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on May 27, 2022
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When you come to the UK, it is crucial that you travel here on the right visa. If you are interested in living in the UK with your spouse or partner, you may have reason to consider either a Spousal visa or a Family visa. The amount it will cost to apply for either of these different visas will depend on the personal circumstances of the candidate.
According to UK Government statistics from 2021, there were 43,159 family-related UK visas approved by the Home Office that year. Some 30,674 of these visas were related to partners and spouses.
If you are interested in coming over to the UK to live with your family or partner, the Spouse visa route may be what you are looking for. There are several different versions of this visa. That’s why it is crucial to have a legal specialist on your side to help you pick the perfect visa for your needs.
Cranbrook Legal’s team of skilled immigration solicitors is here to help you with the application process.
The UK Spouse visa falls under the broader Family visa category. If you intend to live in the UK for more than six months with a family member, you could be eligible. In this case, the family member would be your husband, wife, civil partner or spouse.
Keep in mind that if you want to come to the UK for only a few months, then you might consider applying for a Marriage Visitor visa. This will cost significantly less than a full marriage visa. These tend to be the prices for marriage visas; just don’t forget that they may differ depending on your own personal circumstances:
If you are going to apply as a partner/spouse, you will need to be over 18 years old to apply. Your partner must also be a British or Irish citizen; have settled status in the UK; have pre-settled status as someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein (having started living in the UK prior to 1 January 2021); have a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa; or have refugee status or humanitarian status in the UK.
It is also a requirement that after your Spouse visa application, you and your partner intend to live together permanently in the UK.
Naturally, if you are going to apply for a Spousal visa, you are going to have to prove that you have the finances to support yourself and your partner. To do this, you need to show proof of an income of at least £18,600 a year between you. This amount will be higher if you have children that do not have pre-settled status in the UK. The term for this fee is known as “minimum income requirement”. For your first child, this may go up by £3,800 and for any other children, it will be £2,400 extra.
Financial requirements for the Spouse visa mainly focus on income. Your income can include:
You will be asked by your solicitor to provide evidence to prove that you and your partner have been earning enough to support you when you come to the UK.
If you want to come to the UK on a Marriage/Spouse visa, it is crucial that you have your documents in order to prove that you can financially support yourself during your stay. These documents will need to show that you are employed and that employment will carry on even if you are in the UK. Some examples of the documents you can use to prove this include:
If you are going to use a letter from an employer, then it’s going to need to list some important details about you and your current employment status. You should be able to use the letter to confirm:
By providing these details, you will also be able to prove that they are genuine. If you cannot meet these financial requirements, you will need to show that you have both hit the minimum income request instead.
The best way to prove that you are able to meet the financial requirements for a Spouse visa, or any other type of UK visa, is to provide financial documentation that shows you can support yourself. This should include your Wage Slips, Bank Statements and a Letter from your employer.
Some applicants may want to prove that they meet the financial requirement for the Spouse visa through a cash option. Although we would recommend that you use documents to show you can support yourself, there is an option to present the money upfront. You can only do this if you currently have more than £16,000 in your account. This may seem unfair, but that is what immigration law in the UK currently dictates.
If you intend on supporting yourself through cash savings by themselves, you will need to show that you have around £62,500 in your bank. In the event that you have less than this, you can use the £16,000 in savings alongside your current wage as a combined means of supporting yourself. The money that is used must be owned by yourself, owned by your partner, or in a joint account in your bank. You cannot use loans from family or friends to prove that you can meet the minimum financial requirement.
Your solicitor can help you gather evidence to prove you can meet the financial requirements for a Spouse visa. This can include locating bank account documentation, payslips and P60s. If you have any questions about your financial documents, please feel free to let your immigration solicitor know. Their job is to support you.
As we have stated previously, if you are applying for a UK Spouse visa, and you already have children, it is very likely that the cost of your visa will go up to reflect this fact.
Not only do you need to prove that you can provide for you and your partner, but you also need to be able to provide for your children that are either settled in the UK or that come with you to live in the UK. In other words, if you already have a family, the minimum financial requirement for your UK spouse visa will be higher.
When we look at these types of cases, lawyers tend to refer to the applicant as the “sponsor”. If you have children, then you will ultimately be sponsoring them because you are responsible for their wellbeing. Keep in mind that if you have a child with your partner who is over 18 years old, there is a possibility that their income can also be added to your own. Therefore, you will be able to hit the minimum £18,600 mark more easily.
With that said, the UK Government has provided some financial requirement estimates for immigrating with children. These are the latest statistics from 2021:
If you have a large family, it would be best to speak to your lawyer about the financial requirement for your visa category. They will be able to provide you with an estimate as they are handling your case. Keep in mind that these financial requirements will not apply to the child if they are already a British or Irish citizen, are from the European Economic Area (EEA), have been granted the right to remain in the UK, or have pre-settled status in the UK.
The first thing that you need to do is get in touch with a UK immigration solicitor to help you fill out the paperwork. Most of the time, unsuccessful visa applications get rejected due to mistakes being made on the forms. This is why it is of paramount importance to have a legal expert by your side to help fill out the paperwork for you.
Once you have checked that you need a visa, and that you are applying for the correct visa, you should consider your eligibility before you ask your solicitor to help with the paperwork. You will need to be able to prove one of the following:
As an applicant for the UK Spouse visa, you will also be expected to prove that you have a good knowledge of the English language.
If you are eligible for a UK Spouse visa, and are able to financially support yourself during the visit, you will be able to move forward with your application with the help of our immigration solicitors.
Unfortunately, if you do not meet the financial requirement for the UK Spouse or Marriage visa, it is likely that it will take longer for you to secure a visa enabling you to come and live in the UK with your partner.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to prove that you are earning a solid amount of income to support yourself and your family. For instance, you may have your own business where you are trying to pay off loans. Complicated finances won’t stop you from applying for a Spouse visa, but it can get your application off to a bad start.
If you are struggling to support yourself, you can apply for a UK Spouse visa with a “qualifying benefit” in mind.
These benefits include:
The aforementioned allowances are only a few of the benefits that could help you fulfil the financial requirements for a UK Spouse visa. Find out more about the full list of “qualifying benefits” from your solicitor.
If you are ready with your evidence and financial documents in hand, it’s time to get on with your application. Your solicitor can help complete the application for you. Once this has been done, you can make a visa appointment and your solicitor will send off your application. You can then expect to receive a decision on your visa in about two to three months.
If you need a decision quicker, you will have to pay a larger fee. From there, you will be invited to a biometrics appointment to have your fingerprints and photograph taken. This way, you can prove who you are. After the biometrics have been taken, an overall decision will be made on your visa application.
Here at Cranbrook Legal, we are ready to help you secure a UK Spouse visa at the first attempt. That way, you will be able to join your partner in the UK as soon as possible.
With our expertise and guidance, we will be able to advise you on how to move forward with your visa application. Find out more about how we can help by calling 0208 215 0053 or emailing info@cranbrooklegal.com.
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