The UK partner and spouse visa is part of the UK family visas and enables an eligible foreign national to join and live with their partner in the UK if they are a British citizen or settled person.

 

If any of the below requirements are not met, please contact us to discuss options available. A Human Rights Application can be made if exceptional circumstances are prevalent. 

 

UK Spouse / Partner Visa: the minimum salary requirement is £29,000. There are transitional arrangements in place if your spouse or partner’s visa was applied for or granted prior to April 11 2024. 

 

Contact our immigration lawyers for a telephone consultation on 0203 405 6381 or complete our enquiry form to discuss your UK spouse visa. The UK Spouse Visa, commonly known as a UK Marriage or Partner Visa, allows non-UK nationals to join their partner in the UK. 

 

Your sponsor must meet the following criteria:

 

● Be a British or Irish citizen

● Have settled status in the UK (e.g. ILR, settled status or proof of permanent residence)

● Be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status (provided they started living in the UK before January 1, 2021)

● Hold a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa

● Have protection status (refugee status, humanitarian protection, or permission to stay as a stateless person)

 

What is the UK spouse visa?

 

The spouse visa (also referred to as the partner and spouse visa) enables an eligible foreign national to join and live with their partner in the UK if they are a British citizen or settled person (e.g. a person with Indefinite Leave to Remain or EU Settled Status). You won’t automatically get the right to live in the UK through marriage to a British citizen. You must apply for a Spouse Visa to live in the UK with your partner. Eligible applicants include those who are married, in a civil partnership, or unmarried.

 

Applicants must meet a set of eligibility criteria as outlined in detail below. If granted, a partner and spouse visa is initially granted for up to 2 years and 9 months. It is then possible to extend your stay (meeting requirements to extend it) and later acquire ILR, allowing you to remain permanently in the UK without being subject to immigration rules. After gaining ILR, you might be eligible to apply for British citizenship by marriage. 

You must intend to live together in the UK after you move here (if you’re not here already), and you will also need to provide evidence of your genuine and subsisting relationship. To apply as a partner, both you and your partner must be aged 18 or above. 

With this visa, you are permitted to work or study in the UK once it has been granted.

 

UK spouse visa requirements 2024

 

To make a successful application for a UK partner and spouse visa, you will need to meet a set of eligibility requirements, including providing evidence of:

 

• You are in a genuine and eligible relationship

• Your and your partner’s combined (depending on where you are applying from) gross annual income is at least £29,000 (this is set to rise to £29,000 April 11 2024, followed by gradual increases to £38,700)

• You have suitable accommodation in the UK

• You meet the English language requirement: at least level A1 for your first visa application

 

1. Genuine Relationship Requirement: You will need to show you are in an eligible relationship as follows:

 

• You are in a civil partnership or marriage that is legally recognised in the UK, or;

• Have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years, or;

• Plan to get married or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving in the UK (Fiancé Visa).

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Crucially, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will want to be assured that you are in a genuine and subsisting relationship. As such, they are always alert to the potential for sham marriages or relationships, whereby applicants falsely confirm they are in an eligible relationship when they are not. 

If you are unsure of how to meet the requirements of a genuine relationship, speak to our immigration lawyers, who will be able to confirm this for you.

 

2. Spouse Visa Financial Requirement: The spouse visa application requires the applicant and the UK based partner must have a minimum gross annual income of £29,000. According to the latest update from the Home Office policy paper, the UK spouse visa minimum income requirement will increase from £29,000 in Spring 2024, and then rise to £34,500, eventually reaching £38,700.

 

Only the sources of income listed below will be considered:

 

• Income from employment or self-employment

• Pension of the applicant and/or partner

• Maternity allowances or bereavement benefits received by the partner in the UK

• Any other income and/or savings specified by the applicant and/or partner

• Currently, if new applicants wish to rely solely on savings, the figure is £88,500.00. Certain requirements do apply. 

 

Exemptions from meeting the financial requirement are available when a sponsor receives income from specific benefits. Contact us for more information.

 

3.  English Language Requirement: As a partner and spouse visa applicant, you will need to show that you have sufficient knowledge of the English language; this can be achieved in 3 ways:

 

• Passing an English language test: you will meet the English language requirements if you pass a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) English test from an approved testing centre. This must be at least level A1 in speaking and writing. If you wish to extend your stay in the UK at a later date, you will need to be able to pass at least a CEFR level A2 to show continuing improvement in line with the time that you have been in the country.

• Academic qualifications: you will also meet the English language requirements if you have a degree or other academic qualification which was taught in English.

• Exemption: you will not need to meet the English language requirements if you are exempt, including if:

• You are over 65 years of age

• You have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement

• You come from any of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA

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4. Adequate Accommodation: Applicants must show they have suitable accommodation in the UK and that it:

 

• Is owned or occupied exclusively by the applicant and their family members

• Has sufficient living space

• Meets any public health requirements

 

Spouse Visa Priority service 

 

You may be able to pay for a faster decision. Contact us today to check whether your case could be considered under the expedited Priority visa option. 

 

Spouse visa to ILR

 

Once you have resided in the UK for 5 years (five year route only) on your partner and spouse visa, you will be able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). This will mean you can remain permanently in the UK and will no longer be subject to immigration control. To gain ILR, you will need to:

 

• Have lived in the UK for 5 years on a family visa as a partner

• Have you lived with your partner since you last renewed your visa

• Be in a genuine and subsisting relationship with your partner

• Intend to continue your relationship after you apply for ILR

• Meet the English language and Life in the UK requirements

• Prove you have suitable accommodation

• Continue to meet the financial requirements

 

Spouse / Partner visa refused

 

There are several grounds on which an application for a spouse / partner visa may be refused, contact us today to discuss the refusal and merits of any Appeal. 

If your partner or spouse visa application has been refused, speak to one of our immigration lawyers, who will be able to advise on the best steps to take to ensure a successful outcome of your case.

 

Why choose Visas 24/7 to represent your Spouse / Partner visa application? 

 

Our services encompass advising on all required documentation to support your application, followed by meticulously collating, preparing, and submitting a comprehensive application package on your behalf. 

Throughout your application journey, we will provide guidance and assistance at every step, including liaising with relevant government authorities and third parties on your behalf.

 

Our primary objective is to achieve your immigration goals as seamless and stress-free as possible. For more information about our services, please contact us via phone or email. 

Visas 24/7 is Regulated to the highest level, our principal lawyer has been representing client’s like you for over 20 years.