Spouse Visa

Contents

• Eligibility
• Requirements
• Genuine Relationship Test
• Financial Requirements
• Documents
• Financial Criteria
• Spouse Visa and benefits
• English Language Test
• Proof of Accommodation
• Apply for a Spouse Visa
• Fees
• Application
• Appeal Procedure

• British citizen
• Settled - UK permanent resident
• Refugee

• Genuine relationship
• Suitability specific financial criteria

Apply for a UK spouse visa if you are over 18 year and

• Married or in a recognised civil partnership in the UK to a British or settled or refugee;
• You have been in a relationship for two years and can prove it;
• Engaged or have a UK fiancée visa and plan to get married within six months of staying in the UK

• Genuine Relationship Test;
• Meet the minimum income and the financial requirement;
• Knowledge of the English language;
• Proof of suitable accommodation;
• Biometrics;
• Tuberculosis (TB) test, depending on the applicant's country of residence;
• Other documents required by Immigration Rules;

The UK Spouse Visa applicant must prove they are in a genuine relationship with their British citizen partner. Provide the following confirmation:

• Joint mortgage or tenancy agreement, either in or outside the UK;
• Birth certificate of children you have together;
• Photographs showing you have spent time together;
• A shared bank account;
• Text messages;
• Social media chats;
• Travel documents proving your mutual visits before you got married;
• Documents confirming your intention to live together in the UK.

The income of Sponsor, a UK partner, should satisfy the certain requirements

• Family can afford to live without using public funds;

• If have no dependent children, a Sponsor must have a minimum pre-tax income of

  £18,600

• If one dependent child, a Sponsor needs a pre-tax income of

  £22,400
• For each extra child, additional earnings of

  £2,400

• Original Marriage Certificate or Civil Partnership Certificate
• For unmarried couples, evidence that they have been living together for at least two years
• Passport
• English language certificate
• Proof of Accommodation
• Genuine Relationship Test documents
• Proof that income satisfies financial requirements
• Evidence that you are married to a UK citizen or settled

To meet the minimum income requirements for a UK spouse visa application, you can use eligible income:

• Savings;
• Income from employment or self-employment;
• Maternity, paternity, adoption or sickness benefits pension;
• Other income such as rental income or stock;

• a. from the minimum requirement £18,600 (or more with dependants) subtract all eligible income
• b. then multiply that number by 2.5
• c. add £16,000

You may not need to meet the financial requirements and criteria if a Sponsor using any of the following:

• Support for people with disabilities;
• Severe disability benefits;
• Work accident disability pension;
• Attendance fee;
• Nursing care allowance;
• Individual independent payment;
• Armed Forces Independent Benefits or Guaranteed Income Benefits under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme;
• Lifelong Care Allowance, Transfer Allowance, or War Injury and Sickness Pension under the War Pension Scheme;
• Police accident pension;

• Is a national of English-speaking country;
• Under 18 or over 65;
• With long-term physical or mental conditions;
• Have a degree or educational institution that teaches or conducts research in English. Your eligibility is only valid when confirmed by UK NARIC.

• Description of the property where you plan to live with your spouse
• Evidence that there are enough rooms in the facility to accommodate everyone
• Proof that they can cover accommodation expenses

• Each person needs their room;
• Couples can share the same bedroom;
• You can count the living room when you count the bedroom;
• Children under one do not require their space;
• Count children aged 1-9 as half servings;
• Consider children aged ten and over as adults;
• Children of the opposite sex over the age of 10 cannot share a room

• Apply for a spouse visa before travelling to the UK
• Do not book flights or travel until the Home Office has approved your application
• The UK spouse visa application process can be started online from outside the UK by completing certain forms.
• If required, visit a visa application centre to provide biometrics as part of the process
• When applying within the UK, you need to prove you are in the UK on a qualifying visa

• If apply outside the UK

  £1,523
• If apply within the UK

  £1,033

• An accredited English language test, a mandatory requirement for most applicants

  £150
• Immigration Health Surcharge, per year

  £624
• Certified translation service for non-English or Welsh documents, per page

  £20
• If eligible, an additional charge for Home Office Priority Premium Service if you want to receive a response from UKVI within five working days

  £500
• If eligible, an additional charge for Home Office Super Priority Premium Service if you want to receive a response from UKVI by the end of the next working day after the appointment

  £800

A visa (permit) to enter the UK within 30 days will be issued. A holder can get a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) within ten days of arriving in the UK.

If a holder does not enter the UK within this period, they can apply for an additional 30 days entry permit. Additional charges will apply.

An applicant may appeal the Home Office's decision. A qualified immigration adviser best assists this complicated process.

Options to extend a stay in the UK:

• Extend your UK spouse visa for the next 2.5 years if the current residence permit has not expired.
• After UK residence for five years on a spouse visa, apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

Between 2 and 12 weeks is the usual time for UK spouse visa application processing depending on the documents provided and the country of the application.

An appeal process can be relatively long. Applicants may wait up to 12 months or more for a decision to appeal a spouse visa denial.

We recommend to consider authorised immigration advice services from professionals

• Complain within 28 days of receiving the refusal decision if you are abroad;
• Complain within 14 days if you are in the UK;
• Make sure your complaint is legitimate and likely to be accepted;
• Prepare a case to apply as rigorously as possible;
• Gather evidence showing why the application should be accepted
• Attend court hearings (if applicable)

• Does not meet economic or language requirements;
• Unable to prove the marriage is real and exists;
• Not submitting the correct supporting documents;
• Incomplete or inaccurate application;
• The best way to avoid the spouse visa appeal process is to ensure your initial application is as accurate as possible.