UK Spouse Visa Applications

You may be eligible to apply for a UK Spouse Visa if you are married to or in a civil partnership with someone who is a British citizen or settled in the UK.

Here at Rees Clayton Solicitors, we can assist you in temporarily or permanently moving to the UK to be with your spouse or partner, and perhaps even help you obtain settled status.

We are here to provide you with expert legal advice tailored specifically to your individual circumstances on all aspects of immigration and asylum matters.  We use a friendly, personal but professional service with years of experience and an excellent track record of challenging decisions and winning complex immigration cases at all levels and look forward to helping you.

If you are unsure of your requirements, get in touch and we will listen and guide you through the entire immigration process, eliminating as much stress as possible for you and/or your family.

 

Applying for a Spouse Visa When you are Married or In a Civil Partnership 

Who Can Apply?

You can apply for a Spouse Visa, also known as a UK Partner Visa, if you are from a country outside the European Economic Area and are in a legally binding marriage or civil partnership with someone in the UK. You will need to fulfil several requirements before your application can be approved, but don’t worry. With our expert team of immigration solicitors behind you, you will be in with the best chance of success when applying. Our immigration lawyers can assist you in determining which visa is best for you and help you to apply.

 

Proof of Your Relationship 

For your application to be approved, the Home Office will require substantial evidence that you’re in a genuine relationship. Along with your visa application you will need to provide evidence that dates back several months, or even years. Examples of evidence that can be submitted include joint bank statements, joint tenancy agreements and marriage or civil partnership certificates. The Home Office also ask to see evidence that your marriage or civil partnership is legally recognised by UK law.

Our team understand how difficult it can be to gather this evidence and are available to assist you in compiling sufficient evidence to provide you with the best chance of being granted your Spouse Visa.

 

Spouse Visa UK Requirements 

If either of the following applies to your spouse or civil partner, you can apply for a Spouse Visa to join them in the UK:

  • The are present and settled in the UK, or
  • They have limited leave to remain in the UK (excluding student visa holders and other short-term visa category holders)

You and/or your spouse/civil partner must meet ALL the below requirements:

  • You must both be over the age 18 when your application is made
  • You must both intend to permanently live together when you enter the UK
  • You must be able to provide evidence that you have appropriate accommodation arranged for when you arrive in the UK
  • Your spouse/civil partner must be physically present in the UK at the time of your application (unless they are accompanying you to the UK)
  • You will have to take an English Language test and pass at a certain level to meet the English language requirements

Our team of Spouse Visa solicitors can help ensure that you meet all the necessary requirements before applying for your Spouse Visa to give you the best chances of success.

 

Financial Requirements 

In addition to the general requirements listed above, to be granted a UK Spouse Visa, there are also financial requirements that you must meet, e.g., the minimum income required.

The minimum income required for UK settlement is currently £18,600. You must be able to prove that you are earning this amount or more at the time your application. Alternatively, your spouse or civil partner could sponsor you if they can prove that they meet the minimum income required instead. The minimum earning threshold rises to £22,400 when a child also requires sponsorship, and an additional £2,400 for each further child.

To prove that you meet the financial requirements and to be granted a UK spouse visa you need to provide evidence. This could be:

  • Income evidence from employment or self-employment (such as payslips or tax returns)
  • Non-employment income (such as from property rentals, investments or stocks and shares)
  • Proof or a pension that you or your partner receives (this could be a state pension, a UK or foreign pension or a private pension)
  • Proof of any maternity allowances or bereavement benefits that you or your partner receive in the UK

 

How Long Can You Stay? 

You will be allowed to stay in the UK for up to 33 months if you apply from outside the UK and the Home Office decides to give you entry clearance based on your marriage or civil partnership with your partner who is already settled in the UK.

You can request a 30-month extension once you have lived in the UK for this initial term. If you are granted a Spouse Visa extension, once this extension is over, you will then become eligible to apply to settle in the UK indefinitely. This is what is called ‘indefinite leave to remain’.(Link to settlement and Settlement & Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) page)

 

Are Your Not Married Yet?

If you’re not married yet don’t worry, the following Visas are available that could assist you in joining your partner in the UK:

  • UK Fiancé Visa – This visa is designed for individuals that want to travel to the UK to get married before settling down (Link to UK Fiancé Visa page)
  • Unmarried Partner Visa UK – This visa is designed for those that intent to live in the UK with their partners without getting married (Link to Unmarried Partner Visa UK)

 

Apply for Your Spouse Visa with Rees Clayton Solicitors

Here at Rees Clayton Solicitors, we understand that the idea of applying for a UK Spouse Visa can be quite daunting and are therefore here to ensure the application process can be made as simple as possible for you.

Our specialist team of Spouse Visa solicitors are available to explain the entire application process to you and guide you through each step until reaching the result you need. We are experienced immigration solicitors and understand what the Home Office is looking for, allowing us to structure applications for the best chances of success.

All our immigration services are fully flexible. We can support our clients by email, phone, Skype, post, and face-to-face meetings, enabling us to help everyone, regardless of their location and commitments.

If you have any questions or require our assistance, simply get in touch.