If You’re Applying as a Fiancé(e) or Proposed Civil Partner
You must provide evidence that any previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended and that you plan to marry or enter into a civil partnership within six months of arriving in the UK. While engaged, you will not be able to work or study, but once married, you can apply to extend your stay and gain the right to work or study.
Proving Your Relationship
You’ll need to submit documents that confirm your relationship, such as:
- A marriage or civil partnership certificate
- Tenancy agreements, utility bills, or council tax bills showing you live together
- Joint bank statements or letters from medical professionals confirming your shared address
If you cannot live together due to work, study, or cultural reasons, you can provide evidence of regular communication, financial support, or time spent together as a couple.
Duration of Stay
You can stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months on this visa. If you’re applying as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, you can stay for 6 months. After that, you’ll need to apply for an extension.
Extending or Switching Visas
If you extend or switch to this visa, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 6 months.
How to Apply
Whether you are inside or outside the UK, you must apply online and provide the necessary information and evidence.
- Outside the UK: Apply online from abroad.
- Inside the UK: Apply online from within the UK.
Financial Requirements for Partner or Spouse Visa Applications
When applying for a family visa as a partner or spouse, you and your partner typically need to demonstrate a combined annual income of at least £29,000. This is known as the ‘minimum income requirement.’
However, there are exceptions to this rule. The financial requirements may differ if:
- Your partner receives certain disability or carer’s benefits.
- You initially applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are now extending that visa. This includes applications as a fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner.
Depending on the source of your income, you may also be able to use savings to meet the financial threshold. Check the specific documentation needed to prove your income.
Financial Requirements if Your Partner Receives Disability or Carer’s Benefits
Suppose your partner is receiving benefits such as Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Carer’s Allowance, or any other qualifying benefit. In that case, you do not need to meet the minimum income requirement. However, you must show that you have sufficient funds to support yourselves without relying on additional public funds, taking into account both your income and housing costs.
Extending a Visa Applied for Before 11 April 2024
If you are extending your stay with the same partner and originally applied before 11 April 2024, the minimum income requirement is £18,600 per year. Additional funds must be proven if you have children applying with you or already in the UK as dependents, though no extra financial proof is needed for children who are British or Irish citizens, have pre-settled status, or are permanently settled in the UK.
If extra financial proof is needed for children, you must show an additional £3,800 per year for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child. However, the maximum income you need to prove is capped at £29,000, regardless of how many children you have.
If You Cannot Meet the Financial Requirements
If you cannot meet the financial threshold, you may still be eligible to apply for or extend your visa if:
- You have a child in the UK who is a British or Irish citizen, or has lived in the UK for 7 years, and it would be unreasonable to make them leave the UK.
- Denying your application would breach your human rights.
In such cases, while you may still qualify for a visa, you would not be eligible to apply for settlement until you have lived in the UK for at least 10 years.
The difference between the 5-year and 10-year partner/parent route under Appendix FM.
Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules is the product of changes implemented within the Rules in July 2012, introducing the most significant change to the policy, the minimum income threshold to be met for sponsoring family members to live with you.
Should you satisfy the criteria you are entitled to sponsor a family member under the 5-year route to Indefinite Leave to Remain, however there are many instances in which an individual warrants a right to stay in the UK but does not fulfill certain eligibility criteria. It is in these varied situations that a leave to remain is granted on the longer 10-year route.
It can be said that the difference between the two-routes is that one is an absolute right whereas the other is a qualified right. The latter refers to the 10-year route, examples of such types of leave being granted include (but are not limited to) continuing family life with a person or child who is British or otherwise settled in the UK, fear of returning, and/or other exceptional circumstances against return.
Fee Waiver
If you cannot afford the visa fee, you may apply for a fee waiver if you meet any of the following conditions:
- You do not have a place to live or cannot afford one
- You have housing but cannot cover essential living costs like food or heating
- You have a very low income, and paying the fee would negatively affect your child’s wellbeing
You can apply for a fee waiver online from both inside and outside the UK.
