Spouse Visa UK
Non-European nationals can apply to enter or remain in the UK as either the spouse/partner of a British citizen or a person with settled status, refugee leave or humanitarian protection under a Spouse Visa UK, Partner Visa or unmarried partner visa. Settled status, also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), means having been given permission to settle here permanently.
If you are outside the UK you must obtain your spouse visa or partner visa before travelling.
Criteria for a Spouse Visa UK or Partner Visa
As the non-European spouse, civil partner, unmarried or same-sex partner of a British citizen or a person with settled status, you will be given permission to stay in the UK for 33 months, subject to satisfying the following criteria for the relevant visa under the Immigration Rules:
- Suitability
- Relationship
- Financial Requirements: Your sponsor earns at least £18,600 per year (This number increases if there are children)
- English language requirements
If you continue to meet all the requirements you can apply to stay for a further 30 months.
After a 5-year period, you may apply for settlement (ILR) in the UK. Alternatively, you may be eligible to apply under the less stringent 10-year route which overlooks the financial and English language requirement, although you will need to show insurmountable obstacles to family life with your spouse or partner continuing overseas.
If you do not meet the requirements for either route you may be given permission to remain here on the basis of your private life, subject to evidence that you have resided continuously in the UK for a required period of time. Both the private life and 10-year settlement route can only be made via applications from within the UK.
How to Apply for a UK Spouse / Civil Parnetship Visa
You can apply online, by post or at a premium service centre. Not only will you have to fill out an extensive and complicated application form, but you will need to ensure that you have all of the necessary documents to support the application.
There may also be an interview process for you and your partner if the caseworker examing the application does not feel that your relationship is authentic.
Spouse visa and partner visa applications can be complex, to maximise the chances of a successful outcome it’s best to have quality legal advice from the beginning.
Experienced Immigration Solicitors
Ronald Sempebwa is a highly experienced lawyer with over 18 years’ experience, his career has seen him work for both in the public sector representing...
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Aviation House, 125 Kingsway
London WC2B NH
United Kingdom
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Our Fees
Our charges will be based on the time actually spent by the solicitors and other staff in respect of any work which they do on your behalf.
Our current hourly rates are set out below:
- Senior Solicitors – £400 (All figures exclude VAT)
- Solicitors – £300 (All figures exclude VAT)
- Trainee Solicitors, Paralegal – £150 (All figures exclude VAT)
The work we carry out on your immigration case can take several hours, therefore we understand some clients prefer fixed fee costs. We will provide you with a fixed fee of £ 250 + VAT at the initial consultation (if you prefer this option).
If you wish to proceed with hourly rate fees you can expect on average to pay the following dependant on the fee-earners hourly rate.
Visit our immigration fees page for more info.
How long does a visa application take?
We will normally be able to submit your application within 4 – 8 weeks of you instructing us, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this.
We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. Read the current processing times.
For an informal discussion regarding your case, or to book an appointment with our Immigration team, please call us now on 020 3051 5060.