+ years)
- she is incapable of taking care of herself and needs you and your wife to take care of her physically as well as financially (i.e. help with washing, eating, dressing etc.)
- she has no living relatives in the US who can care for her
- she has no access to any kind of professional care or assisted living facilities in the US and therefore she will not be able to survive unless she moves to the UK

If you can't prove all of those things, the visa will be refused.

Hi all, my wife has her ILR and has lived here in the uk for  nearly 6 years ( getting her citizenship this year yay! ), her mother is over 70 ( usa)and *supposed* to be looked after by her brother and his wife but basically they only see her once a week and she stuck in the house alone until they come round, she has failing eye site so cant go out alone as she trips easily , so we where thinking of looking in to the visa that you can get to look after an elderly relative. Does anyone have experience of this? She has her own money so wouldn't need us for that, would she be allowed to live in her own place or would she have to move in with us ( unfortunately we dont have room till one of the kids grows and moves out in around 3 yrs when my son finishes college, maybe! lol) any words of wisdom or advice would be great thank you

In order to qualify for the visa she would need to PROVE that she cannot wash, dress or cook for herself on a daily basis - not just that she is lonely.

These visas are almost impossible to get as the UK does not support chain migration.

Would your family consider moving to the US to look after her?

Ah thats such a pain, we cant move to usa as i have a disabled son with server needs so you can imagine the health insurance costs thats even if we could get covered his so complex plus i have small kids and i wouldn't move them from their dad, are there any other routes i can go down, regular family visa ?

This is what the immigration rules say about the requirements for this visa:

E-ECDR.2.4. The applicant or, if the applicant and their partner are the sponsor’s parents or grandparents, the applicant’s partner, must as a result of age, illness or disability require long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks.

E-ECDR.2.5. The applicant or, if the applicant and their partner are the sponsor’s parents or grandparents, the applicant’s partner, must be unable, even with the practical and financial help of the sponsor, to obtain the required level of care in the country where they are living, because-

(a)   it is not available and there is no person in that country who can reasonably provide it; or
(b)   it is not affordable.


Financial requirements
E-ECDR.3.1. The applicant must provide evidence that they can be adequately maintained, accommodated and cared for in the UK by the sponsor without recourse to public funds.

E-ECDR.3.2. If the applicant’s sponsor is a British Citizen or settled in the UK, the applicant must provide an undertaking signed by the sponsor confirming that the applicant will have no recourse to public funds, and that the sponsor will be responsible for their maintenance, accommodation and care, for a period of 5 years from the date the applicant enters the UK if they are granted indefinite leave to enter.

(Adult Dependant Relatives section: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-family-members)

I’m really sorry that you’re in this predicament.

In years gone by she could have applied for a “retired person of independant means” visa but unfortunately that route closed some time ago now.

The adult dependent relative visa is (I believe) designed to be impossible to achieve.

are there any other routes i can go down, regular family visa ?

Unfortunately not.

There used to be a 'Retired Person of Independent Means' visa but that one was abolished several years ago.

Unless she has claim to UK or EU citizenship, the only options would be to qualify for a visa in her own right... but that would be a sponsored Tier 2 work visa or a Tier 4 student visa!

I know it is 100% not the same as family...  but has she considered a good care home in her area?  My grandparents were all in "progressive care" homes in their final decades.  They LOVED them.  Big social calendar, options for meals being done for you, doctors come there, shopping trips, etc.  I kind of can't wait for the day I qualify to move in!

I know it is 100% not the same as family...  but has she considered a good care home in her area?  My grandparents were all in "progressive care" homes in their final decades.  They LOVED them.  Big social calendar, options for meals being done for you, doctors come there, shopping trips, etc.  I kind of can't wait for the day I qualify to move in!

We are trying to talk her into it but shes as stubborn as it gets! says shes loney but doesnt want a shelter accommodation as its full of old people lol hopefully we will wear her down about it especially if we cant bring her over, or a nice lottery win and we can pay for lots of home help in a posh house lol

Is there a meals on wheels service in her area? If you could sign her up for that, at least there would be someone popping in once a day. And of course, meals would be taken care of too!

In order to qualify for the visa she would need to PROVE that she cannot wash, dress or cook for herself on a daily basis - not just that she is lonely.

These visas are almost impossible to get as the UK does not support chain migration.

And prove she can't get that care in her own country.

It's a big risk to to take as those that are refused this visa, then find they can't visit as they have already declared their intention to live in the UK and are an overstay risk.

Unless she has claim to UK or EU citizenship,

And that might not work out too well with Brexit, even if there is a deal.

And that might not work out too well with Brexit, even if there is a deal.

I was just making a point that the only way to move would be if she didn't need a visa at all and could use her passport - no need to pick it apart. I'm assuming they don't have UK/EU citizenship, since they are asking about visas, so it's not exactly relevant anyway.

If I hadn't put EU citizenship too, someone probably would have commented that I hadn't mentioned it (since we're still in the EU). Figured I'd mention both just in case.

I was just making a point that the only way to move would be if she didn't need a visa at all and could use her passport - no need to pick it apart.

Apologies if it came over as picking at what you said.

With the new laws and the Bills going through Parliament for Brexit, I didn't want the OP to think think that might be an easy option if his mother-in law could get an EEA citizen passport.