Currently, if you are married to, or in a civil partnership with someone who is a British Citizen or settled in the UK, then you might be eligible to join them permanently on a UK spouse visa.
What is a UK Spouse Visa?
A UK Spouse Visa is a visa that will allow you to join your partner in the UK if they are a British citizen or if they are already settled on the UK. If you are from a country outside of the European Economic Area and you are in a genuine relationship or civil partnership, then you may be able to take advantage of this visa.
Applying for a Spouse Visa
Immigration solicitors will be best suited to help you organise all of your documents to begin applying for a Spouse Visa, but you must be able to fulfil all of the requirements that have been laid out by the Home Office. These requirements are:
- Being able to pass a test that will confirm the genuine nature of the relationship between your partner and you.
- Being able to provide evidence that you will be living together in acceptable accommodation.
- Reaching the minimum income requirement.
- Being able to prove that you can speak, read and write am acceptable level of English
The extremely high levels of applications that the Home Office receives for this kind of UK settlement visa means that they are very strict on the individuals that they accept for Spouse Visas, and they will scrutinise your application very carefully to make sure that you are in a genuine relationship. A high number of these applications are refused and then many couples have to go to appeal in order to be able to stay together.
Minimum Income Requirement
The main issue for many couples who are wishing to stay in the UK under a Spouse Visa is the minimum income requirement. Since 2012, around 25% of applicants have been refused visas due to them failing to meet the criteria that demands that the spouse who the visa applicant is reliant upon must earn a minimum of £18,600 per annum. They are allowed to meet this threshold through either salaried employment, self-employment or savings.
What are the documents that you will need to provide?
To get permission to stay in the UK on a UK spouse visa, you must provide documents to prove that you can meet the financial requirements. These can include:
- Income evidence from employment or self-employment, such as payslips or tax returns
- Non-employment income, such as from property rentals, investments, and stocks or shares
- Proof of a pension that you or your partner receives. This can be either a state pension – UK or foreign – or a private pension.
- Any maternity allowance or bereavement benefits that you or your partner receive in the UK.
