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Green Apple Consultants

Citizenship & residency

Family Application and Dependant Guidance

Who can be included, on what terms, and what happens to them later — the questions that usually decide which programme a family chooses.

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Who it is for

Families applying together, and especially those with children approaching an age threshold, dependent parents, or a family structure that does not fit a standard form: adopted children, children from a previous relationship, unmarried partners, or dependants with a disability.

What it covers

For most clients this is the decisive service. The headline investment figure is rarely what separates two programmes; the dependant rules usually are.

Who can be included

Eligibility varies substantially by programme and changes frequently. Spouses are generally included. Children are usually included up to an age limit, sometimes with an extension for those in full-time education or financially dependent. Parents and grandparents are included in some programmes, often above a minimum age and subject to a dependency test. Siblings are included in very few.

Evidence of relationship and dependency

Inclusion is not a declaration. Programmes require documentary proof of relationship, and for parents or adult children usually proof of financial dependency — which has a specific meaning and must be evidenced, not asserted.

Ageing out

The question most families do not ask until it is too late: what happens to a child who exceeds the age limit during processing, or after the status is granted but before they establish their own position. Treatment varies. Some programmes assess age at application, others at approval. Some allow a child granted status to retain it indefinitely; others require them to qualify independently at a threshold age.

Where a child is close to a threshold, this can be the single most important factor in both programme choice and timing, and we will raise it immediately.

Later additions

A child born after approval, or a spouse acquired later, may or may not be addable, and the route differs: registration, a dependent application, or not at all. This should be understood before you choose, not discovered afterwards.

What is included

  • Family map with eligibility per person per programme

    Each relationship tested individually against current rules.

  • Age threshold and timing analysis

    Where a child is near a limit, how it affects programme choice and when to apply.

  • Dependency evidence schedule

    What is required to prove financial dependency, which must be evidenced rather than asserted.

  • Relationship evidence schedule

    Civil documents required for each person, including non-standard structures.

  • Ageing-out briefing

    What happens to each child at and after the threshold, per programme.

  • Later-addition assessment

    Whether a future child or spouse can be added, and by what route.

How it works

  1. Family mapping. Everyone you want covered, with ages and relationships.
  2. Eligibility by relationship. Each person tested against each candidate programme's current dependant rules.
  3. Threshold and timing analysis. Where anyone is near an age limit, how that bears on programme choice and on when to apply.
  4. Evidence schedule. What proof of relationship and dependency each person requires.
  5. Future position. What happens as children age, and whether later family members can be added.

Timelines differ by programme and by the authority reviewing the file. We do not publish indicative durations we cannot source.

Scope and limits

Not included in this service

  • Family law, custody or adoption advice Where consent or recognition is in issue you need a qualified lawyer; we will say so.
  • Any assurance a dependant will be accepted Determined by the authority on the evidence.
  • Dependant rules change frequently and sometimes without transitional provisions for applications in progress.
  • Whether a dependant qualifies is determined by the authority, not by us.
  • We cannot advise on family law, custody or adoption recognition; where consent or recognition issues arise you will need a qualified lawyer.

Questions

Up to what age can I include my children?

It varies by programme and changes, and some extend the limit for children in full-time education or who are financially dependent. Crucially, some programmes assess age at the date of application and others at approval — which matters enormously if a birthday falls during processing. We confirm the current rule for the specific programme.

What happens when my child turns 18 or 25?

This is the question families most often ask too late. Treatment differs: some programmes let a child who was granted status keep it indefinitely, others require them to qualify independently at a threshold age. Where a child is close to a limit we raise it immediately, because it can change both which programme you choose and when you apply.

Can I include my parents?

In some programmes, usually above a minimum age and subject to a dependency test that must be documented rather than declared. In others, not at all. It is a genuine point of difference between programmes.

Can I add a child born after approval?

Often yes, by registration or a dependent application, but the route and the time limits differ and in a few programmes it is not possible. Worth knowing before you choose.

My family structure is not standard. Is that a problem?

Not necessarily, but it needs handling carefully. Adopted children, children from a previous relationship, unmarried partners and dependants with a disability all have programme-specific treatment and evidence requirements. Where consent or recognition of an adoption is in issue, you will also need a family lawyer.

This page describes an advisory service. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice, and nothing here is an offer or a guarantee of any outcome. Green Apple Consultants is not a government body and does not grant citizenship, residence or any immigration status — every application is decided solely by the competent government authority.

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