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Spouse Visa to ILR

Are you ready to take the next big step in your life together? The Indefinite Leave to Remain(ILR) Spouse Visa is your ticket to permanent residency in the UK, allowing you and your partner to build a life free from immigration worries. 

For immediate assistance with Spouse visa to ILR, call us at 02033844389. Feel free to call our immigration solicitors, email, or visit our office for guidance.

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What is a Spouse Visa to ILR?

You can marry a British citizen or someone with permanent residency in the UK to obtain the right to stay in the country if you are a non-EEA or Swiss national. You are eligible to receive a spouse visa if you take this action. Moreover, you might want to make your residency more permanent when you and your spouse or partner move to the UK. Obtaining ILR through a Spouse Visa will allow you to do this. You can live permanently in the UK under the terms of Indefinite Leave to Remain, or ILR, free from restrictions related to immigration.

When you first get a Spouse Visa, it lasts for two and a half years. Subsequently, you have the option to extend your spouse visa for an additional two and a half years, provided you continue to fulfill the requirements. When that time’s up, you can apply for permission to stay in the country indefinitely. It’s a good idea to apply for that before your Spouse Visa runs out.

If you are interested in applying for an Indefinite Leave to Remain spouse visa, our dedicated immigration solicitors can assist you with every step of the process. Get in touch with our team of experts at 02033844389 right away.

What are the UK Spouse Visa to ILR Requirements?

The exact requirements for getting Indefinite Leave to Remain after having a Spouse visa are a little different if you are applying for ILR after five or ten years. In general, though, the major ILR requirements for spouse visas are pretty much the same.

To get ILR while having a Spouse Visa through the five-year process, you need to:

  • Still be in a real, long-term relationship with your partner;
  • Meet the financial standards; 
  • Show that you and your partner have a good place to live for your family;
  • Have been able to stay together as a couple for 60 months;
  • Follow the English language requirement and pass the Life in the UK test.

Genuine Relationship ILR Requirements

You and your spouse must provide proof of your sincere relationship when applying for a Spouse Visa.

The Home Office will assess your situation before granting Indefinite Leave to Remain once you have completed the qualifying period on a spouse visa and now want to switch from a spouse visa to ILR. This implies that you have to be able to prove that your relationship is still going strong and that you still live together with your partner.

You can show your sincere relationship to the Home Office in order to support the ILR spouse visa in a number of different ways. These methods include:

  • Living together
  • A long-term relationship, which includes marriage or civil partnership.
  • Children have a shared responsibility for their care.
  • Shared financial burdens.
  • Moreover, future strategies in place

Financial Requirements for Spouse Visa to ILR

You and your spouse must demonstrate that you both make at least £29,000 per year, which meets the minimum ILR salary requirements spouse visa, in order to be granted permission to stay in the UK on a spouse visa (before April 2025 when amendments take place).

You should factor in an extra £3,800 for the first dependent kid and an additional £2,400 for each subsequent dependent child if you are applying with your dependent. Cash savings are another way you can show that you meet the ILR financial standards.
To reach the minimum income requirement for the Spouse visa to ILR path you can depend on

  • revenue from both self-employment and salaried work;
  • Depending on your situation, you should hold onto cash savings ranging from £16,000 to £88,500 for a minimum of six months. To obtain further details, consult with our solicitors.
  • income from sources other than employment, such as rentals, shares, stocks, and investments;
  • maternity benefits or other benefits obtained in the United Kingdom.

Requirements of Accommodations for ILR Spouse Visa

The requirements for providing suitable accommodation while applying for an indefinite leave to remain (ILR) on a spouse visa are nearly the same as those for a partner visa. This implies that you and your spouse must demonstrate that you have adequate housing accessible for your family.

The “public health regulations” must not be broken, and your home must have enough rooms to accommodate your entire family.

ILR Spouse Visa English Language Requirement 

If you possess a spouse visa and are eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain, you must demonstrate your English language proficiency by passing a secure English language test at least at level B1. These tests are available for you to take:

  • Test of Integrated Skills in English
  • Graded assessments in Spoken English.
  • IELTS Life Skills Qualification
  • IELTS accreditation
  • Test providers like Trinity College, London provide these exams. Moreover, you must submit a test pass certificate with the necessary paperwork with your Spouse visa ILR application.


If you live in a country where the majority language is English, you might not need to take the test.

Life in the UK Test

It is also necessary for holders of spouse visas to pass the Life in the UK test to be eligible for ILR.

The questions on the Life in the UK test are all related to British culture and way of life. To receive a UK exam pass grade, the test taker must receive at least 75%. Moreover, it may not always be necessary for someone to take the Life in the UK exam. Among them are:

  • The individual is not eighteen years of age or older.
  • They passed the exam prior to the UK.
  • The individual is 65 years of age or older.
  • If you pass the test, you’ll get a certificate. You can use this certificate to show you’re eligible when you apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
  • They have a long-term medical or mental illness; if this is the case, you may require documentation from your physician if it prevents you from taking the test.

Absence of ILR Spouse Visa Applications

If you’re applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) through a Spouse Visa, there’s no maximum number of days you can be away. But if you’re applying through a different visa, like a point-based one, you shouldn’t be away from the UK for more than six months in a year.

The Home Office might reject your application if you’ve spent most of your time outside the UK.

You can talk to UK Immigration Solicitors for advice from an immigration lawyer or help with your ILR application. They can help you figure out your situation and assist with your application.

UK Spouse Visa to ILR Requirements
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

Which Documents are Required for a Spouse Visa to ILR?

For ILR applications, the supporting paperwork must be submitted in a number of ways. All supporting documentation for you and any applying dependents must be supplied. The documents required for ILR 5 year route spouse visa​:

  • a passport or other legitimate travel authorization
  • details describing and outlining any absences from the UK
  • evidence of passing your English language proficiency exam
  • a certificate of exam completion from the Life in the UK assessment
  • an authorization to reside using biometrics (only if granted)
  • details of the accommodations
  • fill out the Spouse application for indefinite leave of absence (Set M).


Instead of being photocopies, all of the documents submitted should be original copies. Your paperwork must be translated into Welsh or English, if they haven’t previously before the Home Office can review them.

Which Documents are Required for an ILR Spouse Visa
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

What is the cost to Apply for UK Spouse Visa Indefinite Leave to Remain?

The normal cost for each applicant filing an ILR application on a spouse visa is £2,404. Furthermore, the cost of taking the Life in the UK test is £50. If you fail the Life in the UK exam or if your ILR application is denied, it’s important to note that you won’t receive a refund.

You can choose a super-priority service to expedite the application process if you need a decision on your ILR application to be made more quickly. This entails an extra £1800 for each ILR application that is submitted for review.

Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

How will a divorce impact my ILR Spouse visa?

If you’re on a Spouse visa and you and your spouse decide to divorce, it could affect your permission to stay in the UK. Moreover, if you start divorce proceedings, you need to tell the Home Office right away about the change in your situation. This applies if you’re on a Spouse, Family, or dependent visa. If you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years continuously, you can still apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain as you planned, living independently. But if you haven’t lived here for 5 years yet, you might need to apply for a different visa instead of the Spouse visa.

Or, if you’re considered a responsible parent for a child you have with your partner, you can apply for a visa using that circumstance. But the child must have lived in the UK for at least 7 years and be a British citizen or have settled status.

Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

How long does ILR take to process?

Usually, it takes about 6 months to process an application for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Despite the long application process, you can pay an extra £800 per application for the application priority service, which will help the decision process go more quickly.

There is no set time limit of 6 months for the application process. If your case is simple, the UKVI may be able to handle it faster.

In cases that are a little more complicated, the UKVI may need to get in touch with you to ask for more proof or paperwork. If this is the case, you should make sure you give the requested papers on time to avoid delays. If you don’t do this, your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain could be turned down completely.

Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

What if my ILR application gets Rejected?

Refusing your ILR can be very upsetting, but you should know that you have options.

If your ILR application is refused, you can send in a new one that clearly addresses the reasons for rejection. This gives the Home Office a chance to look over your request again.

There are many common reasons for rejection, such as too many absences, breaking immigration rules, not disclosing debt, criminal convictions, failing the English language test, or any other bad behaviour.

If your application is turned down, you can talk to a trained lawyer about visa issues.

Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

If I have a criminal record, can I still apply for ILR?

If you have a criminal record, you may still be able to apply for ILR, but you will have to list all of your spent and unfinished charges on your application.

Your ILR application will be turned down if you don’t reveal these.

You should talk to an expert immigration lawyer for more information on how to properly update the Home Office about these charges.

Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

Does ILR following a spouse visa result in British citizenship?

One of the best things about ILR status is that it is the perfect way to get British citizenship. Like ILR, becoming a British citizen lets you live without having to worry about immigration. You can also use it to get a British card. Become a British citizen for many reasons. It can give a lot of peace of mind to those who want to live forever with their spouse in the UK. 

There are certain requirements that must be met in order to become a British citizen. These should be carefully checked.

If you want to know if you can become a British citizen, you can contact our lawyers right away for great immigration advice.

Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

Changes happening in spring 2025

  • The income needed for visas will start at £29,000, then go up to £34,500, and eventually £38,700.
  • Apply before spring 2025 to avoid these changes.
  • After spring 2025, you won’t need extra money for each child.
  • If you apply or possess a visa before the income requirement goes up, the old rules will judge you.
  • This also applies to people switching from a different visa later. They’ll be judged by the new rules.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.

How Can UK Immigration Solicitors Help?

We at UK Immigration Solicitors are dedicated to assisting any couple who wishes to make the UK their permanent home.

In order to determine if you are eligible for ILR, we have professional immigration lawyers who can assist you in gathering and reviewing the necessary documentation, as well as completing the application form to the best of our abilities.

With your application, your immigration attorneys will also write a Letter of Representation. You can bolster your application by providing the Home Office with information about your case and its merits in this letter. It will also mention pertinent UK immigration regulations. 

Additionally, we will ensure that you fulfil all prerequisites by providing you with the essential materials to pass the IELTS and the “Life in the UK” exam. Your chances of obtaining ILR status will be greatly enhanced with the UK Immigration Solicitors.

Get in touch with our team at 02033844389 to discuss the possibility of working with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.