Bringing Your Parents to the UK: What Canadians Need to Know

7 September 2026

If you've moved from Canada to the UK, you should know upfront that there is no general "parent visa" here the way there is in Australia or New Zealand. The route that exists, the Adult Dependent Relative visa, is built for a much narrower situation than most people assume, and it's worth understanding that before you get your hopes up.

This isn't a route for parents who simply want to retire near their children. It's a care-based route, and the bar is genuinely high. This guide explains exactly what it requires, what it costs, and why so many applications don't succeed, so you can make a realistic decision rather than an expensive, disappointing one.

The actual test: personal care, not proximity to family

What it costs, and what you get if it's approved

Entry clearance fee

~£3,635

Reported figure, confirm the current amount on gov.uk's visa fees tool before applying

Immigration Health Surcharge

Usually £0

ILR is normally granted immediately when the sponsor is settled or British, and ILR is IHS-exempt

Decision timeline

Up to 12 weeks

Typical, not guaranteed

Your sponsor (you, if you're settled in the UK or a British citizen) has to show you can maintain, accommodate and care for your parent without them relying on public funds. If your parent's application succeeds and you're settled or British, they're normally granted indefinite leave to remain immediately, not a temporary visa that gets renewed later. That's a genuinely different shape to every other UK family route: one clear outcome, approved with settlement from day one, or refused. If you only hold temporary leave yourself rather than settled status or citizenship, the rules and any health surcharge work differently, so check your own situation specifically.

Multiple UK immigration solicitors report a success rate below 5% for this route, though that figure comes from practitioners tracking refusals, not a government-published statistic, so treat it as a strong signal of difficulty rather than an exact number.

If your parent doesn't meet the care test

For most healthy, active parents who simply want to be near family, there currently isn't a settlement route available in the UK, only visitor status. A standard family visitor visa allows stays of up to 6 months at a time, with no work rights and no access to public funds, and can't be used as a way around the settlement rules. Many families use repeated visitor stays to spend real time together while accepting that permanent relocation isn't realistically on the table under current rules.

Planning your move from Canada?

Our free relocation checklist walks you through every step, from visa prep to arrival week.

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Visa paperwork is only the start of a move like this. The Ultimate Relocation Guide is a paid, step-by-step guide (from AUD $59) covering what comes next: banking, housing, healthcare and your first 90 days.