UK Family Reunion Visa 2026: Route Suspended and the Options That Remain
The UK family reunion visa for partners and children of refugees has been closed to new applications since 3pm on 4 September 2025. As of the Home Office guidance published in August 2026, it remains suspended. Applications made before then are still decided under the old rules. New applicants must use the Appendix FM family route, which has fees and requirements, or rely on human rights grounds.
Written by Sahil Sayed, CELTA-certified IELTS trainer · Status checked against Home Office guidance (August 2026) on 4 October 2026
Key facts at a glance
- Status
- Suspended to new applications since 3pm on 4 September 2025
- Applications made before then
- Still decided under the previous rules
- Alternative route
- Appendix FM (family members), with fees and core requirements
- Human rights
- Refusal can be challenged if it would breach Article 8 ECHR
- Reopening date
- None announced as of the August 2026 guidance
What is the UK family reunion visa?
Refugee family reunion was a route that let the partner and children under 18 of someone granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK join them, usually without the fees and requirements of other family visas. It was governed by Appendix Family Reunion (Sponsors with Protection) in the Immigration Rules, and it is the route people usually mean by the UK family reunion visa.
Is the UK family reunion visa suspended?
Yes. A change to the Immigration Rules suspended all new applications under Appendix Family Reunion (Sponsors with Protection) from 3pm on 4 September 2025. The Home Office guidance published on 5 August 2026 still describes the route as suspended, and no reopening date or replacement scheme had been announced. Check GOV.UK for any change before you apply.
Applications made before the suspension
Applications submitted before 3pm on 4 September 2025, including those now at appeal, continue to be decided under the rules that applied before the suspension.
What can families do while the route is suspended?
Partners and children of people with refugee status or humanitarian protection can apply under Appendix FM, the main family route. They must pay the fees and meet its core requirements, or show that a refusal would breach their right to family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Given the stakes, take regulated legal advice before applying.
| Refugee family reunion (suspended) | Appendix FM family route | |
|---|---|---|
| New applications | Not accepted since 4 September 2025 | Open |
| Fees | Did not apply | Apply (partner visa £2,064 from outside the UK, plus the health surcharge) |
| Core requirements | Did not apply | Apply, such as the financial and English requirements, unless an exception or Article 8 applies |
See the UK spouse visa guide for how the partner route works, including the A1 English test and the financial requirements.
What did the family reunion requirements cover?
- The sponsor had refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK.
- Applicants were the sponsor's partner or child under 18.
- Partners usually had to show the relationship existed before the sponsor left their country to seek protection.
- There was no application fee and no English or financial requirement under that route.
These rules still matter for applications made before the suspension. For new applications they no longer apply.
Does the English requirement apply under Appendix FM?
Under Appendix FM, a partner normally needs an approved A1 English speaking and listening test, unless they are exempt or an exception applies. Approved A1 tests include IELTS Life Skills A1, PTE Home A1 and LanguageCert A1, taken at an approved centre no more than 2 years before the application.
Need to pass the A1 English test?
Sahil prepares learners for IELTS Life Skills A1 with live speaking practice. Book a free consultation to check what is needed.
Book a free consultationHow long does a family reunion application take?
For applications made before the suspension, decision times vary by case and location. For new Appendix FM applications from outside the UK, GOV.UK says partner applications are usually decided within 12 weeks, although complex cases can take longer.
Where to get help
Because the rules changed suddenly, specialist advice is important. Organisations such as the British Red Cross and UNHCR UK publish family reunion information, and a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor can assess whether an Appendix FM application or an Article 8 argument is right for your family.
What if your family reunion application is already pending?
If your family submitted an application before 3pm on 4 September 2025, it is still decided under the rules that applied before the suspension, including if it is now at appeal. You do not need to reapply under Appendix FM. Keep your contact details up to date with the Home Office and keep copies of everything you submitted.
Can you appeal a refused family application?
Refusals of family applications, including Appendix FM partner applications, are usually decisions on a human rights claim, which carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. GOV.UK says the deadline is 14 days if you are in the UK and 28 days if you are outside, and the fee is £80 without a hearing or £140 with one, with help available for people on low incomes.
Our guide to spouse visa refusal reasons explains the appeal process and when reapplying is faster.
How to apply under Appendix FM instead
- 1
Check the requirements
Relationship, the £29,000 financial requirement and the A1 English requirement, plus whether any exception applies to your family.
- 2
Take legal advice
A regulated adviser can assess whether Article 8 arguments apply if a requirement cannot be met.
- 3
Prepare evidence
Use our spouse visa document checklist for the documents each requirement needs.
- 4
Apply and pay
The partner visa costs £2,064 from outside the UK, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Will the family reunion route reopen?
When the route was suspended in September 2025, the Home Secretary said it would be reformed after a review, with reforms expected to include contribution requirements and a longer wait before newly recognised refugees can sponsor family. As of the August 2026 guidance, no replacement scheme or reopening date had been published. We will update this page when GOV.UK announces a change.
Frequently asked questions
Pending applications made before the suspension are decided case by case. New Appendix FM partner applications from outside the UK are usually decided within 12 weeks, according to GOV.UK.
Family reunion applications were made from outside the UK by the family members joining the sponsor. During the suspension, family members apply under Appendix FM instead.
No. New applications have been suspended since 3pm on 4 September 2025, and the Home Office guidance published in August 2026 still describes the route as suspended.
They continue to be decided under the rules that applied before 4 September 2025, including cases at appeal.
Yes, by applying under Appendix FM, the main family route, which has fees and core requirements, or by showing that refusal would breach Article 8 human rights.
Family reunion was a fee-free route for refugees' partners and children without English or financial requirements. The spouse visa under Appendix FM has fees and requirements such as the £29,000 income rule and A1 English.
Yes. Any application can be refused if the requirements are not met, and refusals of family applications can usually be appealed on human rights grounds.
Applying under the family route?
Partners usually need an A1 English test. Book a free 20-minute consultation and Sahil will confirm what is needed and help you pass.
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Sources and how we checked this page
Every fee, rule and deadline on this page was checked against the official sources below on 4 October 2026. Immigration rules and fees change, so confirm the current position on GOV.UK before you apply or pay for anything.