Spouse Visa UK / Partner Visa UK | Join Your Partner In The UK 2024
Are you planning to apply for a Spouse Visa UK? This comprehensive guide covers spouse visa and partner visa requirements, documents, salary, fees, eligibility, and more. The partner and spouse visa is part of the family visas and enables an eligible foreign national to join and live with their partner in the UK.
If you’re considering joining your spouse in the United Kingdom, the process might seem complex at first glance. Fear not! This guide will simplify the journey, providing you with important information about Spouse Visa UK.
If you require Immigration Advice Services or help with an immigration problem, please contact +441614644140 or email us at info@deluxelawchambers.co.uk for fast, professional, and affordable immigration advice from our highly experienced UK immigration lawyers. You can book an appointment online for a detailed immigration consultation.
Spouse Visa UK: Requirements and Eligibility
Spouse visa UK serves as a gateway for individuals wishing to join their partners who are already residing in the UK. The eligibility criteria are straightforward:
- Relationship Validity: You must be legally married to or in a civil partnership with a UK resident.
- Age Requirement: Both you and your partner must be at least 18 years old.
- Financial Threshold: Your partner needs to meet the minimum income threshold or demonstrate adequate savings to support both of you.
- Accommodation: Suitable housing must be available for you and your partner.
- Language Proficiency: You must prove your English language proficiency through a recognised test.
Contents
How to apply for a UK spouse visa?
To apply as a partner, you and your partner both need to be 18 or over.
Your partner must also either:
- be a British or Irish citizen
- have settled in the UK – for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
- be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status – they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
- have a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa
- have refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK
You and your partner must intend to live together permanently in the UK after you apply. You can switch from 10-year partner route to 5-years route.
UK spouse visa application guidance
If your spouse visa is successful, you will be granted leave to enter the UK for 2 years and 9 months. After the first 2 years and 9 months, you will be eligible to apply for a spouse visa for the next 2.5 years. You can click here to find out new spouse visa requirements.
- You and your partner must be aged 18 or over when the application is submitted
- You must intend to live permanently with your partner in the UK
- You meet the financial requirement
- You meet the relationship requirement
- You have the sufficient accommodation
- You and your partner are not within a prohibited degree of relationship
- You and your partner have met in person
Financial Requirement For Successful Spouse Visa
If you apply for a family visa as a partner, you and your partner usually need to prove that your combined income is at least £29,000 a year.
This is called a ‘minimum income requirement’.
The financial requirements are different if either:
- your partner is getting certain disability or carer’s benefits
- you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and you’re extending that visa – this includes if you first applied as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner
How you prove your income depends on how you got it. You may be able to use your savings instead of income to show you meet the requirement.
If your partner is getting disability or carer’s benefits
You do not need to meet a minimum income requirement if your partner gets one of the following benefits:
- Disability Living Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
- Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme
- Police Injury Pension
- Child Disability Payment
- Adult Disability Payment
You need to show you and your family have enough money to house and support yourselves without relying on additional public funds. The caseworker considers your income and housing costs.
Check the guidance in Appendix FM and Appendix HM armed forces: minimum income requirement for more information.
If you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and you’re extending that visa
If you’re extending your stay with the same partner, you and your partner will need to prove that your combined income is at least £18,600 a year.
You must prove you have extra money for any children who:
- you’re applying for a family visa with
- are already in the UK as dependants on your family visa
- are already in the UK as your partner’s dependants
You do not need to prove you have extra money for any children who:
- are British or Irish citizens
- have pre-settled status
- are permanently settled in the UK
You might not need to prove you have extra money if your children are citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland and they do not have pre-settled status or are not permanently settled in the UK. Check the guidance in Appendix FM and Appendix HM armed forces: minimum income requirement for more information.
If you need to prove extra money for children, you’ll need to prove an extra:
- £3,800 a year for the first child
- £2,400 a year for each additional child you have after the first child
If the total amount you’d need to earn based on your children would be more than £29,000, you only need to prove you make £29,000 a year.
If you cannot meet the financial requirements
If you cannot meet these financial requirements you may still be able to apply for a visa or extend your stay if:
- you have a child in the UK who is a British or Irish citizen or has lived in the UK for 7 years and it would be unreasonable for them to leave the UK
- it would breach your human rights to stop you coming to the UK or make you leave
If you do not meet the financial requirements, the earliest you’ll be able to apply to settle is after 10 years in the UK.
English test requirement for a spouse visa UK
To apply for a spouse visa entry clearance, you need to pass the A1 English language test, A2 for spouse visa extension, and B1 for spouse visa ILR.
UK Spouse Visa Types
- Spouse Visa Entry Clearance Application
- Spouse Visa Extension
- Spouse Visa ILR
- 5-Years Partner Visa
- 10-Years Partner Visa
How long does the application take?
The average processing time for a spouse visa application is 12 to 24 weeks from the date we submit the application to the UKVI. Processing times vary depending on the country where the application is made and circumstances of the applicant.
How long does a spouse visa last?
If applying from overseas, a spouse visa is initially issued for 33 months. If you are applying from within the UK a spouse visa is issued for a period of 30 months.
Can I extend my spouse visa?
You can apply for an extension for an additional 30 months which can take your total time in the UK on this visa up to five years. At this point you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) provided you are still married and living in the UK with your spouse and continue to meet the maintenance requirements. After you have been granted ILR you may be eligible to apply for naturalisation as British citizen.
Minimum Age for a Spouse Visa
You and your partner must both be over the age of 18 on the date when you submit your Spouse Visa application.
Minimum age to get married in the UK
The legal age of marriage and civil partnerships has been raised to 18 in England and Wales.
Can I work on a spouse visa?
Yes, you are eligible to work or study in the UK once the visa has been granted.
Savings for a UK spouse visa
You can meet the spouse visa financial requirement through savings of £88,500.
Why choose us for your spouse visa application online?
Choosing the right and best immigration lawyer for your immigration needs can be stressful. While it could seem like a difficult choice, let us simplify things for you. Here are a few good reasons why you should choose Deluxe Law Chambers to assist you with your UK visas and immigration matters.
Our commitment to affordability means that you can receive expert advice without straining your finances. Our success hinges on transparency. We believe in keeping you informed about every step of the process, ensuring that you understand your options and the potential outcomes.
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A combination of our rich experience, deep-rooted expertise, trust authority, and unwavering commitment to our clients makes us your best choice.
So, why wait? Take your first step towards a successful immigration application with us.
frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a spouse visa for the UK?
You should get a decision within 12 to 24 weeks once you attend your appointment at the visa application centre.
What is the requirement for spouse visa UK?
To apply as a partner, you and your partner both need to be 18 or over. Your partner must also either: be a British or Irish citizen. have settled in the UK – for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence.
How much is UK spouse visa fees 2024?
The cost to apply UK spouse visa from inside the UK is £1048 and from outside the UK is £1846.
Is it difficult to get a UK spouse visa?
The UK spouse visa requirements are difficult to meet. However, if you meet the requirements, your spouse visa will be successful.
Why would a UK spouse visa be refused?
Your UK spouse visa could be refused if you fail to meet any requirements including English test and financial requirement.
How can I speed up my UK spouse visa?
Yes, it is possible to speed up a UK spouse visa. You can contact our UK spouse visa lawyers to get advice.
Does UK spouse visa have interview?
Yes, the Home Office may invite you for an interview if you don’t meet spouse visa UK requirements. If you have an upcoming interview, contact us so that we can guide you ahead.
Can I stay in UK while waiting for my spouse visa UK?
The waiting time ends for all applications when you get a letter or an email with a decision. You can stay in the UK until you’ve been given a decision, as long as you applied before your last visa expired.
