Spouse / Fiancé(e)
The spouse/civil partner visa is suitable if you and your partner are already married or have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years before applying. The fiancé(e) visa is for couples who are planning to get married or enter into a civil partnership in the UK before later applying for a spouse visa.
Spouse / Partner / Civil Partner
Eligibility
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You are and your spouse or partner must be over 18
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Your partner must be a British citizen, settled, or have pre-settled status and have been living in the UK since 1 January 2021.
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You and your partner must intend to live in the UK permanently
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You must show at least one of the following:
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You are in a marriage or civil partnership which is recognised in the UK
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You have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years
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You have been in a relationship for at least 2 years but have not lived with your partner due to work, study or cultural reasons.
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You are a fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner and will marry or enter into a civil partnership within 6 months of arriving in the UK
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Fiancé(e) or Proposed Civil Partner
Eligibility
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You are and your partner must be over 18
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Your partner must be a British citizen, settled, or have pre-settled status and have been living in the UK since 1 January 2021.
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You and your partner must intend to live in the UK permanently
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You must show both of the following:
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You are a fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner and will marry or enter into a civil partnership within 6 months of arriving in the UK
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Any previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended
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Requirements
Valid Passport
Proof of Status
You must have a valid passport to apply.
Your spouse, partner or fiancé(e) provide evidence of their British citizenship or other eligible immigration status.
Proof of Relationship
A marriage certificate will be required if you are already married. If you are unmarried, you must either show proof of your engagement or cohabitation, or relationship, for the necessary period
English Language
For first-time applicants, you must prove your English language ability to at least CEFR level A1 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. For extensions, you will need to pass at least level A2 in speaking and listening.
If you pass at level B1 or higher, you do not need to retake for your extension application. You will not be required to take a test if:
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you are a a national of a majority English speaking country;
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you have an academic qualification (either Bachelor's or Master's degree, or PhD awarded by an educational establishment in the UK; or by an educational establishment outside the UK provided that it is deemed by Ecctis to have been taught or researched to level A1 CEFR or above);
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you are over the age of 65;
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you have a physical or mental disability;
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there are other exceptional circumstances which prevent you from being able to meet the language requirement.
Finances
You and your partner must have a combined gross annual income of at least £18,600. From Spring 2024, this threshold will be raised to £29,000. You can meet the financial requirement by relying on one or multiple sources of income, savings, investments, pensions, maternity allowances, or a combination of any of them. If you have children, an additional £3,800 per year is needed for the first child and an additional £2,400 for each subsequent child.
Acommodation
You and your partner must be able to show that your accommodation is adequate for the both of you and any additional people with whom you will be living in the same household without concerns about overcrowding.
Additional
You may require a tuberculosis test depending on which country you are applying from. You could also be required to provide a criminal record certificate.
The application fee for a family visa to join your spouse, partner, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner in the UK depends on where you apply from:
Outside the UK: £1,846
Inside the UK: £1,048
If you have children who will be applying at the same time as your dependants, each of them will be subject to the same fees as you.
You will also have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year.
Term & Fees
Processing
The processing time for spouse and fiancé(e) visa applications made from outside the UK is approximately 6 months. Applications made from inside the UK will be processed in approximately 2 months.
You may be able to pay for a faster decision by purchasing an enhanced service if you are outside the UK.
Outcome
If your application for a spouse or fiancé(e) visa is successful, you will receive a new biometric residence permit confirming the length and conditions of your permission to remain in the United Kingdom. First-time applicants will be permitted to stay for 2 years and 9 months. Applicants extending their visa or switching to this visa will receive permission to stay for 2 years and 6 months. Those applying as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner will receive permission to stay for 6 months (during which time they must get married or enter a civil partnership) before being allowed to extend their visa.
If your application for a spouse or fiancé(e) visa is refused, you will receive a refusal letter outlining the reasons. It will be important to seek professional advice to properly understand the refusal letter and the most effective way to proceed.
Next Step
Following your initial stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months, you can apply to extend your visa for a further 2 years and 6 months. Upon completion of 5 years in the UK on this route, you will be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
If you applied as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, you must get married within the 6 months your visa is valid and you must intend to live together afterwards. You can then switch to the spouse/civil partner route and follow the same route to settlement.