Hi everyone, I’m looking for opinions on my daughter’s Administrative Review (AR) chances.
My daughter came to the UK in 2022 as a Child Student (she was a minor when she entered). She lived with her elder sisters and remained fully dependent on us financially. In November 2024, I was granted a Global Talent visa, and my wife and the rest of the family joined me in the UK. After completing her degree in June 2025, she applied to switch into the Global Talent Dependant Child route so that she could live with us.
UKVI refused her application only on the age requirement under Appendix Children CHI 1.1 / CHI 1.2 — essentially saying she was 20 and her last visa was a Student visa, not a Dependant-child visa.
Her AR argues the following:
- CHI 1.2 was impossible for her to meet because when she first entered the UK, neither I nor her mother had UK status, so she could not have applied as our dependent child at that time.
- She has always been financially and emotionally dependent and has never lived independently.
- The caseworker did not apply dependency guidance correctly.
- They ignored the family situation and the fact that I declared her as my dependent child in my Global Talent visa application.
- There is no rule stating that a child must enter the UK after their parent in order to qualify as a dependent.
- If she was clearly ineligible due to age, the application should have been rejected as invalid, not accepted, biometrics taken, and then refused on eligibility grounds.
My questions:
- Has anyone seen an AR succeed in a CHI 1.2 refusal?
- Does the “impossible requirement” argument ever succeed at the Administrative Review stage?
- Realistically, does she have any chance, and how much?
Any honest opinions, experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated.