- Under the financial requirements for a partner visa, you will need to show that you and your partner can support each other and any dependent children you have without recourse to public funds.
Family Visa – Partners
Family Visa – Partners
The UK partner visa, also known as the UK marriage visa or spouse or family visa, allows non-British partners of British citizens or settled persons to live and work in the UK. If you are married to or the civil or unmarried partner of a British citizen or a person with UK-settled status, you do not automatically acquire immigration rights or lawful status in the UK. You will instead have to apply to the UK Home Office for permission to come to the UK to live with your partner.
The application process can be complex and is demanding. Understanding the eligibility criteria and gathering the necessary documents is essential for ensuring a successful application. The Home Office also continues to take a tough stance when determining partner visa applications, so it is important to ensure you follow the correct process and that you gather the correct documents in advance. The documentary evidence required is extremely specific and the online generated checklists can be misleading.
Relationship Requirements
- The definition of partner is wide in that it not only includes a spouse or civil partner, it also covers the fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner or unmarried partner.
- The applicant must be in a relationship with a British citizen or someone with settled status or ILR/permanent residence or refugee status in the UK.
- If you are legally married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen or a person settled in the UK, your civil partnership or marriage must be legally recognised in the UK.
- If the couple is unmarried, they must have been together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years.
- If you are engaged, you and your fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner need to show that you will marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving.
Genuine Relationship Requirement
- The relationship must be genuine and subsisting, meaning both parties must be able to prove their relationship in the past and the future – they must be able to show that they intend to live together permanently in the UK.
- Proving that you and your partner are in a ‘genuine and subsisting’ relationship can be one of the most challenging requirements of the partner visa application process. You must include evidence that demonstrates the authenticity of your relationship. You need to present this evidence in the most organised way possible with a clear explanatory narrative that connects key events and time periods.
- You need to be able to show that you have met your partner face to face at least once during your marriage. If you are not married, you can apply as a partner by showing that you have been in a relationship for at least two years.
- As part of your application, you will need to provide comprehensive evidence to demonstrate that you and your partner are committed to each other and spend time together. If you are not yet living with your partner, or if you have been separated for an extended period, it’s especially important to provide detailed and convincing proof that your relationship is genuine and ongoing.
- Typical supporting evidence includes information on shared financial accounts, joint commitments, or memberships; photographs of you together throughout your relationship; details of vacations taken as a couple; proof of cohabitation, such as a mortgage statement, tenancy agreement, or utility bills; and evidence of communication between you both, such as phone records or texts or emails during any time apart. Additionally, letters of support from family and friends can be vital evidence of your genuine relationship.
Financial Requirements
- Under the financial requirements for a partner visa, you will need to show that you and your partner can support each other and any dependent children you have without recourse to public funds.
- The sponsoring partner must normally meet a minimum income threshold of £29,000 per year, but this may increase in 2025.
- Several different sources of income can be relied on, including employment or self-employment income, non-work income such as from property rentals, cash savings greater than £16,000, and maternity pay and/or pensions. If the income requirement cannot be met through earnings alone, savings can be used to bridge the gap. The required savings are calculated as £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall in the income threshold. If relying on savings alone, you will need to show savings of at least £88,500.
- Normally you will need to show that you have met the financial requirements for 6 months before the application, although that can increase to 12 months in certain situations.
- Further, if your partner is in receipt of a specified benefit or allowance in the UK, you will be exempt from meeting the financial requirement in the form of the minimum income threshold. Rather, you will need to provide evidence of adequate maintenance and accommodation instead.
- You need to meet the minimum financial threshold to become eligible for indefinite leave to remain after five years. Otherwise, if you do not meet this requirement, you may qualify for a visa on the ten-year route.
Accommodation Requirements
- The couple must show that they have adequate accommodation in the UK without relying on public funds.
- The accommodation must be safe, secure, and not overcrowded.
- Partner visa holders are expected to live with their partner permanently. This means the partner must be able to show they can offer and fund adequate accommodation for their partner and any dependent children, without needing to claim benefits or state support.
- Adequate accommodation could be in the form of owned, mortgaged or rented property.
- The size and type of accommodation should be suitable for the number of people in the family. For each child you have that is over one year of age, you must have an additional bedroom.
English Language Requirements
- The applicant must prove their English language proficiency by passing an approved English language test, initially at level A1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
- Exemptions apply if the applicant is from a majority English-speaking country or holds a degree taught in English and which is recognised as being equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD.
- You will be exempt from meeting the English language requirement in the following circumstances:
- You are aged 65 or over
- You have a physical or mental disability that prevents you from meeting this requirement
- There are other exceptional circumstances that prevent you from being able to meet the requirement prior to entry to the UK.
Duration of the visa
If you are applying as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, you will only be permitted to come to the UK for a period of 6 months to enable you to get married. You will subsequently need to apply for a Partner Visa based on your recent marriage or civil partnership.
If you are applying from outside the UK and your application for a Partner Visa – and entry clearance – is successful, your visa will initially be granted for a period of 33 months.
If you are already in the UK and are applying for leave to remain as a partner, then you will be granted a visa for 30 months.
You can apply to extend your partner visa for a further two and a half years, to take your total stay as a partner to five years (60 months). With five years under the partner visa, you then become eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain. With ILR, you will no longer be subject to immigration restrictions.
You can also make your application for British citizenship as soon as you are granted ILR, provided you meet the eligibility criteria to naturalise.
Application Process
Applying for a UK partner visa can appear complicated, as it involves multiple steps and specific requirements. However, having a clear understanding of the entire process can help applicants prepare for each stage, gather the necessary documents, and prevent common mistakes that could cause delays in approval.
The UK government’s official visa and immigration website serves as the main platform for submitting your partner visa application. Applicants are required to create an account, fill out the application form, and monitor the progress of their application through this portal. The website also enables applicants to upload the required documents electronically.
When you submit the application online, you will need to pay the applicable visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge, which grants access to the NHS. Keep confirmation receipts for your records as proof of payment.
Once you have submitted the visa application form, you will be transferred to a separate portal to book your Biometric Appointment. This will be at a visa application centre if applying from outside the UK or a TLS service point when applying to switch or extend your visa from inside the UK.
You can either upload all your documents through the online portal before your appointment or bring them to your biometric appointment, depending on the process you choose. Your required documentation must be clear and in a supported format (e.g. PDF or JPEG)
Once you have submitted your application and attending your biometric appointment, the processing period begins. The portal will be updated as your application progresses, and you may receive email updates about the status of your application, so ensure your contact details are correct and up to date.
Documentation
The document requirements for partner visa applications can be onerous and it is important to follow the specific guidance. It is important to prepare all necessary documents before applying. You need to ensure documents are in the correct format and provide translations for any non-English documents with certified translations.
A summary of the types of documents you need to provide include the following:
- Valid passports for both partners as proof of identity and immigration status
- Marriage certificate and divorce certificates for previous relationships to show they have permanently broken down
- Evidence that your relationship is genuine and subsisting as described above
- Financial evidence such as payslips, bank statements showing income or savings or benefits and employment documents such as reference letters and contracts relating to the correct time period
- Proof of adequate accommodation that meets UK housing standards, such as tenancy agreements or property ownership documents
- Certificate for your English language test or proof of your academic qualification
Tips to ensure success with your partner visa application
- Ensure all your personal details are consistent across documents and avoid submitting forms or documents with any mistakes, missing information or contradictions – applications with missing or contradictory information carry a high risk of refusal.
- Make sure to organise your documents logically in the order listed on the application checklist. Provide clear, detailed evidence that leaves no room for doubt that the requirements are fulfilled.
- Failing to provide necessary documents can lead to refusal. Please note that the online generated document checklist does not always include all the documents needed for a successful application and it is also important to check the relevant immigration rules for the requirements.
- Remember to arrange certified translations of any documents in English.
- Ensure that you have sufficient evidence to demonstrate your genuine and subsisting relationship. Credibility and consistency are extremely important.
Processing Times
Processing times start as soon as your documents are uploaded, and your biometrics have been taken.
Family visas from outside the UK
The standard processing time for a partner visa application submitted from overseas ranges normally from 12 to 24 weeks. The processing time can vary depending on the applicant’s country of residence and the volume of applications being processed.
Priority services are available for faster processing. From outside the UK, priority service will speed up the processing time to 30 working days i.e. 6 weeks.
Family visas from inside the UK
The standard processing time for a partner visa extension inside the UK is normally 8 weeks. However, the processing time can take up to 12 months if the applicant does not meet certain requirements such as the financial requirements or English language criteria.
If you are eligible, you can choose the super-priority service for an additional £1000, receiving a decision within 1 working day of the biometric appointment. However, processing may take longer if they need to do additional checks on your application, and you will be notified if this is the case.
Normal priority processing for £500 guaranteeing a decision in 5 days is not available for in-country partner visa extensions.
Application Fees
The standard application fee for a partner visa varies depending on where you are applying from. If you are applying from outside the UK, the fee is £1,846 which will be converted into your local currency. For those applying from within the UK, the fee is £1,258.
The Immigration Health Surcharge which grants access to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), is £1,035 per year. For your initial partner visa from overseas, you will be granted a 3-year visa so the immigration health surcharge will be £3105 which will be converted into your local currency. (NB: the exchange rates can inflate the amount chargeable). If applying from within the UK, you will be granted a 2.5-year visa so the fee will be £2587.50.
Switching into the Partner Route – inside the UK
Most applicants will apply for the partner visa from overseas, but it is sometimes possible switch into the partner route if you are already in the UK on a different type of visa.
You will not be able to switch into the partner visa if you are in the UK as a visitor or if you have a visa which has been granted for less than 6 months. The only exception to this is for fiancé visa holders who are granted an initial visa for 6 months and during that 6-month period, once they have married, are permitted to switch to the spouse visa.
You can therefore normally switch to a partner visa inside the UK if you already hold a UK fiancé visa or any other work or study visa which is valid for more than six months.
Partner Visa Interview Questions
An interview may be required as part of the UK Partner visa application process, although it is rarely necessary. The Home Office normally only request an interview if they are concerned about the genuineness of the relationship or there are inconsistencies in the documents submitted.
There are no standard questions for partner visa interviews. You should prepare well to answer questions about your relationship, your history together and your future plans as a couple.
Partner Visa Extension
You can apply to extend your stay under a Partner Visa, although you must do so prior to the expiry of your existing visa. You will need to show that you have been living together with your UK partner since your initial visa application and that you intend to continue to do so after you apply to extend your visa and that you still intend to live together permanently in the UK.
When applying for an extension of your partner visa, you should do so before your current visa expires, ideally within 28 days of the expiry date. Applying too early can mean that you fall short of the full length of time needed to qualify for settlement and might result in needing to do an extra unnecessary application. Applying to extend your visa after your visa has expired, without good reason, will mean that you will be treated as an overstayer which can result in serious problems.
To be eligible for an extension, you must meet the same criteria as for the initial partner visa, including financial and accommodation requirements. Additionally, you must continue to provide evidence of a genuine, ongoing relationship, such as joint bills, tenancy agreements, and other proof of living. You are also required to meet the English language proficiency requirement at CEFR level A2 or higher.
The application process is similar to other visa applications in that it involves submitting the application form online on the UK Home Office site, paying the application fee and immigration health surcharge for the 2.5-year extension period, uploading your supporting documents and submitting your biometrics.
Partner visa to ILR
Having lived continuously in the UK for a period of 5 years as a Partner visa holder, you may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). This means that you can settle in the UK on a permanent basis, free from immigration restrictions. Most individuals who have a Partner visa, providing they fulfil the financial requirements, are on the 5-year route to settlement.
Please note you cannot count any permission to stay in the UK as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner.
When applying for ILR, you will usually also need to demonstrate your “knowledge of the English language and about life in the UK”. This means you will need to take an English language test at CEFR level B1 and must also pass the Life in the UK Test to prove your commitment to the UK’s culture and knowledge of its history. There are limited exemptions available for these tests.
It is important to ensure that you pass your Life in the UK test at an approved test centre.
Supporting documentation for ILR is similar to the types of evidence required for the partner visa extension showing stability in your relationship and financial status.
Standard processing for an ILR application may take up to six months, although the super-priority service is available for 1 day processing for an additional fee of £1000 (NB: there are only a certain number of slots available for this per day so it is often necessary to submit your application at midnight or 1am to ensure that super-priority service is available).
Summary of the Partner Visa Conditions and benefits
- With a partner visa, you can live, work or study in the UK without any restrictions.
- There are no restrictions on the type of work you are allowed to do (unlike most work visas).
- The partner visa also provides a path to UK settlement; provided you fulfil the financial requirements, after five years in the UK with a partner visa, you can become eligible to apply for ILR. If you do not fulfil the financial requirements, you will become eligible for ILR after 10 years.
- Partner visa holders have access to the NHS, ensuring healthcare is available throughout their stay.
- In certain circumstances, partners can be entitled to public funds, although this entitlement is not automatic.
- As soon as you are granted ILR, if you are married to your partner, you can apply for British citizenship.
- You can travel freely inside and outside the UK on a partner visa but be careful as long absences from the UK may affect your eligibility for ILR.
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