The government has announced several changes to Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse (Appendix VDA) which will make it easier for dependent children to apply for indefinite leave to remain (settlement).
Appendix VDA of the Immigration Rules allows migrants experiencing domestic abuse to apply for indefinite leave to remain where they can demonstrate that their relationship has broken down permanently due to the domestic abuse. The applicant’s dependent children can also apply for indefinite leave to remain under these rules. However, following a policy change in January 2024, there were previously several barriers in place for dependent child applicants, which have now been removed.
The new Statement of Changes, published 5 March 2026, removes some of the eligibility requirements that previously made it more difficult for dependent children to apply for indefinite leave to remain. Applicants will no longer need to meet the financial requirement, in which the parent applicant had to prove that they could adequately maintain and accommodate their dependent children without recourse to public funds. Furthermore, dependent child applicants over the age of 18 will no longer be required to pass the Life in the UK or English language tests.
Dependent children not applying at the same time as their parent can also now apply using the same form, SET (DV), rather than having to use form SET (F), further streamlining the application process for dependent child applicants.
The changes mean that the only requirement of dependent child applicants will be to prove their relationship with the applying parent.
These changes will come into force on 26 March 2026, and are a welcome development in an environment of increasingly restrictive immigration policies.
If you would like advice or assistance in relation to an application under Appendix VDA, please do not hesitate to contact us, one of the experienced solicitors in our immigration team will be happy to assist you.
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