Initial assessment. We work through the financial position carefully, identify which category under Appendix FM-SE applies, and confirm the application is properly supportable before any work begins. Where there is a difficulty, we identify it now rather than at refusal.
Private Immigration
For partners building their long-term family life together in the UK.
Overview
The UK Spouse visa allows you to join your British or settled partner in the UK on a long-term basis.
The visa is granted in stages over a five-year route, leading to settlement and, in time, eligibility for British citizenship.
To qualify, you will need to show that your relationship is genuine and subsisting, that you meet the financial requirement, and that you have a suitable level of English.
Key Benefits
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Right to live, work and study in the UK without restriction
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Five-year route to settlement (indefinite leave to remain)
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Pathway to British citizenship after settlement
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Dependent children can be included
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Access to NHS healthcare, subject to the Immigration Health Surcharge where required
Key Requirements
The route is open to spouses, civil partners, and unmarried partners (in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years) of British citizens, persons settled in the UK, or those with refugee or humanitarian protection.
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You must demonstrate a genuine and subsisting relationship with the intention to live together permanently in the UK. The Home Office assesses this on the supporting evidence provided such as cohabitation history, joint financial commitments, correspondence, travel, and photographs over time.
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For most new applications, you need to show an annual income of at least £29,000. This can come from employment, self-employment, company director income, pensions, rental income, dividends or cash savings. If you are relying only on savings, you will usually need £88,500 held for at least six months. Some income sources can be combined, but the rules are specific, and different requirements may apply to applicants who entered the route before 11 April 2024 or whose sponsor receives certain benefits.
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The level increases as you progress through the route. A1 is enough for the initial application, but you will need A2 at the extension stage and B1 by the time you apply for settlement. Tests must be taken with a Home Office-approved provider, though not everyone needs one: nationals of majority English-speaking countries, applicants with a degree taught in English, and those aged 65 or over are exempt.
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You must have suitable accommodation available in the UK for you and any family members included in the application. The property can be owned, rented or provided by relatives, as long as there is enough space and it will not be overcrowded.
How the application works
Most applicants follow the five-year route, although a longer family-life route may apply in some cases.
Initial Application
An overseas applicant is normally granted permission for approximately 33 months. An applicant switching inside the UK is normally granted 30 month
Extension
A further 30-month application is usually required before the first period expires.
Settlement
After five years on the qualifying route, an applicant may apply for indefinite leave to remain if all settlement requirements are met.
Ten-year family-life route
Where the standard requirements cannot be met, permission may still be possible where refusal would breach family or private life rights or cause unjustifiably harsh consequences. This route normally requires repeated extensions and a longer wait for settlement.
Where applications fall short
After two decades of advising on this route, most refusals come from the same handful of issues. Meeting the requirements substantively is not enough. The application must be evidenced in the specific way the rules demand.
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Salaries that meet the threshold but aren’t evidenced in the precise format Appendix FM-SE requires. Payslips that don’t match the figures on bank statements. Bank statements missing required dates or transactions.
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Self-employed sponsors face stricter requirements, and the supporting documents must be in a specific format. Generic accountant letters routinely fail.
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Savings need to be held continuously for six months at the required level. Money briefly moved to investments, or transferred between accounts, can fail the test even where the overall position is strong.
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Tests must be from an approved provider at the correct level. Generic tests, or the right test at the wrong level, are a recurring error.
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Dates, addresses, and employer names that don’t match between forms, payslips, and supporting documents are routinely picked up by caseworkers.
Is this route right for you?
The route is suitable for genuine couples who intend to live together permanently in the UK. This route is right for you if:
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You are in a genuine, ongoing relationship with your partner
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You can meet, and properly evidence, the financial requirement
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You intend to build your long-term life together in the UK
If your relationship is less established, the Fiancé(e) visa may be more appropriate. If the financial requirement is difficult to meet, the position should be assessed carefully including whether the ten-year route or another route may apply before any application is made.
How we approach Spouse/Partner applications
Initial Assessment
Evidence Preparation
This is where most of the work is. We confirm exactly which documents are required, in which format, for which time period and identify gaps before they become refusal points.
Application and Submission
We prepare and submit the application, including the relationship narrative and all supporting evidence.
Extensions and Settlement
For most clients, our involvement continues through the 2.5-year extension and the settlement application and, where needed, citizenship.
Highly Rated By Our Clients
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5-Star
Client-rated
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22+
Years’ experience
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. Unmarried partners can apply if they can show that they have been in a relationship similar to marriage or a civil partnership for at least two years. You do not necessarily need to have lived together for the whole period, but you must provide evidence that the relationship is genuine and ongoing.
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Yes, but the rules are strict. The savings must be held continuously for six months at the required level, in cash and accessible. Savings sitting in investments or moved frequently between accounts often fail the test.
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Not a problem, but the requirements are stricter. Self-employment income is assessed across the full last tax year, with specific documents required from your accountant alongside tax returns and business records.
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Yes, there are no restrictions on employment, study, or self-employment.
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In some cases. You can typically switch into the Partner route from another long-term visa category. You usually cannot switch from a visitor visa.
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2.5 years initially, then a 2.5-year extension, then settlement.
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Immediately after receiving settlement if your sponsoring partner is a British Citizen, subject to residence and good character requirements.
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Borderline cases need careful handling. The threshold must be met for the full evidential period, not at a single point in time. Marginal cases are vulnerable to refusal if any evidence is incomplete.
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Yes, in most cases but the issue causing the refusal needs to be addressed properly. Reapplying with the same evidence rarely succeeds.
Speak To Us
We can assess the financial and relationship evidence before an application is started and explain the clearest route for you and your family.
What Our Clients Say
Clear, calm advice at the point we needed it most — and there wasn’t a word of jargon in any of it.
Private client
Spouse visa
We were kept informed at every stage and never once had to chase an update. Knowing exactly where the application stood made a difficult year considerably easier to carry.
Private client
Skilled Worker visa
Moving part of our senior team to London looked impossible on the timescale we’d been given. The route was mapped out at the first meeting, the Home Office correspondence was handled end to end, and every application came back granted.
HR Director
Corporate client
Contact Us
For advice on moving to, working in or settling in the UK, our immigration lawyers are here to guide you through every stage of the process.