Anyone who wishes to join or remain with their spouse in the UK can apply for a UK Spouse Visa. This includes married partners of British or Irish citizens, people who have already settled in the UK, those with pre-settled status, Turkish nationals with a businessperson or worker visa, and refugees or those with humanitarian protection. If your spouse is currently living outside of the UK but plans to join you upon your return, you may also apply for a spouse visa to the UK.
After 5 years, the spouse visa for the United Kingdom might lead to permanent residency or indefinite permission to stay.
Requirements for UK Spouse Visa
Please ensure that you fulfil the following criteria before applying for a spouse visa to the United Kingdom via UK Visas and Immigration:
- Your partner is a citizen of the United Kingdom or Ireland, has made the United Kingdom their permanent home, has been awarded pre-settled status, is a Turkish businessperson or worker, is a refugee, or has humanitarian protection;
- Both you and your spouse are adults.
- Your level of relationship with your spouse is not considered forbidden.
- The two of you have already had an in-person meeting.
- A marriage valid in the United Kingdom has been performed between you and your spouse.
- You have a true and long-lasting bond with your partner.
- It is your intention to make the United Kingdom your permanent home with your spouse.
- Your partner, if they are a citizen of the United Kingdom or Ireland, have made the United Kingdom their permanent home, have been awarded pre-settled status, are a Turkish businessperson or worker, are a refugee, or have humanitarian protection. Every prior romance has ended irreversibly.
- You provide for a financial need.
- Comfortable accommodations are available for you and your family.
- You are proficient in both speaking and understanding English.
Your individual situation will determine the specific criteria that you must meet to be eligible for a spouse visa to the United Kingdom. Consult an immigration lawyer if you need legal counsel.
Age Requirement for a Spouse Visa
Everyone in your relationship must be at least 18 years old on the date you apply for a spouse visa.
Spouse Visa Requirements 2023
Several components make up the relationship criteria for the UK Spouse Visa:
- There can be no more than a certain amount of familiarity between you and your spouse.
- Your spouse and you must have met face-to-face.
- You and your spouse need to have a valid marriage licence.
- A true and long-lasting partnership is what you need.
- The two of you must have the intention of making the United Kingdom your permanent residence.
- Past relationships must have ended forever.
Explore the captivating stories of our clients who have received spouse, partner, and family visas.
Financial Requirements for the UK Spouse Visa
To prove that you can support yourself sufficiently in the UK without using public money, you must meet the financial criteria for the spouse visa.
As a UK Spouse Visa applicant in 2023, you must show that your spouse (or both of you together if you are in the UK with valid leave to remain) makes at least £18,600 a year, plus £3,800 for a first child who is not British and has indefinite leave to remain in the UK, pre-settled status, settled status, or is an EEA national with a right to reside in the UK, plus £2,400 for each additional child.
If your spouse is receiving certain state benefits or entitlements, you will need to take that into account when applying for a UK spousal visa. The sponsor must have the capability to “adequately maintain and accommodate” the family member being sponsored to enter or stay in the UK.
Before you may seek to join the UK as a spouse, extend your stay, or apply for indefinite permission to remain, you need to make sure you match the financial criteria.
There are a lot of complicated immigration regulations regarding the spouse visa financial requirement, and you need to provide certain documents. Applicants must provide evidence that the financial criteria have been satisfied. Not providing the required financial proof is a typical justification for rejecting a spouse visa application.
Accommodation Required for Spouse Visa
To qualify, prove you have adequate housing without relying on public funds for you and your spouse.
You need to present evidence proving your legal ownership or occupancy of the property, show that you are the sole authorised resident, and guarantee that the property complies with public health regulations by avoiding overcrowding.
Documents Required for a UK Spouse Visa Checklist
- Authorities often reject spouse visa candidates due to inadequate written proof accompanying their applications.
- There are strict documentation requirements for a UK spouse visa application, as outlined in the Immigration Rules. The specific papers needed to support an application for a spouse visa are situation-specific and might change.
- Spouse visa applicants should use extreme caution when using pre-made paperwork checklists. If you want to be sure that the papers specified are suitable for your specific situation, you should see an immigration lawyer.
- Simultaneously, the spouse visa application could be rejected due to missing, incorrect, or incomplete supporting documentation. The decision on an appeal could not be known for months, and there’s no guarantee of a positive result. Submitting a new application will add time and money to the process.
- Professional guidance on the necessary paperwork for a spouse visa. application is available from our immigration barristers, who also verify that all supporting papers are in accordance with the Immigration Rules.
Fees to Apply for a UK Spouse Visa
Applying for a UK spouse visa from outside the UK currently costs £1,523. This is according to the home office. Changing your status to that of a spouse from within the UK or extending your spouse’s stay requires an application cost of £1,033 to the Home Office.
Waiting Time for UK Spouse Visa Decision
The Home Office takes 12 weeks (3 months) to process an overseas spouse visa application. The Home Office is completing ordinary marriage and family visa applications, including spouse visa applications, within 60 working days now due to a decrease in Ukraine Visa Scheme backlogs.
UK Spouse Visa Duration
A UK spouse visa is originally valid for 33 months, if approved. If you apply for permission to stay in the UK as a spouse, you will be granted leave for 30 months.
To extend your stay, apply to UK Visas and Immigration before your first leave ends. If authorities approve your application, you will receive 30-month permission to stay as a spouse.
After 5 years in the UK as a spouse, you may apply for permanent leave.
Conclusion
The UK Spouse Visa lets you join or stay with your spouse in the UK. But there are rules you need to follow. You both need to be legally married, have personally met, and intend to permanently reside in the UK. You also need to show that you can financially support yourselves and have a good place to live. Gathering the right documents is super important, and any mistakes can cause delays or rejections. It costs money to apply, and you might have to wait a while for a decision. At first, you get the visa for about 33 months, but you can extend it later. After five years, you might be able to stay in the UK forever. Getting advice from experts can make this process easier.
