If you’re a non-UK national seeking a way to join your spouse or civil partner in the United Kingdom, the UK Spouse Visa offers you a pathway to residence, allowing you to live and work in the UK alongside your partner.
The application process as a whole can be a long and arduous process, but that doesn’t mean that it needs to be overcomplicated. The UK Spouse Visa enables the husband, wife, civil partner, or long-term partner of a British citizen with settled status (for example, someone with indefinite leave to remain) to reside in the UK.
Before you get started, preparing valid documentation should be your top priority. You’ll need a valid passport and/or previous passports, details of any prior immigration applications, any criminal convictions, our national insurance number (if applicable). Don’t forget, if you’re ever in need of advice, there are spouse visa solicitors who are steadfastly committed to supporting their clients with this very process and provide best-in-class advice.
Once you have your paperwork ready, it’s time to look at the three key requirements you must meet to successfully secure your Spouse Visa. Let’s break these down.
Proving a Genuine and Subsisting Relationship
You must evidence that your relationship with your UK-based partner is authentic and ongoing. To do so, the UK government – specifically UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will recognise comprehensive proof from multiple sources.
- Official documentation – a marriage or civil partnership certificate is essential for married couples.
- Shared life proof – a broader area which applies to long term, unmarried partners who can prove that they’ve cohabited. Acceptable evidence includes joint tenancy agreements or mortgage statements, bills which are addressed to both partners at the same address, or, more simply, a bank statement.
- History and experiences – any supplementary evidence which can corroborate your relationship’s authenticity, e.g. photographs taken together (even better if these span over many years), communication records (like texts, emails, and instant messages), and travel documents on which you are both named.
Meeting the Financial Threshold
Put simply, both you and your partner must meet a minimum threshold for either your income or your savings.
- Your combined gross annual income must be a minimum of £29,000. This can be earned via employment, self employment, or other permissible income streams, for example pension income, rental income from owned properties, income from savings
- Couples must have saved at least £88,500 (up from £62,500 previously), which has then been held for at least six months.
- Exemptions can be made for sponsoring partners who claim either disability or carer’s benefits.
English Language Proficiency
You will need to demonstrate that you can understand and speak the English language, unless you are exempt. You must:
- Pass the Secure English Language Test (SELT), which consists of both speaking and listening assessments. This test must be taken at a UKVI-approved test centre, and any initial application requires at least a A1 level.
- Provide an academic qualification which is either taught or researched in English. If your degree is from outside the uk, it will need to be verified by Ecctis – formerly known as UK NARIC.
You might be exempt, if:
- You are over the age of 65
- Your country of origin is one of the following: 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, United States of America.
- You are suffering from a physical or mental illness which prevents you from meeting this requirement.
Before You Apply
If you’re eligible based on the aforementioned points, all that’s left is the accommodation requirement and the application process itself. Regarding accommodation, you will need to demonstrate that you have suitable accommodation in the UK, importantly that it is owned or occupied by either the applicant or the sponsor and their family – though, in some cases, applicants have successfully stayed with family, or even friends. Once you can also show that the accommodation will have sufficient living space, and that it meets public health requirements, you will be good to go.
The Application Process
If you’re ready to start application process itself, visit the home office website and complete the following steps:
- Check and confirm your eligibility for the visa
- Provide the necessary documentation to prove your eligibility
- Complete the application form
- Pay the application fee (£1321 if your application is completed in the UK, £1938 if completed internationally)
- Upload your supporting documents
- Arrange your biometric appointment – there, you will have your photo taken and provide your fingerprints
- Attend the interview
Conclusion
Applying for a UK Spouse Visa is a significant step in setting up your family’s shared future in the United Kingdom. While the process itself requires careful preparation and rigorous documentation, couples who meet the eligibility criteria are able to live together lawfully and take their first steps of their long-term lives together in the UK. If applicants approach the process with care, they give themselves the best possible opportunity to transition smoothly into their next chapter together.