Spouse Visa Solicitors

Both partners must be at least 18. The marriage must be recognised in the UK, the couple must have met in person and the relationship must be genuine and continuing. Previous relationships must have ended permanently, and you must intend to live together permanently in the UK.

The sponsor may be British or Irish, settled in the UK, or hold another status specifically recognised by Appendix FM. Pre-settled status has additional conditions; it is not enough simply to describe a sponsor as an EU citizen. A partner temporarily working in the UK may instead need to sponsor a dependant application under their work route.

• Partner eligibility and relationship evidence
• If you are not married

The usual partner-route minimum income is £29,000 a year. Which person’s earnings can count, the period assessed and the documents required depend on the income category and whether the application is made abroad or in the UK. Overseas earnings should not automatically be added to a UK sponsor’s salary.

Permitted savings, pensions and certain non-employment income may be relevant, but the calculation and evidence rules differ. A sponsor receiving specified disability or carer’s benefits may be assessed against adequate maintenance and accommodation requirements instead of the usual minimum income.

Qualifying applications following a successful fiancé or partner application made before 11 April 2024 can fall under transitional rules. These require the relevant existing permission and the same partner; the old £18,600 figure is not a general alternative threshold for new applicants.

• Partner income rules and transitional arrangements
• Financial rules when extending

A marriage certificate establishes the legal marriage but does not replace evidence that the relationship is ongoing. Organise a clear account of how the relationship developed, periods spent together and the arrangements for living in the UK.

Accommodation must be adequate for the household under the applicable rules. For English, an initial partner application normally requires at least A1 speaking and listening where testing is the means of proof. Eligible nationality, qualifications and exemptions can provide a different basis; do not book a test before checking.

• Identity documents and the sponsor’s nationality or immigration status.
• Marriage records, evidence that earlier marriages ended and relevant relationship records.
• Financial documents meeting the applicable income or savings category and evidence of accommodation.
• English evidence where required, any required tuberculosis certificate and certified translations of documents not in English or Welsh.

• Family visa documents and financial evidence
• English evidence and extension requirements

An application from overseas uses the outside-UK process. A person already in the UK must check whether their current permission allows switching; visitors normally cannot switch. Someone admitted as a fiancé or proposed civil partner has a distinct route to apply after the marriage or civil partnership.

Prepare the evidence before submitting the correct online application, pay the applicable charges or establish fee-waiver eligibility, and follow the identity appointment instructions. Avoid treating a processing estimate as a guaranteed travel or employment start date.

Partner permission is usually up to two years and nine months when applying from abroad, or a further two years and six months on an extension or switch. A shorter grant can apply where the sponsor has protection status following an asylum claim after 2 March 2026 and their permission ends sooner.

• Fiancé visa route
• Family visa routes, costs and extension timing

Read the decision for the expiry date, conditions and settlement route. The five-year partner route has its own qualifying requirements; time as a fiancé or on unrelated permission does not simply count towards that period. Exceptional-circumstances grants may involve a different route.

Eligibility and document review are important when preparing a spouse visa application. Ask what assistance the team can provide with your application and disclose previous refusals or changes in circumstances. Fees, the responsible solicitor and the precise work to be undertaken need separate confirmation.

• Planning a spouse visa extension