Spouse Visa Applications can range from being straightforward to extremely challenging. It is essential to strictly adhere to the guidance and submit all necessary evidence to the Home Office without any room for doubt in order to comply with the Appendix FM rules.

Appendix FM sets out the rules and requirements for individuals who wish to come to the UK because of their family life. The document also acts as a guidance for the Home Office to ensure it meets the rights of individuals (Article 8). There are separate requirements for Children, Adults, Spouses, Partners, etc

Starting on April 11th, 2024, there will be an updated financial requirement.

Appendix FM requires the sponsor to have a minimum amount of money required to get a family visa in the United Kingdom. This will go up from £18,600 to £29,000 on April 11th, 2024. After that, it will go up to £34,500 later in the year, and then it will go up even more to £38,700 by the beginning of February 2025. Over time, the government of the United Kingdom may make adjustments to this criterion. Financial criteria can be met via the use of investments, pensions, savings, and income. This can be alone or in combination with savings of specific amounts. Submitting payslips, bank accounts and the employment contract are the best way of evidencing income.

Appendix FM also states, “the applicant must provide evidence that their partner is able to maintain and accommodate themselves, the applicant and any dependants adequately in the UK without recourse to public funds”. It is therefore necessary to submit evidence of accommodation (sufficient for all the applicants). The evidence may include, rental agreement, letter from landlord, property inspection report, etc.

The visa for you to join your significant other in the UK
Whether your spouse is returning to the UK with you, or for a partner who will be joining you, this page details the options available for you and your significant other.

You can apply for a Spouse visa to join your partner in the UK if you and your partner are both 18 years or over. You and your partner must intend to live in the UK permanently after you apply for your visa.

Your partner must also be:

A British citizen; or hold Indefinite Leave to Remain status

Relationship
You must be able to submit an original marriage certificate which is valid to show the relationship you have with your partner.

Financial Requirement
This is the crucial requirement for every application. To ensure that your family will not be relying on recourse to public funds, there is a minimum earning requirements of as mentioned above. If a non-British child will be included in this application, the minimum earnings requirement will be increased for each additional child who is applying.

The financial requirement can generally be met by the following:

Salaried or non-salaried employment income (Category A or Category B)Acceptable Income Sources

The revenue may be derived from a multitude of sources, which encompass:

Employment Income: The applicant’s lawful employment outside the UK and the sponsor’s employment within the UK.

Savings: An equivalent level of savings can serve as a counterbalance to the present income need. At the moment, the sum stands at £62,500. This, however, will change to £88,500 on April 11, 2024, when the financial threshold increases to £29,000.

Pension: Comprises private and public pensions.

Self-Employment: Profits from a properly documented business can be considered.

Rental income is derived from properties owned by the couple, excluding their primary domicile.

Dividends from investments qualify if they exhibit a consistent pattern and are verifiable.

Depending on the category you or your sponsor qualify, you will need to provide several supporting documents in its’ original form to support your application.

The rules relating to the financial requirement is long and it can be complicated or overwhelming. We encourage our client to speak to us to discuss their individual circumstances to ensure that can get the correct advice.

English Language
As part of this application, you will be required to demonstrate evidence of knowledge of English. You can do so by:

Submitting an original degree certificate if you have completed your bachelor degree at a UK university;
Submitting an original degree certificate if you have completed your degree in This must be accompanied by a confirmation letter from UK NARIC to confirm that your degree is comparable to a UK bachelor’s degree and was taught in English;
Completing an approved English language test at a minimum level of A1 of You will need to ensure that you have completed the approved test at level A2 of CEFR at the point of visa extension.
Accommodation
Your sponsor will need to ensure that there will be an adequate accommodation for you to live in the UK. Your sponsor will need to factor in who will be living in the property (if you won’t be living in the property exclusively with your sponsor), and ensure that there are enough rooms in the property to avoid overcrowding.

Processing Times And Fees

The standard processing period for a UK Spouse Visa application presented outside of the United Kingdom is approximately 12 weeks. Applying from within the UK might take up to 8 weeks. There are options for expedited processing at an additional cost.
• Application Fee: As of 2024, the standard fee is £1,846 to apply for a spouse visa from outside the UK and £1,048 if applying from within the UK.
• Health Surcharge: An annual fee to access the National Health Service (NHS), which if £1,035
• Optional Premium Services: Such as expedited processing or assistance at a Visa Application Centre.

What visa will you get?
If your application is successful, you will be granted a permission to live and work in the UK for a period of 33 months (if you applied from abroad), or 30 months ( if you applied inside the UK. You will be required to extend your visa at the end of this visa period and if your application is successful, you will be granted a further 30 months extension. This period is known as ‘probationary period’ and once you have completed the 5 years period, you will be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.