UK Spouse Visa FAQ

The spouse route allows eligible husbands, wives and civil partners of qualifying UK-based partners to live together in the UK.

For most new applications, the current minimum income requirement is £29,000 per year. Different rules can apply in some transitional and benefit cases.

An initial partner visa granted following an overseas application can normally last up to 2 years and 9 months. An extension can normally provide a further 2 years and 6 months.

Potentially. Married couples do not need to have lived together. Current partner rules also recognise some unmarried relationships of at least two years where the couple cannot live together because of circumstances such as work, study or cultural reasons, provided the other requirements are met.

Cash savings can potentially be used towards the financial requirement where the relevant rules and evidence requirements are satisfied.

A person granted permission under the spouse or partner route can generally work in the UK. The fiancé route is different: fiancé applicants cannot normally work or study until they marry or enter the civil partnership and successfully switch into the partner route.

Applicants on the standard five-year spouse or partner route can generally apply for settlement after completing five continuous qualifying years. Time spent on the fiancé route does not count towards that five-year period.

The refusal should be reviewed carefully before deciding whether to submit another application, appeal where appropriate or pursue another available route.

No. A partner who is an Irish citizen, is settled in the UK or holds certain other recognised statuses can also sponsor.

No. You can apply yourselves. Many couples take professional help where the finances are complex, the evidence is unusual or there has been a refusal.