Dependent visas: official basics for HR teams

This article is for HR staff who have to guide employees on overseas assignments about their families' visas. After reading, you should be able to see what to check in each country's official guidance and which questions to ask the employee first. It does not judge whether any particular family qualifies; it only walks through the basic structures that official bodies describe.

Dependent visas have different names in each country

When an assignment is confirmed, the first thing employees ask is how their family will go. The answer starts with a different name in each country. According to the US State Department (as of 29 October 2026), a spouse and unmarried minor children of an L or H-1B holder may apply for the same category to accompany the worker. A Royal Thai Embassy guide (same date) says family of a Non-B main applicant apply for a Non-Immigrant O visa. Japan's foreign ministry calls it 'Dependent (family stay)' status, and Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration uses family-reunification categories (E31B, E31E). The Netherlands' IND lists several family permits, among them partner and minor-child permits. In internal guides, it helps to write the official name for each country exactly, to avoid confusion.

The main applicant's process moves first

Family visas usually follow the worker's process. The US State Department says that in most cases the employer must first have an I-129 petition approved by USCIS. The Thai embassy guide lists a copy of the main applicant's work permit and an employer letter among the documents for the family visa. JETRO's guidance (as of 4 November 2026) says the family's Certificate of Eligibility and visa applications can be filed at the same time as the worker's, or after the worker has received a work status. Stay periods are linked too. The UAE government portal says a dependent's visa will not exceed the sponsor's expiry, and Immigration New Zealand says a child's visa usually ends with the parent's. So it is safer to settle the employee's visa timeline first and draw the family's timeline around it.

Who counts as family, and age limits, differ

The meaning of 'child' also varies. A USCIS presentation describes L-2 eligibility as a spouse and unmarried children under 21, and the US Embassy visa information service says the same age limit applies to E-1 and E-2 dependants. Indonesia's E31E is for an unmarried biological child under 18, and the Dutch IND child permit is also for children under 18. Immigration New Zealand says the child must be 19 or under and plan to attend school, and that under-5s cannot attend school and get a visitor visa instead. For example, a family with a child about to enter university may get very different guidance depending on the country. IND's income requirements page covers the sponsor's income in family applications, but it does not mention highly skilled migrants or their families. Do not guess about points like this; ask IND directly.

Check the child's school and immigration status separately

School enrolment is linked to visas, but the contact points differ. The US State Department says the public-school restrictions apply to F-1 student visas, not to the children of foreign workers. Immigration New Zealand says children of parents with an appropriate work visa can attend primary or secondary school without tuition fees on a Dependent Child Student Visa, and adds that some work visas do not qualify. In Japan, according to MEXT guidance, foreign children can attend public elementary and junior high schools with free tuition and textbooks, while parents pay for lunches and supplementary materials. England's Department for Education guidance (updated 28 March 2024, viewed 31 October 2026) says parents must check the child's right to study before applying and that state-funded schools must not require a passport or immigration status as a condition of admission. However, children on a visitor visa or a short-term English-language study visa cannot enrol at a state-funded school. Indonesia has a separate stay category for primary and secondary education (E30A) and tells families to ask the local immigration office which one applies.

Documents, proof of funds, and managing the stay

Proof of relationship is the basic document. Thailand lists marriage and birth certificates, and the UAE lists an attested birth certificate and, for students, a letter stating the study period. Some countries also ask for proof of funds. The US State Department says family members must show they can support themselves, and New Zealand lists living funds of NZ$17,000 a year or NZ$1,417 a month (waivable for some) plus an agreement to cover health costs. Management after arrival matters too. In Thailand, entry gives up to 90 days, extendable to one year at the Immigration Bureau. In Indonesia, permits of one year or less can be extended from 30 days before expiry. In the UAE, living outside the country for more than 180 continuous days automatically cancels the residence visa, and an overstay fine of AED 50 per day is listed. JETRO says paid work is generally not allowed on the Japanese Dependent status, part-time work becomes possible after separate permission, and it is in principle no more than 28 hours a week. If a spouse plans to work, check this before departure.

Document lists differ slightly by mission and rules change often. The latest guidance from the embassy or immigration authority where you apply always comes first.

Sam's one-line tip

Before sending the employee a guide, put on one page, for each country, the order "main applicant's process → family visa → school enrolment" together with the official link for each step.

Checklist

• I have confirmed the official name of the family visa and the office that handles it in the destination country
• I have checked whether the employee's visa approval and expiry dates set the family's timeline
• I have checked who counts as a spouse or child, and the child age limits, in official guidance
• I have checked the required documents, including relationship certificates and any attestation
• I have checked whether proof of funds or health-cost requirements exist
• I have checked school enrolment steps and the visa category separately
• If the spouse plans to work, I have checked whether permission is needed
• I have checked when to extend after arrival and the rules on long stays abroad

Confirm with the owner

• What is the latest document list published by the embassy or immigration authority for the destination country?
• Which parts of the visa process does the company handle (petition, employer letter and so on), and which does the employee's family handle?
• Is the family application filed at the same time as the employee's, or after the work status is granted?
• What does company support cover (document guidance, referral to outside specialists and so on)?
• Is there a named outside immigration professional or official contact for visa questions?

Your next step

Pick one destination country for an upcoming assignment, read only the family-visa section of the official pages mentioned here (embassy, immigration authority and so on), and fill in the checklist above.

Always confirm your own situation with the official authority or an immigration professional.