DNA VUE
The report answers one question. Are these people biologically related in the way the application states? Our laboratory partner compares genetic markers from each person's sample. The finished report then supports or excludes that stated relationship.
People often ask whether a positive result means the visa will be approved. It doesn't, and we can't promise any outcome. The Home Office or other authority makes that call. It treats the report as one piece of evidence among the many it reviews.
Nationality works the same way. A test can show that a child is biologically related to a British parent. But citizenship depends on the rules that apply to that family's circumstances. Those rules look at facts a laboratory never sees.
That last point matters for some families. An adopted child or a stepchild won't share the markers the test looks for. In those cases an Immigration DNA Test may not be the right evidence at all. We only arrange testing where it's scientifically appropriate. Our first conversation with you covers which test fits your situation, if any.
Our part is making sure the evidence is collected properly. DNA Vue isn't a laboratory. We coordinate your case and work with a laboratory partner holding UKAS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 for testing activities within its accreditation scope. For each person, the authorised collector checks identity, records consent and takes the sample. They then complete the chain-of-custody paperwork, a signed record showing who handled each sample at every stage. It links the sample in the laboratory to the person who gave it.
For international cases, we coordinate collections and transport between the countries involved and the laboratory. We can also help with administrative questions and documentation coordination within the scope of our services. For advice on the application itself, a qualified immigration adviser or solicitor is the right person to ask.
Check what your authority asks for before you book. Some applications name specific requirements for the testing and the report. Knowing those first helps us arrange collection to match them. Your personal and genetic information stays confidential throughout, protected under our privacy policy, genetic data policy and terms and conditions.
When relatives live in different countries, we coordinate a separate collection for each person. Everyone attends an appointment near where they live. Their samples then travel to the same designated laboratory for analysis.
It all starts with where people are. At your first enquiry, we note how many people need testing and where each one is based. A common example is a sponsor in Dartford or London with a child living overseas. Those details shape the whole plan, including the documents each person will need.
Here's how a typical international collection runs:
Chain of custody is a paper trail. It records who gave each sample, who collected it and how it reached the laboratory. For an immigration test, that record links every sample to a verified person, even when the appointments happen thousands of miles apart.
Timing is the question people raise most. Each collection runs on local appointment slots and courier routes. A relationship comparison needs samples from both sides, so the slower collection often sets the pace. Turnaround also depends on the type of test, sample quality and laboratory processing. So we can't promise a fixed date across two countries, and we'll say so before you book.
Documents come up next. Across borders, a name spelt one way on a passport and another way on a form is a common snag in this field. It's worth checking every spelling before anyone books an appointment. We explain the documentation requirements when we set out your testing options.
Cost depends on the shape of the case. The number of people, the countries involved and the courier needs all affect the quotation. We go through pricing with you before you decide to proceed.
We're not a laboratory ourselves. Analysis is carried out by our laboratory partner, which holds UKAS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 for the testing activities covered by its accreditation scope. Personal and genetic information from every country is protected under our privacy policy, genetic data policy and terms and conditions.
Decisions on immigration applications rest with the relevant authorities, not with us or the laboratory. For immigration cases, we can help with administrative questions and documentation coordination within the scope of our services.
These three steps link the laboratory report to the right people. A legal or immigration result only helps if others can trust whose samples were tested. The ID check, the witnessed collection and the signed consent form give that trust a written record.
That written record is called chain of custody, a paper trail showing who gave each sample, who collected it and how it reached the lab.
Here's what happens at a legal or immigration collection appointment:
Each step answers a different question. The ID check confirms the person in the room is the person named on the form. The witnessed collection confirms the sample came from that person on that day. And the signed consent confirms everyone agreed to take part.
People often ask why a relative abroad can't just post a cheek swab. The reason is the same every time: nobody independent saw who gave it. So we offer home collection kits only for eligible peace of mind tests, never for legal or immigration testing.
Consent is a firm line for us. We don't knowingly arrange any test without the appropriate consent or other lawful authority. We also don't offer covert testing of another person's genetic material.
In the UK, collections can take place at our Dartford testing location. They can also take place at an appropriate facility elsewhere in the country. For relatives overseas, we coordinate collection at a suitable facility in their country. We also arrange transport of the samples between that country and the testing laboratory.
We aren't a laboratory ourselves. The analysis is carried out by our laboratory partner, which holds UKAS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 for testing activities covered by its accreditation scope. Our role is to coordinate the appointment, the ID and consent paperwork, the sample transport and the communication of results.
Even with complete paperwork, we can't promise how any authority will treat a report. That decision belongs to the body reviewing the application. The collection steps above exist so the report has a clear, documented history behind it.
Where each person lives usually has the biggest effect on how long an immigration test takes. A case with everyone in the UK tends to move faster than one spread across two or three countries. We can't give you a fixed finish date at the start, since several stages depend on people and places outside our direct control.
Across immigration testing as a field, the laboratory analysis is often not the slowest part. Arranging the collections and moving the samples safely can take longer, so the timeline starts well before any sample reaches the lab.
On that last point, a result can sometimes remain inconclusive because of biological or technical limits. If that happens, we review the case with the laboratory and explain the options open to you. Depending on the cause and the terms of your service, those options may include more testing, a recollection or consideration of a refund.
We're not a laboratory ourselves. Our role is coordinating the enquiry, appointments, collections, paperwork, transport and the release of results. That coordination is where we can keep things moving, but we can't speed up a laboratory's processing or an overseas facility's booking calendar.
Throughout every stage, your personal and genetic information is handled confidentially, protected under our privacy policy, genetic data policy and terms and conditions. Results are released only to the customer or an authorised recipient through the method agreed at the start.
Most standard tests give a clear result. Some cases need extra samples, further analysis or a repeat test. In a small number of cases, a result can stay inconclusive because of biological or technical limits. We don't guarantee any particular outcome, and we'd rather you know that before you book.
Inconclusive means the laboratory couldn't reach a firm answer from the samples it received. It's different from a negative result. These are some of the reasons this can happen across relationship testing in general:
When a result comes back inconclusive, we review the circumstances with the laboratory and explain your options in plain terms. Those options depend on what caused the result, the laboratory's requirements, your consumer rights and the terms of the service you bought. They may include additional testing, a fresh sample collection or consideration of a refund.
Sometimes a result is clear but isn't what the family expected. Once the laboratory authorises the report, we send it to the customer or authorised recipient by the method agreed at booking. Our team stays available to explain what the report says and how the testing was carried out.
We can explain the report, but we can't advise on what it means for your visa or settlement case. A qualified immigration adviser or solicitor is the right person for that. For immigration applications, we can help with administrative questions, documentation coordination and follow-up arrangements within the scope of our services.
The genetic analysis itself is carried out by our laboratory partner, which holds UKAS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 for the testing activities within its accreditation scope. We aren't a laboratory ourselves. Our role is to coordinate the case, from your first enquiry and sample collection through to sharing the report with you.
Every result is handled in confidence, whatever it shows. Your personal and genetic information is protected under our privacy policy, our genetic data policy and our terms and conditions. We release results only to the people authorised to receive them, in line with those terms and any disclosure rules that apply.
No, a DNA test only shows whether two people share a biological relationship, such as parent and child. It cannot confirm nationality or citizenship. Those decisions belong to the Home Office or the relevant authority, which looks at the report alongside other evidence in your application. We coordinate the sample collection and laboratory analysis, but the final decision always sits with the authority reviewing your case.
An authorised collector checks each person's identity, records their consent, and takes the sample. They then complete chain-of-custody paperwork, which is a signed record showing who handled the sample at every stage. This links each sample to the person who gave it. For international cases, we coordinate separate appointments in each country, and the samples then travel to the same laboratory for analysis.
No, this type of test only compares genetic markers between people to support or exclude a claimed biological relationship. It does not reveal ethnicity or nationality. For immigration purposes, the report is one piece of evidence that an authority weighs alongside other documentation when deciding on citizenship or a visa.
No, an adopted child or a stepchild will not share the biological markers this test looks for, since the relationship isn't genetic. In these cases, this type of test may not be the right evidence at all. We talk through which test fits your family's situation, if any, before arranging collection.
Each person needs to bring the identification documents required for the test, which the collector checks before taking the sample. Spelling differences between a passport and other forms are a common snag in cases involving more than one country. We go over documentation requirements with you when we set out your testing options, so this can be checked before anyone books an appointment.