UK Visitor Visa for Unaccompanied Nephew

[anya56]

Hello

I want to apply for a visit visa for my 8 years old nephew during his summer holidays. His parents can't accompany him due to work commitments. The visa rules state that the child should be able to get visa if parents consent for unaccompanied minor to travel alone and have a close relative to stay with.
However, it does state that there are additional rules for visit to Scotland and Ireland - notifying the local authorities.
Could you please answer some of the questions around it?

• Can anyone confirm who the local authorities are here?

• Would I need to notify the council or some other department?

• Would I need to notify them and provide the evidence of it in the application itself or does this need to be done only after visa has been approved?

• Would I need to show any specific travel arrangements for his flight from India to UK?

• In terms of evidence, will parents consent, their financial statements and employment verification, school's NOC fo his visit, invite from myself, my home ownership evidence and my financial statements suffice?

• How difficultis it generally to get visitor visa approved for an unaccompanied minor?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[anya56]

Hi

Can someone please guide me on how to proceed with this?

Thanks

[meself2]

However, it does state that there are additional rules for visit to Scotland and Ireland -

I assume you mean NI.

The key question is if you're going to travel/live in Scotland/NI; don't think you'd have to adhere to their requirements if you don't plan to set foot in these territories.

[anya56]

@meself2 I live in Edinburgh so I'll need to adhere to Scottish rules for my nephew’s visit.

[meself2]

If I'm reading this right, arrangements for Scotland/NI are in place if it's foster care:

A child is considered to be in private foster care when they are:

under 16 years old, or under 18 years old for those who have a disability

being cared for on a full-time basis for more than 28 days

not being cared for by parents, legal guardians or close relatives

Confirmed by https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/56 , where staying with relative is not foster care:

A child is not a foster child while he is in the care of any person—
(a)in premises in which any parent, adult relative or guardian of his is for the time being residing;
(b)in any residential establishment;
(c)in any school within the meaning of the M1Education (Scotland) Act 1980;
(d)in any hospital or in any [F4accommodation provided by a care home service registered under [F5Part 5 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010]];
(e)in any home or institution not specified in this section but maintained by a public or local authority; or
[F6(f)if he has been in that person’s care for a period of less than 28 days and that person does not intend to undertake his care for any longer period.]
[...]
“relative” in relation to a child, means a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt whether of the full blood or half blood or by affinity F37

Scotland govt website (https://www.gov.scot/publications/priva ... s/pages/4/) also specifies aunt/uncle as a close relative.

Private fostering is where a parent is making an arrangement to have their child cared for by someone who is not an approved foster or kinship carer or guardian of the child and who is not a close relative of the child ( i.e. not a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt whether by blood or by affinity ( i.e. by marriage)), for more than 28 days.

Coming from the above, I think you're exempt from the requirement.

[anya56]

If I'm reading this right, arrangements for Scotland/NI are in place if it's foster care:

A child is considered to be in private foster care when they are:

under 16 years old, or under 18 years old for those who have a disability

being cared for on a full-time basis for more than 28 days

not being cared for by parents, legal guardians or close relatives

Confirmed by https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/56 , where staying with relative is not foster care:

A child is not a foster child while he is in the care of any person—
(a)in premises in which any parent, adult relative or guardian of his is for the time being residing;
(b)in any residential establishment;
(c)in any school within the meaning of the M1Education (Scotland) Act 1980;
(d)in any hospital or in any [F4accommodation provided by a care home service registered under [F5Part 5 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010]];
(e)in any home or institution not specified in this section but maintained by a public or local authority; or
[F6(f)if he has been in that person’s care for a period of less than 28 days and that person does not intend to undertake his care for any longer period.]
[...]
“relative” in relation to a child, means a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt whether of the full blood or half blood or by affinity F37

Scotland govt website (https://www.gov.scot/publications/priva ... s/pages/4/) also specifies aunt/uncle as a close relative.

Private fostering is where a parent is making an arrangement to have their child cared for by someone who is not an approved foster or kinship carer or guardian of the child and who is not a close relative of the child ( i.e. not a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt whether by blood or by affinity ( i.e. by marriage)), for more than 28 days.

Coming from the above, I think you're exempt from the requirement.

Thanks so much!! It looks much less complicated now than I initially took it to be.

Would you also be able to help with the documents for his visa application?

I am planning to add parents consent, their financial statements and employment verification, school's NOC for his visit, invite from myself, my home ownership evidence and my financial statements to his application.

Will that be enough to prove the financial sustainability and ties to home country? I am planning to sponsor him fully. He has younger twin siblings as well and is fairly active in school extra curricular activities. Should I make a mention of that to prove the home ties?

Thanks!!

[meself2]

Didn't have experience with child visitor visas, but seems okay overall, don't think there's much more to add for a child.
Add what you consider right.