FAQs - UK Visa and Immigration

A Family Visa for the UK is a type of immigration visa that allows non-UK citizens or residents to join their family members in the United Kingdom.

The UK offers several types of family visas, depending on the relationship between the applicant and the sponsor (the person who is already settled in the UK). These visas are designed to help families reunite, allowing family members to live together in the UK for a specified period. There are various types of UK family visas, including spouse or partner visa, fiancé visa, parent of a child visa, child visa, Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa, family reunion visa and other various dependent partner and dependent child visas.

While the process can vary depending on the type of family visa being applied for, the following steps are generally involved:

1. Initial Consultation with a Solicitor: During this consultation, the solicitor will assess your eligibility, gather details of your situation, and offer advice on the best course of action.

2. Document Collection: Collecting the correct documentation is one of the most important steps. Premium solicitors will assist in preparing and verifying all required documents, ensuring that everything is in order.

3. Visa Application Submission: After preparing the application, your solicitor will submit it on your behalf to the appropriate UK authorities, ensuring that all requirements are met and deadlines are respected.

4. Interview Preparation: Some family visa applications may require interviews. Premium solicitors will prepare you for any necessary interviews, ensuring you are confident and ready to answer any questions that may arise.

5. Monitoring and Updates: Throughout the process, premium solicitors will keep you informed of any progress or updates regarding your application. They will also handle any queries from the Home Office.

6. Outcome and Next Steps: If successful, your solicitor will advise you on what steps to take next, whether it’s preparing for arrival in the UK or renewing your visa after a certain period. If the application is refused, they will provide guidance on appealing the decision.

For many people, the opportunity to join or remain with loved ones in the UK is a deeply important matter. The family visa process isn’t just about paperwork – it’s about reuniting families and allowing people to build their lives together. As such, it’s essential to approach the process with the help of experts who understand the intricacies of family immigration law and can offer tailored support.

Premium solicitors providing specialist family visa services play a crucial role in helping families reunite, bringing peace of mind and professional expertise to the immigration process. Whether you’re applying for a spouse visa, child visa, or any other family-based visa, having an experienced solicitor by your side ensures the best possible outcome for you and your family.

If you’re looking to apply for a UK family visa, working with premium solicitors specialising in family immigration is a smart choice. They offer the expertise, experience, and personal support necessary to navigate the complexities of the immigration system. Whether you’re bringing a partner, parent, child, or other family member to the UK, their specialist family visa services can help make the process smoother, faster, and more likely to succeed.

A fiancé visa allows a foreign national to come to the UK to marry a British citizen or a settled partner. This visa category facilitates couples who intend to marry and settle in the UK together. A fiancé visa application is made under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, and as a result of the successful application, the applicant is granted a fiancé visa for 6 months to come to the UK and get married to the UK partner of the applicant.

To obtain a fiancé visa entry clearance for the UK, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Valid Application: The applicant must submit a valid fiancé visa entry clearance application in accordance with the requirements outlined in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.

Relationship Requirement: The applicant must be engaged to a British Citizen, a person with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or settled status, an EU national with pre-settled status, a refugee or holder of humanitarian protection status, a Turkish Businessperson visa holder, or a Turkish Worker visa holder or a person with leave to remain as a stateless person. The relationship must be genuine and subsisting, supported by appropriate evidence demonstrating the genuineness and subsistence of the relationship.

Age Requirement: Both the applicant and the UK fiancé must be aged 18 or over.

Intention to Marry in the UK: The applicant should seek entry as a fiancé to register their marriage with the UK partner and must demonstrate the intention to marry the UK partner in the UK within 6 months.

Suitability Requirements: The applicant must meet the suitability requirements as specified in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.

Financial Requirement: The applicant must meet the financial requirement for the fiancé visa entry clearance, which can be satisfied through:

• A minimum income of £29,000 gross per annum from employment or self-employment of the UK sponsor.
• Savings of the applicant and/or the sponsor.
• Rental income of the applicant and/or the sponsor.

Accommodation Requirement: The applicant must provide evidence of adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but live in the same household. The accommodation must be owned or occupied exclusively by the family.

English Language Requirement: The applicant must meet the English language requirement by demonstrating English proficiency at CEFR level A1, as required by the UK Immigration Rules.

Tuberculosis Test Certificate: The applicant must provide a Tuberculosis test certificate, if required under Appendix Tuberculosis (TB) of the Immigration Rules.

You must also prove that:

• Any previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended
• You plan to marry or become civil partners within 6 months of arriving in the UK

Here are the key reasons why you should choose Premium Solicitors for your fiancé visa application for UK: 

Comprehensive Expertise: Premium Solicitors prides itself on its in-depth understanding of the UK immigration system. Their specialist fiancé visa services encompass all aspects of the application process, from initial consultation to final approval. The firm's solicitors are well-versed in the intricate requirements of fiancé visas, including the necessary documentation, financial criteria, and relationship evidence. This expertise ensures that clients receive accurate and up-to-date advice tailored to their unique circumstances.

Personalised Service: One of the hallmarks of Premium Solicitors is their commitment to providing personalised service. They recognize that every client’s situation is different and requires a bespoke approach. During the initial consultation, the solicitors take the time to understand the client's relationship history, financial situation, and any potential challenges. This thorough assessment allows them to craft a customised strategy aimed at maximising the chances of a successful fiancé visa application.

Step-by-Step Guidance: The fiancé visa application process can be overwhelming, but Premium Solicitors offers step-by-step guidance to make it manageable. Their services include assisting with the preparation and submission of the fiancé visa application, advising on the necessary supporting documents, and ensuring all paperwork is accurately completed. Additionally, they provide ongoing support throughout the process, answering any questions and addressing concerns that may arise.

High Success Rates: Premium Solicitors boast a high success rate for fiancé visa applications, reflecting their expertise and dedication to client success. They keep abreast of the latest changes in immigration law and policy, ensuring that their advice is always current and in line with the latest changes to the immigration laws and policy guidance. Their meticulous attention to detail and proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of fiancé visa application refusals due to errors or omissions.

Client Testimonials: Numerous clients have shared positive testimonials about their experiences with Premium Solicitors. Many highlight the firm's professionalism, empathy, and effectiveness in handling their fiancé visa applications. These testimonials underscore the firm’s reputation for excellence and reliability in the field of immigration law. The exceptional quality of our fiancé visa services is reflected in our 5-star Google Reviews rating, with 99% of our clients expressing their satisfaction.

Additional Support Services: Beyond fiancé visa applications, Premium Solicitors offers a range of related immigration services. These include advice on switching from fiancé visa to a spouse visa after getting married in the UK, extending a spouse visa, and navigating the complexities of indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and citizenship applications. This comprehensive suite of services ensures that clients have a trusted legal partner throughout their entire immigration journey.

Premium Solicitors has established itself as a premier provider of specialist fiancé visa services, combining legal expertise with personalised, client-focused support. Their commitment to excellence and high success rates make them a top choice for individuals seeking to bring their fiancé to the UK. By choosing Premium Solicitors, clients can navigate the complexities of the visa application process with confidence, knowing they have expert guidance every step of the way.

You can apply online for a fiancé visa from outside the UK.

No, you cannot apply for a fiancé visa from inside the UK, and you must apply online from outside the UK. 

The fiancé visa application submitted through a standard service is normally decided by the Home Office UKVI within 60 working days. 

The UKVI normally decides the fiancé visa application submitted through a Priority Service within 30 working days. 

Yes, you can submit your fiancé visa application through a Priority Service for a faster decision on your fiancé visa application within 30 working days. 

To apply for a fiancé visa for the UK,  your UK partner must either:

• be a British or Irish citizen
• have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
• have a Turkish Businessperson visa or a Turkish Worker visa
• have protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)
• have permission to stay as a stateless person

You will not be able to work or study in the UK while you are on a fiancé visa. You will get the right to work and study as soon as you have successfully switched to a spouse visa after registering your marriage with your UK partner. 

You can apply for switching from a fiancé visa to a spouse visa soon after the registration of your marriage with your UK partner, and do not have to wait until 28 days before the expiry of your fiancé visa. 

By switching to a spouse visa sooner, you will get your right to work and study in the UK. Where one can afford it, an application for switching from a fiancé visa to a spouse visa should be made through Super Priority Service to get a decision on the application within 24 hours. 

No, you do not have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) to apply for your fiancé's visa to the UK. You will not be entitled to receive free medical treatment under the NHS whilst you are in the UK on a fiancé visa and will only be entitled to NHS treatment once you have successfully switched to a spouse visa after registering your marriage with your UK partner. 

You can add children to your fiancé visa application as dependants if they are under 18 when you apply. If your child is from your previous relationship, you must prove that you have had the sole responsibility for the upbringing of your child for your child's application to be successful. 

To be eligible for a fiancé visa UK, the applicant must:

• Be engaged to a British citizen or someone with settled status in the UK.
• Intend to marry within six months of arriving in the UK.
• Meet the financial, accommodation, English language, and other requirements as specified in the Immigration Rules.

The sponsor must have an annual income of at least £29,000 or sufficient savings. 

As a result of changes to Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules effective from 11 April 2024, the new financial requirement of £29,000 gross per annum applies to an applicant who is making their first application on the partner route on or after 11 April 2024. You will not have to meet the income requirement of more than £29,000 gross per annum if you have any dependent children applying simultaneously along with the lead applicant, and the threshold will remain at £29,000 gross per annum.

To satisfy the financial requirement for a fiancé visa, the applicant's UK partner must be working and earning at least £29,000 gross per year. If the sponsor's employment income is less than £29,000 gross per annum, the applicant can combine the sponsor's employment income under Category A with savings. The savings must be £16,000 plus additional savings equivalent to 2.5 times the difference between the sponsor's gross annual income and £29,000. 

The applicant's overseas salary income does not count towards meeting the financial requirement. However, the applicant's savings, rental income, or pension income (if applicable) count towards meeting the financial requirement in combination with the UK partner's income.

Yes, you must provide evidence that your relationship is genuine and subsisting. This can include photographs, communication records, and other relevant documentation.

Also, the applicant and their partner must not be within the prohibited degree of relationship. The applicant and their partner must have met in person. The relationship between the applicant and their partner must be genuine and subsisting. Any previous relationship of the applicant or their partner must have broken down permanently unless it is a relationship which falls within paragraph 278(i) of the Immigration Rules. The applicant and partner must intend to get married to each other and live together permanently in the UK.

The applicant and the UK fiancé must be at least 18 years old.

Yes, you must demonstrate your English language proficiency at CEFR level A1 or higher, unless you are exempt.

After marriage, you can apply for a Spouse Visa to remain in the UK. The Spouse Visa is usually granted for 30 months and allows you to work in the UK.

If your application is refused, you may have the right to appeal the decision or submit a new application with additional evidence.

After marriage, you should apply for a Spouse Visa to extend your stay. This application must be made before your Fiancé Visa expires.

No, the time you spend in the UK on a Fiancé Visa does not count towards the 5-year qualifying period for ILR as a spouse. Your qualifying time for ILR will start from the date you successfully switch to a spouse visa after registering your marriage with your UK partner. 

Where the applicant has to meet the minimum income threshold, the financial requirement can generally be met in the following five ways:

• Income from salaried or non-salaried employment of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category A or Category B, depending on the employment history.
• Non-employment income, e.g. income from property rental or dividends from shares. This is referred to as Category C.
• Cash savings of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant, above £16,000, held by the partner and/or the applicant for at least 6 months and under their control. This is referred to as Category D.
• State (UK or foreign), occupational or private pension of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant. This is referred to as Category E.
• Income from self-employment, and income as a director or employee of a specified limited company in the UK, of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category F or Category G, depending on which financial year(s) is/are being relied upon.

Where the applicant’s partner is in receipt of any of the following benefits or allowances in the UK, the applicant will be able to meet the financial requirement at that application stage by providing evidence of “adequate maintenance” rather than meeting an income threshold of £29,000:

• Carer’s Allowance.
• Disability Living Allowance.
• Severe Disablement Allowance.
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
• Attendance Allowance.
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme.
• Police Injury Pension.

If the applicant’s partner is receiving one of the above benefits or allowances on behalf of their child, the applicant will be able to qualify by meeting the financial requirement through “adequate maintenance.” The evidence required to demonstrate that the applicant’s partner is in receipt of a specified benefit or allowance is specified in Appendix FM-SE.

The Home Office UKVI will use the following formula to determine whether you meet the adequate maintenance requirement for your fiancé visa entry clearance application:

A – B ≥ C (A minus B is greater than or equal to C)
Where:
A is the net income (after deduction of income tax and National Insurance contributions);
B is housing costs (Rent and Council Tax); and
C is the amount of Income Support an equivalent British family of that size can receive.

The applicant must provide specified evidence that there will be adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but who live in the same household, which the family owns or occupies exclusively: accommodation will not be regarded as adequate if-

1. it is, or will be, overcrowded; or
2. it contravenes public health regulations.

When you make your UK partner visa application, you’ll need to have information and some evidence ready. You should include information for yourself and any dependants applying at the same time.

You’ll need to provide:

• all your names
• your date of birth
• your current passport or other valid travel ID
• copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports
• a copy of your biometric residence permit, if you have one
• details of any previous immigration applications you’ve made
• details of any criminal convictions
•  your national insurance number, if you have one
• your parents’ date of birth and nationality
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
• a certified translation of any document that is not in English or Welsh

You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the Fiancé Visa. You’ll also need an email address to make an online application.

You’ll also need to:

• prove your knowledge of English
• give proof of your finances

Depending on your circumstances, you may need to provide other additional documents, such as a sponsorship form from your partner in the UK.

To apply for your UK partner visa, you’ll be asked about their:

• name
• date of birth
• nationality
• passport
• right to be in the UK, for example, they’re a British citizen

You’ll also need to give details of:

• any people your partner was previously married to, in a civil partnership with or had children with
• evidence of marriages ending, for example, a divorce certificate
• anyone your partner supports you with money, for example, their parents

You’ll need to include details of anyone you previously married or had children with. Include evidence of marriages ending, such as a divorce certificate.

You’ll need to provide details about your children (and your partner’s children if you have one). You’ll be asked about all children, even if they’re not applying.

You’ll need to give details of:

• their name
• their nationality
• their date of birth
• their passport details
• who the child normally lives with
• any other people with parental responsibility for your child, for example, your step-children’s other parents
• how you’re involved in their day-to-day life
• arrangements you have to see the child - for example, the courts have granted you access
• the child’s extended family
• any countries your child has visited or lived in

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot pay the fee because you:

• do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
• have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
• have a very low income, and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

Apply for a fee waiver online from outside the UK.

Our fiancé visa solicitors charge a reasonable fixed fee to handle your application for a Fiancé Visa UK. Our fixed fee covers all our work on your Fiancé Visa application until the Home Office makes a decision on it.

You can check our fixed fee for the Fiancé Visa UK by visiting our page - Our Fixed Fees For Family Visa Applications

A Proposed Civil Partner Visa allows the applicant to come to the UK to marry or enter into a civil partnership with their British or settled partner within six months of arrival. An application for a proposed civil partner visa for the UK is submitted to the Home Office according to requirements set out in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.

Yes, you must demonstrate your English language proficiency by passing an approved test at CEFR level A1 or higher, or by having a recognised academic qualification taught in English.

No, you cannot work or study in the UK on a Proposed Civil Partner Visa. You will need to apply for a spouse or civil partner visa after your marriage or civil partnership to gain the right to work.

To be eligible for a proposed civil partner visa entry clearance, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Valid Application: The applicant must submit a valid entry clearance application for a proposed civil partner visa in accordance with Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.

Relationship Requirement: The applicant must be the proposed civil partner of a British Citizen, a person with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or settled status, an EU national with pre-settled status, a refugee or holder of humanitarian protection status, a Turkish Businessperson visa holder, a Turkish Worker visa holder or a person with leave to remain as a stateless person. The relationship must be genuine and subsisting, supported by appropriate evidence demonstrating the genuineness and subsistence of the relationship.

Age Requirement: The applicant and their UK partner must be 18 or older.

Intention to Marry or Register a Civil Partnership in the UK: The applicant must intend to enter the UK to register their marriage or civil partnership with their UK partner and must demonstrate this intention.

Suitability Requirement: The applicant must meet the suitability requirements outlined in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.

Financial Requirement: The applicant must meet the financial requirement, which can be satisfied through:

• The UK sponsor’s income of at least £29,000 gross per year from employment or self-employment;
• Savings of the applicant and/or the sponsor, or
• Rental income of the applicant and/or the sponsor.

Accommodation Requirement: The applicant must provide evidence of adequate accommodation for the family, without relying on public funds. This accommodation must be owned or exclusively occupied by the family, including other family members not included in the application but living in the same household.

English Language Requirement: The applicant must demonstrate English proficiency at CEFR level A1 as required by the UK Immigration Rules.

Tuberculosis Test Certificate: The applicant must provide a Tuberculosis test certificate if required under Appendix Tuberculosis (TB) of the Immigration Rules.

Here are the key reasons why you should choose Premium Solicitors for your proposed civil partner visa application for the UK: 

Comprehensive Expertise: Premium Solicitors prides itself on its in-depth understanding of the UK immigration system. Their specialist proposed civil partner visa services encompass all aspects of the application process, from initial consultation to final approval. The firm's solicitors are well-versed in the intricate requirements of proposed civil partner visas, including the necessary documentation, financial criteria, and relationship evidence. This expertise ensures clients receive accurate and up-to-date advice tailored to their unique circumstances.

Personalised Service: One of Premium Solicitors' hallmarks is their commitment to providing personalised service. They recognise that every client’s situation is different and requires a bespoke approach. During the initial consultation, the solicitors take the time to understand the client's relationship history, financial situation, and any potential challenges. This thorough assessment allows them to craft a customised strategy aimed at maximising the chances of a successful proposed civil partner visa application.

Step-by-Step Guidance: The proposed civil partner visa application process can be overwhelming, but Premium Solicitors offers step-by-step guidance to make it manageable. Their services include assisting with the preparation and submission of the proposed civil partner visa application, advising on the necessary supporting documents, and ensuring all paperwork is accurately completed. Additionally, they provide ongoing support throughout the process, answering any questions and addressing concerns that may arise.

High Success Rates: Premium Solicitors boast a high success rate for proposed civil partner visa applications, reflecting their expertise and dedication to client success. They keep abreast of the latest changes in immigration law and policy, ensuring that their advice is always current and in line with the latest changes to the immigration laws and policy guidance. Their meticulous attention to detail and proactive approach significantly reduce the risk of proposed civil partner application refusals due to errors or omissions.

Client Testimonials: Numerous clients have shared positive testimonials about their experiences with Premium Solicitors. Many highlight the firm's professionalism, empathy, and effectiveness in handling their proposed civil partner visa applications. These testimonials underscore the firm’s reputation for excellence and reliability in the field of immigration law. The exceptional quality of our proposed civil partner visa services is reflected in our 5-star Google Reviews rating, with 99% of our clients expressing their satisfaction.

Additional Support Services: Beyond proposed civil partner visa applications, Premium Solicitors offers a range of related immigration services. These include advice on switching from a proposed civil partner visa to a civil partner visa after registering your civil partnership in the UK, extending your civil partner visa, and navigating the complexities of indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and citizenship applications. This comprehensive suite of services ensures clients have a trusted legal partner throughout their immigration journey.

Premium Solicitors has established itself as a premier provider of specialist proposed civil partner visa services, combining legal expertise with personalised, client-focused support. Their commitment to excellence and high success rates make them a top choice for individuals seeking to bring their proposed civil partner to the UK. By choosing Premium Solicitors, clients can navigate the complexities of the visa application process with confidence, knowing they have expert guidance every step of the way.

You can apply online for a proposed civil partner visa from outside the UK.

No, you cannot apply for a proposed civil partner visa from inside the UK, and you must apply online from outside the UK. 

The proposed civil partner visa application submitted through a standard service is normally decided by the Home Office UKVI within 60 working days. 

The UKVI usually decides the proposed civil partner visa application submitted through a Priority Service within 30 working days. 

Yes, you can submit your proposed civil partner visa application through a Priority Service for a faster decision on your proposed civil partner visa application within 30 working days. 

To apply for a proposed civil partner visa for the UK,  your UK partner must either:

• be a British or Irish citizen
• have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
• have a Turkish Businessperson visa or a Turkish Worker visa
• have protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)
• have permission to stay as a stateless person

You can apply for switching from a proposed civil partner visa to a civil partner visa soon after the registration of your civil partnership with your UK partner and do not have to wait until 28 days before the expiry of your proposed civil partner visa. 

By switching to a civil partner visa sooner, you will get your right to work and study in the UK. Where one can afford it, an application for switching from a proposed civil partner visa to a civil partner visa should be made through Super Priority Service to get a decision on the application within 24 hours. 

No, you do not have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) to apply for your proposed civil partner visa to the UK. You will not be entitled to receive free medical treatment under the NHS whilst you are in the UK on a proposed civil partner visa and will only be entitled to NHS treatment once you have successfully switched to a spouse visa after registering your marriage with your UK partner. 

You can add children to your proposed civil partner visa application as dependants if they are under 18 when you apply. If your child is from your previous relationship, you must prove that you have had the sole responsibility for the upbringing of your child for your child's application to be successful. 

To be eligible for a proposed civil partner visa UK, the applicant must:

• Be the proposed civil partner of a British citizen or someone with settled status in the UK.
• Intend to register a civil partnership with the UK partner within six months of arriving in the UK.
• Meet the financial, accommodation, English language, and other requirements as specified in the Immigration Rules.

The sponsor must have an annual income of at least £29,000 or sufficient savings. 

As a result of changes to Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules effective from 11 April 2024, the new financial requirement of £29,000 gross per annum applies to an applicant who is making their first application on the partner route on or after 11 April 2024. You will not have to meet the income requirement of more than £29,000 gross per annum if you have any dependent children applying simultaneously along with the lead applicant, and the threshold will remain at £29,000 gross per annum.

To satisfy the financial requirement for a proposed civil partner visa, the applicant's UK partner must be working and earning at least £29,000 gross per year. If the sponsor's employment income is less than £29,000 gross per annum, the applicant can combine the sponsor's employment income under Category A with savings. The savings must be £16,000 plus additional savings equivalent to 2.5 times the difference between the sponsor's gross annual income and £29,000. 

The applicant's overseas salary income does not count towards meeting the financial requirement. However, the applicant's savings, rental income, or pension income (if applicable) count towards meeting the financial requirement in combination with the UK partner's income.

Yes, you must provide evidence that your relationship is genuine and subsisting. This can include photographs, communication records, and other relevant documentation.

Also, the applicant and their partner must not be within the prohibited degree of relationship. The applicant and their partner must have met in person. The relationship between the applicant and their partner must be genuine and subsisting. Any previous relationship of the applicant or their partner must have broken down permanently unless it is a relationship which falls within paragraph 278(i) of the Immigration Rules. The applicant and partner must intend to get married to each other and live together permanently in the UK.

Both the applicant and the UK partner of the applicant must be at least 18 years old.

Once you are married, you can apply for a civil partnership visa to remain in the UK. The civil partnership visa is usually granted for 30 months and allows you to work in the UK.

If your proposed civil partner visa application is refused, you may have the right to appeal the decision or submit a new application with additional evidence.

After registering your civil partnership in the UK, you should apply for a civil partner visa to extend your stay. This application must be made before your proposed civil partner visa expires.

No, the time you spend in the UK on a proposed civil partner visa does not count towards the 5-year qualifying period for ILR as a civil partner. Your qualifying time for ILR will start when you successfully switch to a civil partner visa after registering your civil partnership with your UK partner. 

Where the applicant has to meet the minimum income threshold, the financial requirement can generally be met in the following 5 ways:

• Income from salaried or non-salaried employment of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category A or Category B, depending on the employment history.
• Non-employment income, e.g. income from property rental or dividends from shares. This is referred to as Category C.
• Cash savings of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant, above £16,000, held by the partner and/or the applicant for at least 6 months and under their control. This is referred to as Category D.
• State (UK or foreign), occupational or private pension of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant. This is referred to as Category E.
• Income from self-employment, and income as a director or employee of a specified limited company in the UK, of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category F or Category G, depending on which financial year(s) is/are being relied upon.

Where the applicant’s partner is in receipt of any of the following benefits or allowances in the UK, the applicant will be able to meet the financial requirement at that application stage by providing evidence of “adequate maintenance” rather than meeting an income threshold of £29,000:

• Carer’s Allowance.
• Disability Living Allowance.
• Severe Disablement Allowance.
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
• Attendance Allowance.
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme.
• Police Injury Pension.

If the applicant’s partner is receiving one of the above benefits or allowances on behalf of their child, the applicant will be able to qualify by meeting the financial requirement through “adequate maintenance.” The evidence required to demonstrate that the applicant’s partner is in receipt of a specified benefit or allowance is specified in Appendix FM-SE.

The Home Office UKVI will use the following formula to determine whether you meet the adequate maintenance requirement for your fiancé visa entry clearance application:

A – B ≥ C (A minus B is greater than or equal to C)
Where:
A is the net income (after deduction of income tax and National Insurance contributions);
B is housing costs (Rent and Council Tax); and
C is the amount of Income Support an equivalent British family of that size can receive.

The applicant must provide specified evidence that there will be adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but who live in the same household, which the family owns or occupies exclusively: accommodation will not be regarded as adequate if-

1. it is, or will be, overcrowded; or
2. it contravenes public health regulations.

You’ll need to have information and some evidence ready when you make your UK partner visa application. You should include information for you and any dependants applying at the same time.

You’ll need to provide:

• all your names
• your date of birth
• your current passport or other valid travel ID
• copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports
• a copy of your biometric residence permit, if you have one
• details of any previous immigration applications you’ve made
• details of any criminal convictions
•  your national insurance number, if you have one
• your parents’ date of birth and nationality
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
• a certified translation of any document that is not in English or Welsh

You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the proposed civil partner visa. You’ll also need an email address to make an online application.

You’ll also need to:

• prove your knowledge of English
• give proof of your finances, if you’re not applying on the basis of your private life

You may need to provide other additional documents depending on your circumstances - for example a sponsorship form from your partner in the UK.

To apply for your UK partner visa, you’ll be asked about their:

• name
• date of birth
• nationality
• passport
• right to be in the UK, for example, they’re a British citizen

You’ll also need to give details of:

• any people your partner was previously married to, in a civil partnership with or had children with
• evidence of marriages ending, for example, a divorce certificate
• anyone your partner supports you with money, for example, their parents

You’ll need to include details of anyone you previously married or registered a civil partnership with, or had children with. Include evidence of marriages / civil partnerships ending, such as a divorce certificate.

You’ll need to give details of your children (and your partner’s children if you have one). You’ll be asked about all children, even if they’re not applying.

You’ll need to give details of:

• their name
• their nationality
• their date of birth
• their passport details
• who the child normally lives with
• any other people with parental responsibility for your child, for example, your step-children’s other parents
• how you’re involved in their day-to-day life
• arrangements you have to see the child - for example, the courts have granted you access
• the child’s extended family
• any countries your child has visited or lived in

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot pay the fee because you:

• do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
• have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
• have a very low income, and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

Apply for a fee waiver online from outside the UK.

We charge a reasonable fixed fee to handle your application for a proposed civil partner visa UK, and our fixed fee will cover all our work on your proposed civil partner visa application until a decision is made by the Home Office on your application.

You can check our fixed fee for a proposed civil partner visa UK by visiting our page - Our Fixed Fees For Family Visa Applications

A spouse visa, officially known as a "UK Spouse Visa" or "UK Marriage Visa," allows a non-UK citizen to live in the UK with their UK spouse, a British citizen, or a settled person. A spouse visa UK, also known as an Appendix FM partner visa, is granted based on the applicant's marriage to a qualifying UK partner. The spouse visa applications are made according to the requirements set out in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.

As a result of an application for entry clearance for a spouse visa, the applicant is granted initial leave for 33 months. In case of an in-country application for switching to a spouse visa, the applicant is granted initial leave for 2.5 years (30 months), and a further extension is also granted for another 2.5 years (30 months).

Yes, you can use the spouse visa fast-track service to get a faster decision on your spouse visa application.

You can use a Priority Service for your spouse visa application from outside the UK to get a decision on your application within 30 working days. 

You can use Super Priority Service for your in-country application for a spouse visa UK to get a decision on your spouse visa application within 24 hours. 

There are two spouse visa settlement routes, which are as follows:

Spouse Visa UK (5 Years Route)

Under the spouse visa 5 years route, you will become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a spouse 28 days before completing 5 years in the UK. Any time spent in the UK under the spouse visa 10 years route cannot be counted towards the spouse visa 5 years route to apply for ILR as a spouse.

Spouse Visa UK (10 Years Route)

Under a spouse visa (10 years route), you will become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a spouse 28 days before completing 10 years under the spouse visa (10 years route).

If you are at the early stages of a spouse visa 10 years route, you can consider switching a spouse visa (10 years route) to a spouse visa (5 years route) to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) sooner under the spouse visa 5 years route.

Yes, you can switch from the spouse visa 10-year route to the spouse visa 5-year route at any time during the validity of your spouse visa 10-year route. It is better to switch to the 5-year route as soon as possible because your time for ILR under the spouse visa 5-year route will only start from the date you are granted initial leave to remain under the spouse visa 5-year route.

You can apply for a spouse visa UK any time after marrying your UK spouse, and there is no requirement under the law to wait for a certain period of time.

If you are under the spouse visa 5 years route, you can apply for ILR after completing 5 years continuously under the spouse visa 5 years route. An application for ILR can be made 28 days before the completion of 5 years under the spouse visa 5 years route. 

If you are under the spouse visa 10 years route, you can apply for ILR after completing 10 years continuously under the spouse visa 10 years route. An application for ILR can be made 28 days before the completion of 10 years under the spouse visa 10 years route. Time spent under the 10-year route and the 5-year route will all count towards completion of 10 years to qualify for ILR as a spouse under the 10-year route.

An applicant applying for spouse visa entry clearance or switching to a spouse visa must meet either: 

• the financial requirement of earning not less than £29,000; or
• adequate maintenance requirement if the applicant’s partner is in receipt of the listed benefits and thus exempt from meeting the income requirement of £29,000 gross per year. 

According to paragraph E-LTRP.3.5 of Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, a person who already has a spouse visa under the 5 years route and is applying for extension or ILR as a spouse, must meet the transitional financial requirement of income, which is £18,600 gross per year if they made an initial application for entry clearance or permission to stay as a fiancé(e), proposed civil partner or partner/spouse under Appendix FM before 11 April 2024, which was successful.

Where the application's refusal can result in serious breaches of human rights laws, including Article 8 of the ECHR and Section 55 of the BCIA 2009, the applicant may be able to rely on third-party support to meet the financial requirement. 

No, you cannot apply for a spouse visa from inside the UK if you are residing outside the UK. You should apply for a spouse visa entry clearance from outside the UK to come to the UK to join your spouse in the UK. 

You can either submit a fresh application for a spouse visa in the UK or challenge the refusal decision by filing an appeal with the First Tier Tribunal (FTT), where an Immigration Judge will determine your appeal by considering all the evidence and information. 

Yes, you can submit a fresh spouse visa application if the Home Office has refused your application and you do not believe there are good chances of success in your appeal against the refusal decision. 

You and your UK spouse must be 18 or over for you to apply as a spouse.

Your UK spouse must also either:

• be a British or Irish citizen
• have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
• have a Turkish Businessperson visa or a Turkish Worker visa
• have protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)
• have permission to stay as a stateless person

Expert Knowledge: Premium solicitors possess extensive knowledge of the ever-evolving UK immigration laws. Their expertise covers all aspects of spouse visa applications, ensuring that every detail is meticulously addressed.

Personalised Service: Each case is unique, and our specialist spouse visa solicitors offer advice tailored to each couple's specific circumstances. This personalised approach helps address individual concerns and complexities.

Comprehensive Documentation Support: The application process for a spouse visa involves substantial paperwork. Premium Solicitors assist in compiling and reviewing all necessary documents, ensuring that they meet the stringent requirements set by the Home Office.

Strategic Guidance: Our specialist spouse visa solicitors provide strategic guidance on the best approach for your spouse visa application from initial consultation to final submission. This includes advice on potential obstacles and how to overcome them effectively.

Reduced Stress: The application process can be stressful and time-consuming. Hiring a spouse visa solicitor at Premium Solicitors alleviates this burden, allowing applicants to focus on their personal lives while the solicitor handles the legal complexities.

Higher Success Rates: Our specialist immigration solicitors achieve a very high success rate in partner visa applications due to their expertise and thorough approach.

Initial Consultation: The process begins with an in-depth consultation to assess the eligibility of the applicant and their spouse. This step involves reviewing relationship history, financial status, and other pertinent details.

Document Preparation: Our spouse visa solicitors guide applicants in gathering all required documents, including proof of relationship, financial statements, accommodation details, an English language certificate, etc. They ensure all documents are accurate and complete.

Application Submission: Once the documents are prepared, the solicitor completes the application form and submits it to the Home Office. They handle any correspondence and follow up on the application status.

Interview Preparation: If an interview is required, solicitors prepare the applicants, advising on potential questions and providing tips on presenting themselves effectively.

Decision on the Application: After submission, the solicitor keeps the applicants informed about the progress of their application and carries out all the follow-up work until a decision is made by the Home Office on the spouse visa application. 

You must be able to prove that:

• you are in a marriage that’s recognised in the UK and your relationship with your UK spouse is genuine and subsisting;
• have good knowledge of English
• meet the financial requirements
• meet the accommodation requirements

If you cannot meet all the requirements of the UK immigration rules for the spouse visa application, you may still be able to apply for a spouse 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 for them to leave the UK
• it would breach your human rights to stop you from coming to the UK or make you leave

To prove that you and your UK spouse live together as a couple, you can provide evidence that:

• comes from the government, a bank, a landlord, a utility provider, or a medical professional
• confirms your relationship with your partner - for example, that you live together, share expenses or are married or in a civil partnership
• a marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate
• a tenancy agreement, utility bills or council tax bills confirming that you live at the same address or pay bills together
• a bank statement from a joint bank account, or confirming that you live at the same address
• a letter from your doctor or dentist confirming that you live at the same address

If you do not have any evidence that meets these criteria, there is other evidence you can provide instead, including:

• a one-off bill like vet’s fees or home repair costs
• letters confirming you and your partner are on the voting register for the same address
• student finance paperwork confirming that you live at the same address

If you cannot live together because of work or study, or for cultural reasons, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other. You can do this by providing evidence that you:

• communicate regularly with each other  
• support each other financially  
• care for any children you have together  
• spend time together as a couple, for example, on holiday or at events

If you apply for a spouse visa from outside the UK to join your UK spouse, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months on this visa. If you apply for a spouse visa from inside the UK, you will be granted leave to remain as a spouse for 30 months. 

When you make your UK partner visa application, you’ll need to have information and some evidence ready. You should include information for yourself and any dependants applying at the same time.

You’ll need to provide:

• all your names
• your date of birth
• your current passport or other valid travel ID
• copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports
• a copy of your biometric residence permit, if you have one
• details of any previous immigration applications you’ve made
• details of any criminal convictions
•  your national insurance number, if you have one
• your parents’ date of birth and nationality if you’re applying from outside the UK
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
• a certified translation of any document that is not in English or Welsh

You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the UK spouse visa if you’re applying from outside the UK. You’ll also need an email address to make an online application.

You’ll also need to:

• prove your knowledge of English
• give proof of your finances, if you’re not applying on the basis of your private life

Depending on your circumstances, you may need to provide additional documents, such as a sponsorship form from your partner in the UK.

You can apply online for a UK spouse visa entry clearance from outside the UK. 

If you are eligible to switch to a partner visa from within the UK, you can apply for a spouse visa online in the UK.

The following things can count as income:

• income from employment before tax and National Insurance (from P60 or payslips) - you can only use income earned in the UK
• income earned from self-employment or as a director of a limited company in the UK - this will be on a Self-assessment tax return
• cash savings above £16,000. The amount of cash savings required is dependent on the level of your income from employment and other permitted sources.
• money from a pension
• non-work income, for example, from property rentals or dividends

You’ll need to provide proof of your income with your UK spouse visa application. 

If you (if you apply from inside the UK) or your family member is employed, you could include:

• bank statements showing your or their income
• 6 months of payslips, counting back from the day you apply
• a letter from an employer, dated and on headed paper

The employer’s letter should confirm:

• you or your family member is employed there
• the job title or position you or your family member holds
• how long have you or your family member worked there
• the type of contract (for example, permanent, fixed term)
• what you or your family member earns before tax and National Insurance
• how long have you or your family member been paid your current salary
• the payslips are genuine

You’ll be told exactly what documents to provide when you apply online.

You’ll need to follow extra guidance if:

• you or your family member’s income is not from employment, for example, it’s from running a limited company, savings, or a pension
• you or your family member has taken maternity or paternity leave in the last 6 months
• you want to combine different income sources

For an entry clearance application for a UK spouse visa from outside the UK, the employment or self-employment income of the UK spouse is counted and not that of the applicant. 

To apply for your UK spouse visa, you’ll be asked about your UK spouse's:

• name
• date of birth
• nationality
• passport
• right to be in the UK, for example, they’re a British citizen

You’ll also need to give details of:

• any people your spouse was previously married to, in a civil partnership with or had children with
• evidence of marriages ending, for example, a divorce certificate
• anyone your spouse supports you with money, for example, their parents

You’ll need to include details of anyone you previously married or had children with. Include evidence of marriages ending, for example a divorce certificate.

You’ll need to give details of your children (and your spouse’s children if you have one). You’ll be asked about all children, even if they’re not applying.

You’ll need to give details of:

• their name
• their nationality
• their date of birth
• their passport details
• who the child normally lives with
• any other people with parental responsibility for your child, for example, your step-children’s other parents
• how you’re involved in their day-to-day life
• arrangements you have to see the child - for example, the courts have granted you access
• the child’s extended family
• any countries your child has visited or lived in

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot pay the fee because you:

• do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
• have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
• have a very low income and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

Apply for a fee waiver online from outside the UK.

Apply for a fee waiver online from inside the UK.

If you apply outside the UK, you’ll usually get a decision within 60 working days under the standard service and within 30 working days under the Priority Service. 

If you apply from inside the UK, you will get a decision within 8 weeks under the normal service and within 24 hours under the Super Priority Service. 

If you apply inside the UK and you do not meet the financial requirements and English language requirements, it currently takes about 12 months to get a decision.

You can add children to your application as dependants if both of the following apply:

• they are under 18 when you apply, or were under 18 when they were first granted leave 
• they do not live an independent life

Your child is living an independent life if, for example, they’ve left home, got married and had children.

If your child is from your previous relationship, you must prove that you have had the sole responsibility for the upbringing of your child for your child's application to be successful. 

If you are a spouse of a British Citizen, you can apply for naturalisation immediately after the grant of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR); otherwise, you should wait 12 months after the ILR grant date before you can apply for naturalisation as a British Citizen. 

Where the applicant has to meet the minimum income threshold, the financial requirement can generally be met in the following 5 ways:

• Income from salaried or non-salaried employment of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). Depending on the employment history, this is referred to as Category A or Category B.
• Non-employment income, e.g. income from property rental or dividends from shares. This is referred to as Category C.
• Cash savings of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant, above £16,000, held by the partner and/or the applicant for at least 6 months and under their control. This is referred to as Category D.
• State (UK or foreign), occupational or private pension of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant. This is referred to as Category E.
• Income from self-employment, and income as a director or employee of a specified limited company in the UK, of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category F or Category G, depending on which financial year(s) is/are being relied upon.

Where the applicant’s spouse is in receipt of any of the following benefits or allowances in the UK, the applicant will be able to meet the financial requirement at that application stage by providing evidence of “adequate maintenance” rather than meeting an income threshold of £29,000:

• Carer’s Allowance.
• Disability Living Allowance.
• Severe Disablement Allowance.
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
• Attendance Allowance.
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement, or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme.
• Police Injury Pension.

If the applicant’s spouse is receiving one of the above benefits or allowances on behalf of their child, the applicant will be able to qualify by meeting the financial requirement through “adequate maintenance.” The evidence required to demonstrate that the applicant’s partner is in receipt of a specified benefit or allowance is specified in Appendix FM-SE.

The Home Office UKVI will use the following formula to determine whether you meet the adequate maintenance requirement for your spouse visa application:

A – B ≥ C (A minus B is greater than or equal to C)
Where:
A is the net income (after deduction of income tax and National Insurance contributions);
B is housing costs (Rent and Council Tax); and
C is the amount of Income Support an equivalent British family of that size can receive.

The applicant must provide specified evidence that there will be adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but who live in the same household, which the family owns or occupies exclusively: accommodation will not be regarded as adequate if-

1. it is, or will be, overcrowded; or
2. it contravenes public health regulations.

We charge a reasonable fixed fee to handle your application for a UK spouse visa, and our fixed fee will cover all our work on your application until a decision is made by the Home Office on your spouse visa application.

You can check our fixed fee for a spouse visa UK by visiting our page - Our Fixed Fees For Family Visa Applications

A Civil Partner Visa in the UK allows a person to join or remain with their civil partner in the UK, provided the partner is either a British Citizen, a person with ILR / settled status, an EU national with pre-settled status, a refugee, Turkish Businessperson visa holder, Turkish Worker visa holder, or a person with permission to stay as a stateless person. A civil partner visa is also known as an Appendix FM Partner visa.

There are two routes to settlement/ILR under the civil partner visa UK route, which are as follows:

• 5 years civil partner visa route (this route leads to ILR after 5 years)
• 10 years civil partner visa route (this route leads to ILR after 10 years)

To apply as a civil partner, you and your UK civil partner both need to be 18 or over. You must have registered your civil partnership with your UK partner. 

Your partner must also either:

• be a British or Irish citizen
• have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
• have a Turkish Businessperson visa or a Turkish Worker visa
• have protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)
• have permission to stay as a stateless person

You can submit your civil partner visa entry clearance application from outside the UK using a Priority Service to get a decision within 30 working days. For all in-country applications as a civil partner, you can use the Super Priority Service to get a decision within 24 hours. As specialist family visa solicitors, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) to provide Priority Service and Super Priority Service for civil partner visa applications. 

Expert Knowledge: Premium solicitors possess extensive knowledge of the ever-evolving UK immigration laws. Their expertise covers all aspects of civil partner visa applications, ensuring that every detail is meticulously addressed.

Personalised Service: Each case is unique, and our specialist partner visa solicitors offer personalised advice tailored to the specific circumstances of each couple. This personalised approach helps in addressing individual concerns and complexities.

Comprehensive Documentation Support: The application process for a civil partner visa involves substantial paperwork. Premium solicitors assist in compiling and reviewing all necessary documents, ensuring that they meet the stringent requirements set by the Home Office.

Strategic Guidance: From initial consultation to final submission, our specialist partner visa solicitors provide strategic guidance on the best approach for your civil partner visa application. This includes advice on potential obstacles and how to overcome them effectively.

Reduced Stress: The application process can be stressful and time-consuming. Hiring a partner visa solicitor at Premium Solicitors alleviates this burden, allowing applicants to focus on their personal lives while the solicitor handles the legal complexities.

Higher Success Rates: Due to their expertise and thorough approach, our specialist immigration solicitors achieve a very high success rate in partner visa applications.

If you cannot meet all the requirements of the rules for the civil partner visa application, you may still be able to apply for a civil partner 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 for them to leave the UK
• it would breach your human rights to stop you from coming to the UK or make you leave

To prove that you and your UK partner live together as a couple, you can provide evidence that:

• comes from the government, a bank, landlord, utility provider, or a medical professional
• confirms your relationship with your partner - for example, that you live together or share expenses
• a tenancy agreement, utility bills or council tax bills confirming that you live at the same address or pay bills together
• a bank statement from a joint bank account, or confirming that you live at the same address
• a letter from your doctor or dentist confirming that you live at the same address

If you do not have any evidence that meets these criteria, there is other evidence you can provide instead, including:

• a one-off bill like vet’s fees or home repair costs
• letters confirming you and your partner are on the voting register for the same address
• student finance paperwork confirming that you live at the same address

If you cannot live together because of work or study, or for cultural reasons, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other. You can do this by providing evidence that you:

• communicate regularly with each other  
• support each other financially  
• care for any children you have together  
• spend time together as a couple, for example, on holiday or at events

If you apply for a civil partner visa from outside the UK to join your UK partner, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months (33 months) on this visa. If you apply for a civil partner visa from inside the UK, you will be granted leave to remain as a civil partner for 30 months. You will be able to apply for a further extension of your civil partner visa before the expiry of your civil partner visa. 

You’ll need to have information and some evidence ready when you make your UK civil partner visa application. You should include information for you and any dependants applying at the same time.

You’ll need to provide:

• all your names
• your date of birth
• your current passport or other valid travel ID
• copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports
• a copy of your biometric residence permit, if you have one
• details of any previous immigration applications you’ve made
• details of any criminal convictions
•  your national insurance number, if you have one
• your parents’ date of birth and nationality if you’re applying from outside the UK
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
• a certified translation of any document that is not in English or Welsh

You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the UK civil partner visa if you are applying from outside the UK. You’ll also need an email address to make an online application.

You’ll also need to:

• prove your knowledge of English
• give proof of your finances

You may need to provide other additional documents depending on your circumstances - for example a sponsorship form from your civil partner in the UK.

You can apply online for a UK civil partner visa entry clearance from outside the UK. 

If you are eligible to switch to a civil partner visa from within the UK, you can apply for a civil partner visa online in the UK.

As a result of changes to Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules effective from 11 April 2024, the new financial requirement of £29,000 gross per annum applies to an applicant who is making their first application on the civil partner visa route on or after 11 April 2024. You will not have to meet higher income requirements if you have any dependent children applying simultaneously along with the lead applicant, and the threshold will remain at £29,000 gross per annum.

Applicants can combine employment income under Category A with savings if the employment income is less than £29,000 gross per annum. The savings must be £16,000 plus additional savings equivalent to 2.5 times the difference between the applicant's gross annual income and £29,000. 

If your UK civil partner is in receipt of one of the eligible benefits, you will not have to satisfy the income requirement of £29,000 gross per year, and you can instead satisfy the adequate maintenance requirement. 

The following things may count as income:

• income from employment before tax and National Insurance (from P60 or payslips) - you can only use income earned in the UK
• income earned from self-employment or as a director of a limited company in the UK - this will be on a Self-assessment tax return
• cash savings above £16,000. The amount of cash savings required is dependent on the level of your income from employment and other permitted sources.
• money from a pension
• non-work income, for example, from property rentals or dividends

You’ll need to provide proof of the income with your UK civil partner visa application. 

If you (if you apply from inside the UK) or your family member are employed, you could include:

• bank statements showing your or their income
• 6 months of payslips, counting back from the day you apply
• a letter from an employer, dated and on headed paper

The employer’s letter should confirm:

• you or your family member are employed there
• the job title or position you or your family member hold
• how long you or your family member have worked there
• the type of contract (for example, permanent, fixed term)
• what you or your family member earn before tax and National Insurance
• how long you or your family member have been paid your current salary
• the payslips are genuine

You’ll be told exactly what documents to provide when you apply online.

You’ll need to follow extra guidance if:

• you or your family member’s income is not from employment, for example, it’s from running a limited company, savings, or a pension
• you or your family member have taken maternity or paternity leave in the last 6 months
• you want to combine different income sources

For an entry clearance application for a UK civil partner visa from outside the UK, the employment or self-employment income of the UK partner is counted and not that of the applicant. 

To apply for your UK civil partner visa, you’ll be asked about their:

• name
• date of birth
• nationality
• passport
• right to be in the UK, for example, they’re a British citizen

You’ll also need to give details of:

• any people your partner was previously married to, in a civil partnership with or had children with
• evidence of marriages ending, for example, a divorce certificate
• anyone your partner supports you with money, for example, their parents

You’ll need to include details of anyone you previously married or had children with. Also, include evidence of marriages or civil partnerships ending, such as a divorce certificate.

You’ll need to give details of your children (and your partner’s children if they have one). You’ll be asked about all children, even if they’re not applying.

You’ll need to give details of:

• their name
• their nationality
• their date of birth
• their passport details
• who the child normally lives with
• any other people with parental responsibility for your child, for example, your step-children’s other parents
• how you’re involved in their day-to-day life
• arrangements you have to see the child - for example, the courts have granted you access
• the child’s extended family
• any countries your child has visited or lived in

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot pay the fee because you:

• do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
• have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
• have a very low income, and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

Apply for a fee waiver online from outside the UK.

Apply for a fee waiver online from inside the UK.

If you apply outside the UK, you’ll usually get a decision within 60 working days under the standard service and within 30 working days under the Priority Service. 

If you apply from inside the UK, you will get a decision within 8 weeks under the normal service and within 24 hours under the Super Priority Service. 

If you apply inside the UK and you do not meet the financial requirements and English language requirements, it currently takes about 12 months to get a decision.

You can add children to your application as dependants if both of the following apply:

• they are under 18 when you apply, or were under 18 when they were first granted leave 
• they do not live an independent life

Your child is living an independent life if, for example, they’ve left home, got married and had children.

If your child is from your previous relationship, you must prove that you have had the sole responsibility for the upbringing of your child for your child's application to be successful. 

You can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) as a civil partner either after completing 5 years of continuous residence in the UK with leave to enter or remain granted under the 5 years route or after completing 10 years of continuous residence in the UK with leave to enter granted under the 10 years route. 

Any time you previously spent in the UK under the 5-year route will count towards the qualifying period of 10 years when applying for ILR as a partner under the 10-year route, but not vice versa.

If you are a civil partner of a British Citizen, you can apply for naturalisation immediately after the grant of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR); otherwise, you should wait 12 months after the ILR grant date before you can apply for naturalisation as a British Citizen. 

If you believe that the reasons for your UK civil partner visa application's refusal are unlawful and unjustified, you can challenge it by filing an appeal to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT). Our specialist team of appeal lawyers can represent you in your immigration appeal to successfully challenge the refusal of your civil partner visa application. 

Where the applicant has to meet the minimum income threshold, the financial requirement can generally be met in the following 5 ways:

• Income from salaried or non-salaried employment of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). Depending on the employment history, this is referred to as Category A or Category B.
• Non-employment income, e.g. income from property rental or dividends from shares. This is referred to as Category C.
• Cash savings of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant, above £16,000, held by the partner and/or the applicant for at least 6 months and under their control. This is referred to as Category D.
• State (UK or foreign), occupational or private pension of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant. This is referred to as Category E.
• Income from self-employment, and income as a director or employee of a specified limited company in the UK, of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category F or Category G, depending on which financial year(s) is/are being relied upon.

Where the applicant’s partner is in receipt of any of the following benefits or allowances in the UK, the applicant will be able to meet the financial requirement at that application stage by providing evidence of “adequate maintenance” rather than meeting an income threshold of £29,000:

• Carer’s Allowance.
• Disability Living Allowance.
• Severe Disablement Allowance.
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
• Attendance Allowance.
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement, or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme.
• Police Injury Pension.

If the applicant’s partner is receiving one of the above benefits or allowances on behalf of their child, the applicant will be able to qualify by meeting the financial requirement through “adequate maintenance.” The evidence required to demonstrate that the applicant’s partner is in receipt of a specified benefit or allowance is specified in Appendix FM-SE.

The Home Office UKVI will use the following formula to determine whether you meet the adequate maintenance requirement for your application for a civil partner visa UK:

A – B ≥ C (A minus B is greater than or equal to C)
Where:
A is the net income (after deduction of income tax and National Insurance contributions);
B is housing costs (Rent and Council Tax); and
C is the amount of Income Support an equivalent British family of that size can receive.

The applicant must provide specified evidence that there will be adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but who live in the same household, which the family owns or occupies exclusively: accommodation will not be regarded as adequate if-

1. it is, or will be, overcrowded; or
2. it contravenes public health regulations.

Our partner visa solicitors will charge a reasonable fixed fee to handle your application for UK civil partner visa. Our fixed fee will cover all our work on your civil partner visa application until a decision is made by the Home Office on your application.

You can check our fixed fee for a civil partner visa UK by visiting our page - Our Fixed Fees For Family Visa Applications

A same-sex partner visa in the UK, also known as the "Partner Visa" or "Appendix FM Partner Visa," is a type of visa that allows the same-sex partner of a British citizen or a person settled in the UK (with indefinite leave to remain) to live and work in the UK. The same-sex partner visa is specifically for same-sex couples in a long-term relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years.

There are two routes to settlement (ILR) under the same-sex partner visa UK route, which are:

• 5 years same-sex partner visa route (this route leads to ILR after 5 years)
• 10 years same-sex partner visa route (this route leads to ILR after 10 years)

To apply as a same-sex partner, you and your partner both need to be 18 or over. You and your same-sex partner must have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership. 

Your partner must also either:

• be a British or Irish citizen
• have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
• have a Turkish Businessperson visa or a Turkish Worker visa
• have protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)
• have permission to stay as a stateless person

You can submit your same-sex partner visa entry clearance application from outside the UK using a Priority Service to get a decision within 30 working days.

For all in-country applications as a same-sex partner, you can use the Super Priority Service to get a decision within 24 hours.

As specialist family visa solicitors, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) to provide Priority Service and Super Priority Service for same-sex partner visa applications. 

Expert Knowledge: Premium solicitors possess extensive knowledge of the ever-evolving UK immigration laws. Their expertise covers all aspects of same-sex partner visa applications, ensuring that every detail is meticulously addressed.

Personalised Service: Each case is unique, and our specialist partner visa solicitors offer personalised advice tailored to each couple's specific circumstances. This approach helps address individual concerns and complexities.

Comprehensive Documentation Support: The application process for a same-sex partner visa involves substantial paperwork. Premium solicitors assist in compiling and reviewing all necessary documents, ensuring that they meet the stringent requirements set by the Home Office.

Strategic Guidance: From initial consultation to final submission, our specialist partner visa solicitors provide strategic guidance on the best approach for your same-sex partner visa application. This includes advice on potential obstacles and how to overcome them effectively.

Reduced Stress: The application process can be stressful and time-consuming. Hiring a partner visa solicitor at Premium Solicitors alleviates this burden, allowing applicants to focus on their personal lives while the solicitor handles the legal complexities.

Higher Success Rates: Our specialist immigration solicitors achieve a very high success rate in partner visa applications due to their expertise and thorough approach.

If you cannot meet all the requirements of the rules for the same-sex partner visa application, you may still be able to apply for a same-sex partner 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 for them to leave the UK
• it would breach your human rights to stop you from coming to the UK or make you leave

To prove that you and your UK partner live together as a couple, you can provide evidence that:

• comes from the government, a bank, landlord, utility provider, or a medical professional
• confirms your relationship with your partner - for example, that you live together or share expenses
• a tenancy agreement, utility bills or council tax bills confirming that you live at the same address or pay bills together
• a bank statement from a joint bank account, or confirming that you live at the same address
• a letter from your doctor or dentist confirming that you live at the same address

If you do not have any evidence that meets these criteria, there is other evidence you can provide instead, including:

• a one-off bill like vet’s fees or home repair costs
• letters confirming you and your partner are on the voting register for the same address
• student finance paperwork confirming that you live at the same address

If you cannot live together because of work or study, or for cultural reasons, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other. You can do this by providing evidence that you:

• communicate regularly with each other  
• support each other financially  
• care for any children you have together  
• spend time together as a couple, for example, on holiday or at events

If you apply for a same-sex partner visa from outside the UK to join your UK partner, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months (33 months) on this visa.

If you apply for a same-sex partner visa from inside the UK, you will be granted leave to remain as a same-sex partner for 30 months. You will be able to apply for a further extension of your same-sex partner visa before the expiry of your same-sex partner visa.

You’ll need to have information and some evidence ready when you make your UK same-sex partner visa application. You should include information for you and any dependants applying at the same time.

You’ll need to provide:

• all your names
• your date of birth
• your current passport or other valid travel ID
• copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports
• a copy of your biometric residence permit, if you have one
• details of any previous immigration applications you’ve made
• details of any criminal convictions
•  your national insurance number, if you have one
• your parents’ date of birth and nationality if you’re applying from outside the UK
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
• a certified translation of any document that is not in English or Welsh

You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the UK same-sex partner visa if you are applying from outside the UK. You’ll also need an email address to make an online application.

You’ll also need to:

• prove your knowledge of English
• give proof of your finances

You may need to provide other additional documents depending on your circumstances - for example a sponsorship form from your same-sex partner in the UK.

You can apply online for a UK same-sex partner visa entry clearance from outside the UK. 

If you are eligible to switch to a same-sex partner visa from within the UK, you can apply for a same-sex partner visa online in the UK.

As a result of changes to Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules effective from 11 April 2024, the new financial requirement of £29,000 gross per annum applies to an applicant who is making their first application on the same-sex partner visa route on or after 11 April 2024. You will not have to meet higher income requirements if you have any dependent children applying simultaneously along with the lead applicant, and the threshold will remain at £29,000 gross per annum.

Applicants can combine employment income under Category A with savings if the employment income is less than £29,000 gross per annum. The savings must be £16,000 plus additional savings equivalent to 2.5 times the difference between the applicant's gross annual income and £29,000. 

If your UK same-sex partner is in receipt of one of the eligible benefits, you will not have to satisfy the income requirement of £29,000 gross per year, and you can instead satisfy the adequate maintenance requirement. 

The following things may count as income:

• income from employment before tax and National Insurance (from P60 or payslips) - you can only use income earned in the UK
• income earned from self-employment or as a director of a limited company in the UK - this will be on a Self-assessment tax return
• cash savings above £16,000. The amount of cash savings required is dependent on the level of your income from employment and other permitted sources.
• money from a pension
• non-work income, for example, from property rentals or dividends

You’ll need to provide proof of income with your UK same-sex partner visa application. 

If you (if you apply from inside the UK) or your family member is employed, you could include:

• bank statements showing your or their income
• 6 months of payslips, counting back from the day you apply
• a letter from an employer, dated and on headed paper

The employer’s letter should confirm:

• you or your family member are employed there
• the job title or position you or your family member hold
• how long you or your family member have worked there
• the type of contract (for example, permanent, fixed term)
• what you or your family member earn before tax and National Insurance
• how long you or your family member have been paid your current salary
• the payslips are genuine

You’ll be told exactly what documents to provide when you apply online.

You’ll need to follow extra guidance if:

• you or your family member’s income is not from employment, for example, it’s from running a limited company, savings, or a pension
• you or your family member have taken maternity or paternity leave in the last 6 months
• you want to combine different income sources

For an entry clearance application for a UK same-sex partner visa from outside the UK, the employment or self-employment income of the UK partner is counted and not that of the applicant. 

To apply for your UK partner visa, you’ll be asked about their:

• name
• date of birth
• nationality
• passport
• right to be in the UK, for example, they’re a British citizen

You’ll also need to give details of:

• any people your partner was previously married to, in a civil partnership with or had children with
• evidence of marriages ending, for example, a divorce certificate
• anyone your partner supports you with money, for example, their parents

You’ll need to include details of anyone you previously married, had a civil partnership with, or had children with. Include evidence of marriages / civil partnerships ending, such as a divorce certificate.

You’ll need to give details of your children (and your partner’s children if they have one). You’ll be asked about all children, even if they’re not applying.

You’ll need to give details of:

• their name
• their nationality
• their date of birth
• their passport details
• who the child normally lives with
• any other people with parental responsibility for your child, for example, your step-children’s other parents
• how you’re involved in their day-to-day life
• arrangements you have to see the child - for example, the courts have granted you access
• the child’s extended family
• any countries your child has visited or lived in

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot pay the fee because you:

• do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
• have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
• have a very low income, and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

Apply for a fee waiver online from outside the UK.

Apply for a fee waiver online from inside the UK.

If you apply outside the UK, you’ll usually get a decision within 60 working days under the standard service and within 30 working days under the Priority Service. 

If you apply from inside the UK, you will get a decision within 8 weeks under the normal service and within 24 hours under the Super Priority Service. 

If you apply inside the UK and you do not meet the financial requirements and English language requirements, it currently takes about 12 months to get a decision.

You can add children to your application as dependants if both of the following apply:

• they are under 18 when you apply, or were under 18 when they were first granted leave 
• they do not live an independent life

Your child is living an independent life if, for example, they’ve left home, got married and had children.

If your child is from your previous relationship, you must prove that you have had the sole responsibility for the upbringing of your child for your child's application to be successful. 

You can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) as a same-sex partner either after completing 5 years of continuous residence in the UK with leave to enter or remain granted under the 5 years route or after completing 10 years of continuous residence in the UK with leave to enter granted under the 10 years route. 

Any time you previously spent in the UK under the 5-year route will count towards the qualifying period of 10 years when applying for ILR as a partner under the 10-year route, but not vice versa.

If you are a same-sex partner of your UK partner, you can apply for naturalisation 12 months after the ILR grant date, if you meet all the other eligibility requirements for naturalisation as a British Citizen.

If you have already registered your civil partnership with your UK partner, you do not need to wait for 12 months and can apply for naturalisation as a British Citizen immediately after the ILR grant date. 

If you believe that the reasons for refusal of your UK same-sex partner visa application are unlawful and unjustified, you can challenge it by filing an appeal to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT). Our specialist team of appeal lawyers can represent you in your immigration appeal to successfully challenge the refusal of your same-sex partner visa application. 

Where the applicant has to meet the minimum income threshold, the financial requirement can generally be met in the following 5 ways:

• Income from salaried or non-salaried employment of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). Depending on the employment history, this is referred to as Category A or Category B.
• Non-employment income, e.g. income from property rental or dividends from shares. This is referred to as Category C.
• Cash savings of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant, above £16,000, held by the partner and/or the applicant for at least 6 months and under their control. This is referred to as Category D.
• State (UK or foreign), occupational or private pension of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant. This is referred to as Category E.
• Income from self-employment, and income as a director or employee of a specified limited company in the UK, of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category F or Category G, depending on which financial year(s) is or are being relied upon.

Where the applicant’s partner is in receipt of any of the following benefits or allowances in the UK, the applicant will be able to meet the financial requirement at that application stage by providing evidence of “adequate maintenance” rather than meeting an income threshold of £29,000:

• Carer’s Allowance.
• Disability Living Allowance.
• Severe Disablement Allowance.
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
• Attendance Allowance.
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement, or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme.
• Police Injury Pension.

If the applicant’s partner is receiving one of the above benefits or allowances on behalf of their child, the applicant will be able to qualify by meeting the financial requirement through “adequate maintenance.” The evidence required to demonstrate that the applicant’s partner is in receipt of a specified benefit or allowance is specified in Appendix FM-SE.

The Home Office UKVI will use the following formula to determine whether you meet the adequate maintenance requirement for your application for a same-sex partner visa UK:

A – B ≥ C (A minus B is greater than or equal to C)
Where:
A is the net income (after deduction of income tax and National Insurance contributions);
B is housing costs (Rent and Council Tax); and
C is the amount of Income Support an equivalent British family of that size can receive.

The applicant must provide specified evidence that there will be adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but who live in the same household, which the family owns or occupies exclusively: accommodation will not be regarded as adequate if-

1. it is, or will be, overcrowded; or
2. it contravenes public health regulations.

Our partner visa solicitors will charge a reasonable fixed fee to handle your UK same-sex partner visa application. Our fixed fee will cover all our work on your same-sex partner visa application until the Home Office makes a decision on your application.

You can check our fixed fee for a same-sex partner visa UK by visiting our page - Our Fixed Fees For Family Visa Applications

An Unmarried Partner Visa in the UK, also known as the "Partner Visa" or "Unmarried Partner Visa," is a type of visa that allows the partner of a British citizen or a person settled in the UK (with indefinite leave to remain) to live and work in the UK. An unmarried partner visa is also known as an Appendix FM Partner visa. The unmarried partner visa is specifically for unmarried couples in a long-term relationship akin to marriage for at least two years.

There are two routes to settlement (ILR) under the unmarried partner visa UK route, which are:

• 5 years unmarried partner visa route (this route leads to ILR after 5 years)
• 10 years unmarried partner visa route (this route leads to ILR after 10 years)

To apply as an unmarried partner, you and your partner both need to be 18 or over. You and your unmarried partner must have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage. 

Your partner must also either:

• be a British or Irish citizen
• have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
• have a Turkish Businessperson visa or a Turkish Worker visa
• have protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)
• have permission to stay as a stateless person

You can submit your unmarried partner visa entry clearance application from outside the UK using a Priority Service to get a decision within 30 working days. For all in-country applications as an unmarried partner, you can use the Super Priority Service to get a decision within 24 hours. As specialist family visa solicitors, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) to provide Priority Service and Super Priority Service for unmarried partner visa applications. 

Expert Knowledge: Premium solicitors possess extensive knowledge of the ever-evolving UK immigration laws. Their expertise covers all aspects of unmarried partner visa applications, ensuring that every detail is meticulously addressed.

Personalised Service: Each case is unique, and our specialist partner visa solicitors offer personalised advice tailored to each couple's specific circumstances. This approach helps address individual concerns and complexities.

Comprehensive Documentation Support: The application process for an unmarried partner visa involves substantial paperwork. Premium solicitors assist in compiling and reviewing all necessary documents, ensuring that they meet the stringent requirements set by the Home Office.

Strategic Guidance: Our specialist partner visa solicitors provide strategic guidance on the best approach for your unmarried partner visa application from initial consultation to final submission. This includes advice on potential obstacles and how to overcome them effectively.

Reduced Stress: The application process can be stressful and time-consuming. Hiring a partner visa solicitor at Premium Solicitors alleviates this burden, allowing applicants to focus on their personal lives while the solicitor handles the legal complexities.

Higher Success Rates: Our specialist immigration solicitors achieve a very high success rate in partner visa applications due to their expertise and thorough approach.

If you cannot meet all the requirements of the rules for the unmarried partner visa application, you may still be able to apply for an unmarried partner 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 for them to leave the UK
• it would breach your human rights to stop youfrom  coming to the UK or make you leave

To prove that you and your UK partner live together as a couple, you can provide evidence that:

• comes from the government, a bank, landlord, utility provider, or a medical professional
• confirms your relationship with your partner - for example, that you live together or share expenses
• a tenancy agreement, utility bills or council tax bills confirming that you live at the same address or pay bills together
• a bank statement from a joint bank account, or confirming that you live at the same address
• a letter from your doctor or dentist confirming that you live at the same address

If you do not have any evidence that meets these criteria, there is other evidence you can provide instead, including:

• a one-off bill like vet’s fees or home repair costs
• letters confirming you and your partner are on the voting register for the same address
• student finance paperwork confirming that you live at the same address

If you cannot live together because of work or study, or for cultural reasons, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other. You can do this by providing evidence that you:

• communicate regularly with each other  
• support each other financially  
• care for any children you have together  
• spend time together as a couple, for example, on holiday or at events

If you apply for an unmarried partner visa from outside the UK to join your UK partner, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months (33 months) on this visa. If you apply for an unmarried partner visa from inside the UK, you will be granted leave to remain as an unmarried partner for 30 months. You will be able to apply for a further extension of your unmarried partner visa before the expiry of your unmarried partner visa.

You’ll need to have information and some evidence ready when you make your UK unmarried partner visa application. You should include information for you and any dependants applying at the same time.

You’ll need to provide:

• all your names
• your date of birth
• your current passport or other valid travel ID
• copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports
• a copy of your biometric residence permit, if you have one
• details of any previous immigration applications you’ve made
• details of any criminal convictions
•  your national insurance number, if you have one
• your parents’ date of birth and nationality if you’re applying from outside the UK
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
• a certified translation of any document that is not in English or Welsh

You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the UK unmarried partner visa if you are applying from outside the UK. You’ll also need an email address to make an online application.

You’ll also need to:

• prove your knowledge of English
• give proof of your finances

You may need to provide other additional documents depending on your circumstances - for example a sponsorship form from your unmarried partner in the UK.

You can apply online for a UK unmarried partner visa entry clearance from outside the UK. 

If you are eligible to switch to an unmarried partner visa from within the UK, you can apply for an unmarried partner visa online in the UK.

As a result of changes to Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules effective from 11 April 2024, the new financial requirement of £29,000 gross per annum applies to an applicant who is making their first application on the unmarried partner visa route on or after 11 April 2024. You will not have to meet higher income requirements if you have any dependent children applying simultaneously along with the lead applicant, and the threshold will remain at £29,000 gross per annum.

Applicants can combine employment income under Category A with savings if the employment income is less than £29,000 gross per annum. The savings must be £16,000 plus additional savings equivalent to 2.5 times the difference between the applicant's gross annual income and £29,000. 

If your UK unmarried partner is in receipt of one of the eligible benefits, you will not have to satisfy the income requirement of £29,000 gross per year, and you can instead satisfy the adequate maintenance requirement. 

The following things may count as income:

• income from employment before tax and National Insurance (from P60 or payslips) - you can only use income earned in the UK
• income earned from self-employment or as a director of a limited company in the UK - this will be on a Self-assessment tax return
• cash savings above £16,000. The amount of cash savings required is dependent on the level of your income from employment and other permitted sources.
• money from a pension
• non-work income, for example, from property rentals or dividends

You’ll need to provide proof of the income with your UK unmarried partner visa application. 

If you (if you apply from inside the UK) or your family member are employed, you could include:

• bank statements showing your or their income
• 6 months of payslips, counting back from the day you apply
• a letter from an employer, dated and on headed paper

The employer’s letter should confirm:

• you or your family member are employed there
• the job title or position you or your family member hold
• how long you or your family member have worked there
• the type of contract (for example, permanent, fixed term)
• what you or your family member earn before tax and National Insurance
• how long you or your family member have been paid your current salary
• the payslips are genuine

You’ll be told exactly what documents to provide when you apply online.

You’ll need to follow extra guidance if:

• you or your family member’s income is not from employment, for example, it’s from running a limited company, savings, or a pension
• you or your family member have taken maternity or paternity leave in the last 6 months
• you want to combine different income sources

For an entry clearance application for a UK unmarried partner visa from outside the UK, the employment or self-employment income of the UK partner is counted and not that of the applicant. 

To apply for your UK partner visa, you’ll be asked about their:

• name
• date of birth
• nationality
• passport
• right to be in the UK, for example, they’re a British citizen

You’ll also need to give details of:

• any people your partner was previously married to, in a civil partnership with or had children with
• evidence of marriages ending, for example, a divorce certificate
• anyone your partner supports you with money, for example,e their parents

You’ll need to include details of anyone you previously married or had children with. Include evidence of marriages ending, for example, a divorce certificate.

You’ll need to give details of your children (and your partner’s children if they have one). You’ll be asked about all children, even if they’re not applying.

You’ll need to give details of:

• their name
• their nationality
• their date of birth
• their passport details
• who the child normally lives with
• any other people with parental responsibility for your child, for example, your step-children’s other parents
• how you’re involved in their day-to-day life
• arrangements you have to see the child - for example, the courts have granted you access
• the child’s extended family
• any countries your child has visited or lived in

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot pay the fee because you:

• do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
• have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
• have a very low income, and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

Apply for a fee waiver online from outside the UK.

Apply for a fee waiver online from inside the UK.

If you apply outside the UK, you’ll usually get a decision within 60 working days under the standard service and within 30 working days under the Priority Service. 

If you apply from inside the UK, you will get a decision within 8 weeks under the normal service and within 24 hours under the Super Priority Service. 

If you apply inside the UK and you do not meet the financial requirements and English language requirements, it currently takes about 12 months to get a decision.

You can add children to your application as dependants if both of the following apply:

• they are under 18 when you apply, or were under 18 when they were first granted leave 
• they do not live an independent life

Your child is living an independent life if, for example, they’ve left home, got married and had children.

If your child is from your previous relationship, you must prove that you have had the sole responsibility for the upbringing of your child for your child's application to be successful. 

You can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) as an unmarried partner either after completing 5 years of continuous residence in the UK with leave to enter or remain granted under the 5 years route or after completing 10 years of continuous residence in the UK with leave to enter granted under the 10 years route. 

Any time you previously spent in the UK under the 5-year route will count towards the qualifying period of 10 years when applying for ILR as a partner under the 10-year route, but not vice versa.

If you are an unmarried partner of your UK partner, you can apply for naturalisation 12 months after the ILR grant date, if you meet all the other eligibility requirements for naturalisation as a British Citizen. 

If you believe that the reasons for your UK unmarried partner visa application's refusal are unlawful and unjustified, you can challenge it by filing an appeal to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT). Our specialist team of appeal lawyers can represent you in your immigration appeal to successfully challenge the refusal of your unmarried partner visa application. 

Where the applicant has to meet the minimum income threshold, the financial requirement can generally be met in the following 5 ways:

• Income from salaried or non-salaried employment of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). Depending on the employment history, this is referred to as Category A or Category B.
• Non-employment income, e.g. income from property rental or dividends from shares. This is referred to as Category C.
• Cash savings of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant, above £16,000, held by the partner and/or the applicant for at least 6 months and under their control. This is referred to as Category D.
• State (UK or foreign), occupational or private pension of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant. This is referred to as Category E.
• Income from self-employment, and income as a director or employee of a specified limited company in the UK, of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category F or Category G, depending on which financial year(s) is/are being relied upon.

Where the applicant’s partner is in receipt of any of the following benefits or allowances in the UK, the applicant will be able to meet the financial requirement at that application stage by providing evidence of “adequate maintenance” rather than meeting an income threshold of £29,000:

• Carer’s Allowance.
• Disability Living Allowance.
• Severe Disablement Allowance.
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
• Attendance Allowance.
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement, or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme.
• Police Injury Pension.

If the applicant’s partner is receiving one of the above benefits or allowances on behalf of their child, the applicant will be able to qualify by meeting the financial requirement through “adequate maintenance.” The evidence required to demonstrate that the applicant’s partner is in receipt of a specified benefit or allowance is specified in Appendix FM-SE.

The Home Office UKVI will use the following formula to determine whether you meet the adequate maintenance requirement for your application for an unmarried partner visa UK:

A – B ≥ C (A minus B is greater than or equal to C)
Where:
A is the net income (after deduction of income tax and National Insurance contributions);
B is housing costs (Rent and Council Tax); and
C is the amount of Income Support an equivalent British family of that size can receive.

The applicant must provide specified evidence that there will be adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but who live in the same household, which the family owns or occupies exclusively: accommodation will not be regarded as adequate if-

1. it is, or will be, overcrowded; or
2. it contravenes public health regulations.

Our partner visa solicitors will charge a reasonable fixed fee to handle your application for a UK unmarried partner visa. Our fixed fee will cover all our work on your unmarried partner visa application until a decision is made by the Home Office on your application.

You can check our fixed fee for an unmarried partner visa UK by visiting our page - Our Fixed Fees For Family Visa Applications

Yes, you may be able to apply for permission to settle in the UK permanently, i.e. Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), if your relationship has broken down because of domestic violence or abuse.

For your child to be considered a qualifying child, the following requirements should be met in relation to the child:

• Child's age: The child must be under the age of 18 at the time of initial application for leave to remain as a parent of a child, or if applying for extension or ILR, the child has been under 18 when you were first granted leave and has not lived an independent life.
• Residence in the UK: The child must be living in the UK.
• Nationality/Visa/Residence status of the child: The child must be either:
  • British Citizen; or
  • have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or Settled Status in the UK; or
  • from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and has pre-settled status - he/she must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021;
  • the child must have lived in the UK for 7 years continuously, and it would be unreasonable to require the child to leave the UK.

To apply for a parent of a British child visa, you must have either sole or shared parental responsibility for your child. 

If you share parental responsibility, the child’s other parent must not be your partner. The child's other parent must also either:

• be a British or Irish citizen
• have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021

If the child lives with their other parent or carer, you must have access to the child in person, as agreed with the other parent or carer or by a court order.

Furthermore, you must prove that you’re taking an active role in your child’s upbringing and plan to continue after applying.

As specialist family visa solicitors, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI), and its commercial partners, TSLContact, to provide Priority and Super Priority Service for parent of a child visa UK applications. The Home Office UKVI will make a decision on your UK visa application as a parent of a British child faster. The Home Office UKVI normally decides a parent of a child visa application submitted using Super Priority Service within 24 hours.

Our best team of family visa solicitors can prepare and submit your parent of a child visa application to the Home Office UKVI and help you with a faster decision on your application through Priority and Super Priority Service. This way, you will not have to wait for the decision on your UK visa application as a parent of a British child for months (sometimes years).

You must be able to prove that you’re taking an active role in your child’s upbringing and you plan to continue after you apply.

You can provide various pieces of evidence to prove this, which may include the following: 

• a letter from your child’s school confirming you take them to school or go to parent evenings
• a letter to your address from the local authority confirming your child’s school
• a letter from your child’s doctor, dentist, or health visitor confirming that you take them to appointments
• court order paperwork confirming that your child lives with you or that you’re taking an active role in their upbringing. You need permission from the court to use court order paperwork as evidence in your application. Send written proof that the court has given you permission when you apply - for example, a letter from the court.

If you do not have any evidence that meets this criteria, there may be other evidence you can provide instead. 

Other evidence you can provide may include: 

• a parental agreement drafted by a solicitor and signed by you and the child’s other parent
• a letter from HMRC confirming that you’re claiming Child Tax Credit
• social services paperwork confirming that you spend time with your child, or that you’re applying for access

Things like greeting cards, photographs and text or social media messages are not considered strong evidence of your role in your child’s upbringing and are unlikely to help your application.

You can apply for a parent of a British child visa either under the 5-year route or the 10-year route to settlement. 

How you apply depends on whether you’re in the UK or not.

• If you are a resident outside the UK, you must apply online outside the UK. You must also complete Appendix 5. 
• If you are a UK resident with permission to stay other than as a visitor, you must apply online in the UK.

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot pay the fee because you:

• do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
• have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
• have a very low income, and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

You can apply for a parent of a British child visa using the links below: 

• Apply for a fee waiver online from outside the UK. 
• Apply for a fee waiver online from inside the UK.

Yes, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a bereaved partner if your partner has died and you meet all the eligibility requirements as set out in Appendix Bereaved Partner of the Immigration Rules. 

The adult dependent relative (ADR) is a type of family visa granted to an adult family member of a UK sponsor if such adult family member requires long-term personal care due to age, illness, or disability and there is no person available in his/her country of residence to provide the required reasonable care. 

The applicants for an Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa often include parents, grandparents, siblings, or adult children of British citizens or settled individuals in the UK, who wish to join them if they require long-term personal care due to age, illness, or disability.

No, you cannot apply for an Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa from within the UK, as UK visa immigration rules do not permit switching to this category from within the UK. However, it is possible to apply for a Discretionary Leave to Remain (DLR) based on exceptional circumstances and the family life established between the applicant and UK family members, due to dependency on these family members beyond normal emotional ties. 

No, you do not need to pass the English test or Life in the UK test to apply for an Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa. 

The processing time of the Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa from outside the UK takes 60 working days under the standard service and 30 working days under the Priority Service. 

You can challenge the refusal of your Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa by filing an entry clearance appeal to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) where an Immigration Judge will hear and determine the appeal. An appeal to the First Tribunal (FTT) must be filed within 28 days of the refusal decision. 

Our expert team of immigration solicitors and lawyers can provide legal representation and undertake all necessary work concerning an appeal against the refusal of an Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa. 

The key requirements concerning the applicant applying for the Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa include the following: 

Age: The applicant must be over 18 years old. 

Dependency: The applicant must require long-term personal care due to age, illness, or disability. 

Inability to Access Care: The applicant must demonstrate that they cannot access the required level of care in their home country, even with the financial help of their UK-based relative. 

Relationship: The applicant must be a parent, grandparent, sibling, or adult child of the UK-based sponsor. 

Care Needs: The applicant must require assistance with daily tasks such as cooking, dressing, and bathing. 

The key requirements concerning the UK-based sponsor for an Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa application are as follows: 

Settled Status: The UK-based sponsor must have settled status or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK, be a British citizen, or have protection status. 

Financial Support: The sponsor must demonstrate that they can financially support the applicant without recourse to public funds. The sponsor has to sign a sponsorship undertaking to financially support of the applicant for at least 5 years.

Accommodation: The sponsor must provide suitable accommodation for the applicant to stay in the UK, which should not be overcrowded as a result of the applicant joining the sponsor in the UK. 

Relationship: The UK sponsor must be the applicant's parent, grandparent, child, or sibling.

You can apply for an Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa online through the Home Office UKVI website.

The Skilled Worker visa is a points-based UK work visa for non-UK citizens. It replaced the old Tier 2 (General) visa and is part of the UK's points-based immigration system. It is designed for people who have a job offer for a skilled job in the UK from a UK business holding a UKVI-approved skilled worker sponsor licence. The applicants must accumulate certain points based on criteria such as having a job offer, meeting salary thresholds, and proving English language proficiency.

The Skilled Worker route is for employers to recruit people to work in the UK in a specific skilled job. A skilled worker must have a job offer for an eligible skilled occupation from a Home Office-approved sponsor.

Seventy points, in total, are required to be eligible to apply for a Skilled Worker visa; 50 points are mandatory non-tradable points, and the remaining 20 are tradable points.

The key features of skilled worker visa UK include the following:

Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must have a confirmed job offer from a UK employer holding a valid sponsor license. The job offer must meet specific skill, salary, and language proficiency requirements. Individuals must score the requisite number of points based on various factors, including job offer, skill level, English language proficiency, and salary.

Sponsorship: Employers wishing to hire skilled workers from outside the UK must hold a sponsor license issued by the Home Office. Sponsors play a crucial role in the visa application process, issuing Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to prospective employees and ensuring compliance with immigration regulations.

If your prospective employer does not hold a sponsor licence, our specialist team of solicitors for sponsor licence can provide priority service to your prospective employer with an application for skilled worker sponsor licence to get decision on the sponsor licence application within 10 working days.

Points-Based Criteria: The Skilled Worker visa falls under the Point Based System (PBS) visa category, where points are allocated based on several factors. These include possessing a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), the skill level of the job, proficiency in English, meeting the required salary threshold, holding a PhD-level qualification, working in a shortage occupation, and being a new entrant to the workforce. To be eligible to apply for the Skilled Worker visa, a total of 70 points are necessary. Among these, 50 points are obtained from mandatory non-tradable criteria, while the remaining 20 points can be acquired through tradable factors.

Application Process: Prospective applicants must submit their visa application online, providing relevant documentation and personal details. Upon successful submission of the application online, applicants may need to attend a biometric appointment at a designated visa application centre.

The processing time for a Skilled Worker Visa application typically varies depending on the type of service you use. An application submitted through standard service can take a few weeks; an application submitted through priority service is decided within five working days, and an application submitted through Super Priority Service is decided within 24 hours.

Rights and Benefits: Skilled Worker Visa holders are entitled to work in the UK for the sponsoring employer in the specified role. Dependent family members, including spouses/partners and children, can accompany the primary visa holder and may be eligible to work or study in the UK, subject to certain conditions.

Pathway to Settlement: The Skilled Worker Visa offers a pathway to settlement in the UK, with individuals eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after completing 5 years period of continuous residence. ILR grants individuals the right to live and work in the UK indefinitely, paving the way for British citizenship, if desired.

Essential requirements for a skilled worker visa in the UK include having a job offer from a UK employer with a valid UKVI-approved sponsor license, meeting the minimum job skill level, meeting the salary thresholds, demonstrating English language proficiency, and scoring the requisite points based on various factors.

You will need a minimum of 70 points to succeed in a skilled worker visa application, with 50 points obtained from mandatory non-tradable criteria and the remaining 20 points from tradable factors.

The mandatory non-tradeable 50 points are given in the table below:

The remaining 20 tradeable points must be scored through the minimum salary threshold under Option A to K in Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules. Applicants can score tradeable points in more than one way (although they cannot mix and match different options). To secure a successful skilled worker visa, an applicant must amass 20 tradeable points. These points can be acquired through various options, each offering its own set of criteria for point allocation. However, please note that the applicant can claim 20 points from only one of the available options.

Yes, you will need a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned by your employer/sponsor for you to apply for your skilled worker visa. 

Yes, you can sponsor your dependants to apply for a skilled worker dependant visa and stay in the UK as your dependants. However, if you submitted your initial application for a skilled worker visa as a care worker or senior care worker after 11 March 2024, you will not be permitted to sponsor your dependents. 

Under the skilled worker visa, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a skilled worker 28 days before completing 5 years of residence in the UK.

You can combine your stay under the skilled worker visa route with previous time spent under certain other work visa routes to complete 5 years and qualify for ILR as a skilled worker. 

The processing time for the skilled worker visa application varies depending on the type of service you use to apply for your skilled worker visa. 

The processing times for skilled worker visa applications are as follows: 

Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application through standard service takes up to 8 weeks.

Priority Service: An application for a skilled worker visa submitted through Priority Service takes up to 5 working days.

Super Priority Service: An application for a skilled worker visa submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.

Yes, you can switch to a skilled worker visa from another visa category, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria set out in Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules. 

You will not be able to switch to a skilled worker visa from inside the UK if your current immigration status is one of the following: 

• a Visitor; or
• a Short-term student; or
• a Parent of a Child Student; or
• a Seasonal Worker; or
• a Domestic Worker in a Private Household; or 
• a leave granted outside the Immigration Rules, e.g. Discretionary Leave to Remain (DLR).

The relevant jobs for which a Skilled Worker visa is possible are those listed in the Appendix Skilled Occupations and the Appendix Immigration Salary List of the Immigration Rules.

You must apply for a skilled worker visa online. How you apply for a skilled worker visa depends on whether you are:

• outside the UK and are coming to the UK
• inside the UK and extending your current visa
• inside the UK and switching from a different visa

You must apply to update your visa if you want to change your job or employer.

You can include your partner and children in your application to stay in the UK if they are eligible.

The cost of the skilled worker is dependent on the period of sponsorship by your employer (the job start date and the job end date in the CoS) and whether you apply from inside the UK or outside the UK. 

You can check the UKVI costs for the skilled worker visa application by clicking on the link below: 

• How Much Does a Skilled Worker Visa UK Cost?

A person in the UK on a skilled worker visa is allowed supplementary employment. The “supplementary employment” means employment in a job (other than the job for which the person is being sponsored) which either:

• appears in the Appendix Immigration Salary List; or
• is in the same profession and at the same professional level as the job for which the person is being sponsored; or
• if the person has permission as a Skilled Worker, is in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code listed in Tables 1, 2 or 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations;

provided in all cases that:

• the person remains working for the sponsor in the job for which the Certificate of Sponsorship records the person is being sponsored (except where the other employment takes place during the 4-month period referred to in SW 18.1A of Appendix Skilled Worker, where that provision applies); and
• the other employment does not exceed 20 hours per week and takes place outside of the hours when the person is contracted to work for the sponsor in the job for which the person is being sponsored.

A Skilled Worker can apply for a second job that does not qualify as supplementary employment. This secondary job may involve more than 20 hours of work per week and may not be eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa.

To pursue this second job, the individual will require a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from their employer/sponsor and must apply for a variation of permission in addition to their existing CoS and permission for their primary job. This is necessary because the terms of their existing permission do not cover work in the second job.

However, they cannot seek further permission to remain solely for the purpose of the second job until they have commenced working for their initial sponsor. Subsequently, they must submit a new application, explicitly expressing their intention to modify their existing permission and seeking permission to do a second job along with the primary job. The confirmation provided in this application should include the applicant's full name, date of birth, CoS reference number from the current permission, and confirmation of the expiry date of the current permission.

Upon approval of their secondary employment, the applicant's initial permission will be varied, and they will have two sponsors concurrently during the validity period of both CoS certificates. In cases where the applicant holds a biometric residence permit (BRP), arrangements will be made for a new BRP card to be issued. The revised BRP card should now indicate '2 CoS as Letter' where the CoS reference number is displayed, indicating the individual's secondary employment status.

Furthermore, the UKVI will update the applicant's approval letter to specify both primary and secondary sponsors and include the end dates of employment for each. The applicant will be informed that they must retain the approval letter alongside their BRP card as evidence of their right to work.

A "Certificate of Sponsorship” to apply for a skilled worker means either:

• an electronic document, with a unique reference, issued by a sponsor using the Sponsorship Management System; or
• the record linked to a Sponsorship Reference Number, given by a sponsor to an applicant through an invitation to apply, using the “Sponsor a Worker” scheme operated by the Secretary of State,

that confirms the job details for which the sponsor is sponsoring the applicant.

Yes, you can change employers while holding a Skilled Worker Visa. However, your new employer/sponsor must be willing to sponsor your skilled worker visa, and you may need to submit a new visa application to update it.

Yes, your job offer must meet the minimum salary threshold set by the UK government to switch to a Skilled Worker Visa category. The specific threshold depends on the occupation and other factors.

Yes, you can apply to switch to a skilled worker visa if your prospective employer is willing to apply for a sponsor licence to sponsor you under the skilled worker visa category. Our specialist team of skilled worker visa solicitors can provide a Priority Service for your prospective employer to get a sponsor licence within 10 working days. 

If the applicant is applying for permission to stay and has been in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, they will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.

If the applicant has been in the UK for less than 12 months on the date of application, either:

• the applicant must have funds of at least £1,270; or
• the sponsor must certify that they will, if necessary, maintain and accommodate the applicant up to the end of the first month of their employment, to an amount of at least £1,270.

Under the new points-based system, a Senior or Specialist Worker can switch to a Skilled Worker visa inside the UK. As specialist skilled worker visa solicitors, we can provide the required legal help and assistance with an application to switch from a Senior or Specialist Worker visa to a skilled worker visa. There is no cooling off period for switching from a  Senior or Specialist Worker visa to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK. Similarly, a person on a Senior or Specialist Worker Dependant visa can also switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK.

According to changes to the Immigration Rules introduced on 17 July 2023, a student switching into a skilled worker visa from inside the UK must fulfil one of the Conditions A, B or C below on the date of application:

Condition A:

• the applicant must have completed the course of study for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned (or a course to which ST 27.3 of Appendix Student applies); or

Condition B:

• the applicant must be studying a full-time course of study at a degree level or above with a higher education provider which has a track record of compliance; and
• the Certificate of Sponsorship must have a start date no earlier than the course completion date; or

Condition C:

• the applicant must be studying a full-time course of study leading to the award of a PhD with a higher education provider which has a track record of compliance; and
• the Certificate of Sponsorship must have a start date no earlier than 24 months after the start date of that course.

You can switch to a skilled worker visa from inside the UK if you are currently in the UK on a spouse/partner visa as a spouse of a British citizen or settled person. You are also permitted to switch to a skilled worker visa from inside the UK if you are currently in the UK on a dependent visa as a dependent of a person with a work visa in the UK. It is very common for ICT dependants or Student dependants to switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK.

A person in the UK on a dependent partner visa can apply for switching to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK if you have a job offer for a skilled job from a UK employer holding a skilled worker sponsor licence.

If your prospective employer does not hold the sponsor licence, we can provide the required legal help and assistance with an application for a sponsor licence so that your employer can sponsor your leave to remain under the Skilled Worker visa category.

You cannot work part-time for your sponsor on a skilled worker visa. The job must be full-time, which means you should be sponsored to work for at least 30 hours per week. If you are sponsored to work for less than 30 hours per week, the Home Office, UKVI, may refuse your application for a skilled worker visa.

You can challenge the refusal of your skilled worker visa by filing an Administrative Review (AR) of the refusal decision. You should apply for an Administrative Review (AR) within 28 days if you applied for a skilled worker visa from outside the UK and within 14 days if you applied for a skilled worker visa from inside the UK. 

You should normally apply for an extension of your skilled worker visa within 28 days before the expiry of your current leave to enter or remain as a skilled worker. However, an early extension of your skilled worker visa is also possible, and you can apply for a skilled worker visa up to 3 months before the expiry of your current leave to enter or remain as a skilled worker. 

To be eligible for updating Skilled Worker visa/Tier 2 General visa, you should meet the following requirements:

• You must be in the UK with leave to remain as a Tier 2 General migrant or as a Skilled Worker;
• You must be either:
  • changing your job and your new job is with a different employer
  • changing your job to a different occupation code, and you are not in a graduate training programme
  • leaving a job that is on the shortage occupation list for a job that is not on the list
• You must score 50 points from mandatory non-tradeable points;
• You must score at least 20 points from tradeable points;
• If you have not lawfully lived in the UK for the last 12 months, you must meet the financial requirement by showing a balance of not less than £1270 maintained in your account for the last 28 days or your Skilled Worker sponsor has certified your maintenance in the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS);
• meet the suitability criteria and not fall for refusal under the general grounds for refusal;

You must not be:

• in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
• on immigration bail.

The applicant must have spent a continuous period of 5 years in the UK, consisting of time with permission in any of, or any combination of, the following routes:

• Skilled Worker; or
• Global talent; or
• Innovator Founder; or
• T2 Minister of Religion; or
• International Sportsperson; or
• Representative of an Overseas Business; or
• as a Tier 1 Migrant, other than as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Migrant; or
• Scale-up; or
• permission on any other route, during the time the applicant was waiting for a decision on their application as a Skilled Worker, provided that application:
  • was for permission to stay; and
  • was made between 24 January 2020 and 30 June 2021 (inclusive); and
  • was supported on the date of application by a certificate of sponsorship assigned by a licensed sponsor; and
  • was granted.

The most recent permission must have been in either the Skilled Worker or Tier 2 (General) route. 

A Health and Care Worker visa allows medical professionals to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with the NHS, an NHS supplier or in adult social care. An application for Health and Care Worker visa is made under Appendix Skilled Workers.

To qualify for a Health and Care Worker visa, you must:

• be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional
• work in an eligible health or social care job
• work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do

The Health and Care Worker visa is a Point Based System (PBS) visa category and points can be awarded for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), job skill level, English language, appropriate Salary, Phd level qualifications, job in the Immigration Salary List, and applicant being new entrant. A total of 70 points are required to be eligible to apply for Health and Care Worker visa; 50 points from mandatory non-tradable points and the remaining 20 from tradable points.

The Health and Care Worker visa is a route to settlement and a person who has spent 5 years in the UK on Health and Care Worker visa can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) as a Health and Care Worker.

A dependent partner and dependent children can apply for health and care worker dependent visas to stay in the UK with the Health and Care Worker. The only exception to this is that the dependants are not allowed where the main application is a care worker or a senior care worker who submitted his/her initial application for the care worker or senior care worker visa after 10 March 2024. 

Yes, you can submit your health and care worker visa application through a Priority or Super Priority Service for a faster decision on your application. 

A person applying for a health care worker visa from outside the UK can use the Priority Service to get a decision on the application within 5 working days. 

A person applying for a health and care worker visa from inside the UK can apply for a health and care worker visa either through a Priority Service (decision within 5 working days) or Super Priority Service (decision within 24 hours). 

The processing time for the Health and Care Worker visa application varies depending on the type of service you use to apply for your Health and Care Worker visa. 

The processing times for Health and Care Worker visa applications are as follows: 

Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application through standard service takes up to 8 weeks.

Priority Service: An application for a Health and Care Worker visa submitted through Priority Service takes up to 5 working days.

Super Priority Service: An application for a Health and Care Worker visa submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.

The Health and Care Worker visa can last up to 5 years. You can apply to extend it as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements. After 5 years, you may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), allowing you to live and work in the UK permanently.

If your employment as a Health and Care Worker ends, your sponsor must inform the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) within 10 working days of your job end date. The Home Office UKVI may then curtail your visa, giving you 60 days, from the issue date of the notice of leave curtailment, to find a new sponsor or leave the UK.

The step-by-step process for applying for a Health and Care Worker visa is as follows:

1. Secure a Job Offer: Obtain a job offer from a UK employer licensed to sponsor Health and Care Worker Visas.
2. Receive a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS): Your employer will provide this document, which includes details about the role and your personal information.
3. Prepare Your Documents: Gather necessary documents, including proof of English language proficiency and financial means.
4. Apply Online: Submit your application through the official UK government website.
5. Provide Biometrics: Attend a visa application center to provide fingerprints and a photograph.
6. Await a Decision: Decisions are typically made within 3 weeks of your biometric appointment.

A Care Worker Visa is a type of Skilled Worker Visa that allows overseas care workers and senior care workers to live and work in the UK, provided they have a job offer from a UK-based care provider with a valid sponsor licence and are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

To be eligible for a Care Worker Visa, you must:

• Have a confirmed job offer from a UK sponsor holding a valid sponsor licence.
• Be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for a role under the Skilled Occupation Code 6135 (Care Worker) or 6136 (Senior Care Worker).
• Meet the English language requirement.
• Earn a salary that meets the minimum threshold as specified in the Immigration Rules.

Yes, both Care Worker (6135) and Senior Care Worker (6136) roles are included in the Immigration Salary list (formerly known as the Shortage Occupations list), which provides certain benefits such as reduced salary thresholds.

No, Care Workers and Senior Care Workers are exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as these roles fall under the Health and Care Worker visa category.

Yes, Care Workers and Senior Care Workers who applied for their initial care worker or senior care worker visa before 11 March 2024 can sponsor their dependants, including their partner and children under the age of 18, to join them in the UK.

A Care Worker Visa is typically granted for up to 5 years, after which you can apply for an extension or settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) in the UK if you meet the eligibility requirements. The grant period is according to the job end date in the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). It is common for the care workers and senior care workers to be sponsored for 3 years or 5 years. 

You must apply online through the Home Office UKVI website, using the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) provided by your UK employer. You will also need to provide supporting documents, pay the relevant fees, and attend a biometric appointment as part of the application process.

Typical documents include:

• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number
• Valid passport or travel document
• Evidence of English language proficiency
• Proof of personal savings (if required)
• Criminal record certificate (if applying from outside the UK)
• TB test results (if applicable, when applying from outside the UK)

Yes, you can switch to a Care Worker Visa from certain other visa categories if you are already in the UK, provided you meet the eligibility requirements.

Yes, after 5 years on a Care Worker Visa, you may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK, subject to meeting the residency and other eligibility criteria.

You can apply for a UK Ancestry visa if you’re one of the following:

• a Commonwealth citizen
• a British overseas citizen
• a British overseas territories citizen
• a British national (overseas), i.e. BNO
• a citizen of Zimbabwe

You must also:

• prove one of your grandparents was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
• meet the other eligibility requirements

No, you cannot switch to a UK Ancestry visa from within the UK and must apply for an entry clearance for a UK Ancestry visa from outside the UK.

Yes, you can use Priority Service to apply for a UK ancestry visa from outside the UK. The Home Office UKVI normally decides a UK Ancestry visa entry clearance application submitted through Priority Service within five working days. 

Yes, you can extend your UK ancestry visa online for a further period of 5 years if you are unable to apply for your ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant because you do not meet the requirements for ILR, e.g. do not meet the residence requirement to qualify for ILR. 

You must apply for your UK Ancestry visa extension before your current visa expires. You can extend the UK Ancestry visa as many times as you like, as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.

If your application for a UK Ancestry visa entry clearance application is successful, you will be granted leave to enter the UK for 5 years.

You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a UK ancestry migrant 28 days before completing 5 years' residence in the UK under the UK Ancestry visa category. Your application may be refused if you apply earlier.

You can apply for indefinite leave to remain if you’ve spent 5 continuous years in the UK on an Ancestry visa.

To qualify for ILR, in most cases, you must have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 month period.

You must also prove you:

• have enough money to support yourself and your dependants
• can, and plan to, work in the UK
• are still a Commonwealth citizen

If you’re 18 to 64 you’ll need to:

• meet the English language requirements
• book and pass the Life in the UK Test

Yes, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a UK Ancestry migrant through Super Priority Service to get a decision on your ILR application within 24 hours. 

If the Home Office refuses your UK ancestry visa application, UKVI, you can file an Administrative Review against the refusal decision. 

Yes, you can submit a fresh application if the Home Office UKVI has refused your UK ancestry visa application. 

The processing time for the UK Ancestry visa application varies depending on the type of service you use to apply for your UK Ancestry visa. 

The processing times for UK Ancestry visa applications are as follows: 

Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application for extension or ILR through standard service takes up to 8 weeks.

Super Priority Service: An application for extension or ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.

With a UK Ancestry visa you can:

• work
• study
• bring your partner or child

Your work can be:

• paid or voluntary
• full-time or part time
• in self-employment or in a job where you’re employed by someone else

You cannot:

• change (‘switch’) into the UK Ancestry visa from within the UK if you came to the UK on a different visa
• get public funds

You must prove that you:

• are 17 or over
• have enough money without help from public funds to support and house yourself and any dependants
• can and plan to work in the UK

You must be one of the following:

• a Commonwealth citizen
• a British overseas citizen
• a British overseas territories citizen
• a British national (overseas), i.e. BNO
• a citizen of Zimbabwe

You must also:

• prove one of your grandparents was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
• meet the other eligibility requirements

You must show that you have a grandparent born in one of the following circumstances:

• in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
• before 31 March 1922 in what is now Ireland
• on a ship or aircraft that was either registered in the UK or belonged to the UK government

You can claim ancestry if:

• you or your parent were adopted
• your parents or grandparents were not married

You cannot claim UK ancestry through step-parents.

Your partner and children can apply for a UK Ancestry dependent visa to join you in the UK as your ‘dependents’ if they’re eligible.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:

• your partner
• your child under 18
• your child aged 18 or over who was previously on your or your partner’s visa as a dependant
• You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.

To qualify for dependant visa as a partner, you must be able to prove one of the following:

• you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK
• you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
• you’ve been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply, but you cannot live together, for example, because you’re working or studying in different places, or it’s not accepted in your culture

If you’re not living together, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by providing evidence that you:

• communicate regularly with each other
• support each other financially
• care for any children you have together
• spend time together as a couple, for example, on holiday or at events

To qualify for a dependant visa as a child, they must:

• live with you (unless they’re in full time education at boarding school, college or university)
• not be married, in a civil partnership or have any children
• be supported by you without using public funds

Yes, your dependants can switch to a UK Ancestry dependant visa from inside the UK, subject to meeting the immigration status requirement. 

They cannot apply to switch to a UK ancestry dependant visa from inside the UK if they’re currently in the UK:

• on a visitor visa
• on a Short-term study visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a Seasonal Worker visa
• on a Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa
• on immigration bail
• because they were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example, on compassionate grounds

If your partner or child is currently in the UK on a Student visa, they can only switch if they have either:

• completed the course they were sponsored to study
• studied for a PhD for at least 24 months

The documents to be submitted in support of the application may vary depending on the personal circumstances of the applicant. Generally, you’ll need to provide:

• a current passport (with a blank page for your visa) or another valid travel document
• your full birth certificate
• the full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent your ancestry claim is based on
• evidence that you’re planning to work in the UK, for example job offers you’ve received or a business plan if you’re self-employed
• evidence, such as bank statements, that prove you can support yourself and any dependants in the UK - it must be dated within 31 days from when you submit your application

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need to provide:

• evidence that your parents or grandparents have changed their name since birth, for example marriage or civil partnership certificates or a deed poll
• legal adoption papers if you or your parents are adopted
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take a TB test
• proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you

You must for a UK Ancestry visa before you travel to the UK. The earliest you can apply is three months before your travel date. As part of your online application, you will need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to prove your identity. At your appointment, you’ll have your fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken.

The visa application centre may keep your passport and documents while processing your application.

Yes, you can apply for ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant through the Super Priority Service. The Home Office UKVI normally decides on an application for ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant within 24 hours. 

The Global Talent visa allows individuals recognised as leaders or potential leaders in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology to live and work in the UK without requiring a job offer or sponsorship.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and demonstrate exceptional talent or promise in one of the eligible fields. Eligibility can be established through endorsement by an approved UK body or by winning a prestigious prize recognised by the Home Office.

The following are the steps to apply for a Global Talent visa UK:

• Check eligibility: Determine if you qualify based on your achievements.
• Obtain endorsement: Apply to an approved endorsing body unless you have an eligible prize.
• Apply for the visa: Submit your visa application online within 3 months of receiving your endorsement.

Endorsement decision: Typically within 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the route.

Visa decision: Usually within 3 weeks if applying from outside the UK, or 8 weeks if applying from within the UK.

Yes, you can bring your partner and children under 18 as dependants. They can work and study in the UK but are not eligible for public funds.

A dependant partner or child is any of the following:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18 - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18 if they currently have permission (‘leave to enter’ or ‘leave to remain’) to be in the UK as your dependant

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship to your dependant when you apply.

Yes, if you're already in the UK on a different visa, you may switch to the Global Talent visa, provided you meet the eligibility criteria. However, if you are in the UK on certain visa categories, such as visit visas, you are not eligible to switch to the Global Talent visa from inside the UK. 

To switch to a Global Talent visa, you must be in the UK.

If you’ve won an eligible prestigious prize, you can apply for the visa directly. If you’ve not won an eligible prestigious prize, you’ll need to get an endorsement first to prove that you’re a leader or potential leader in your field.

If you’re currently in the UK on a Student visa, you must also have either: 

• completed the course you were sponsored to study
• studied for a PhD for at least 24 months

You must apply to switch to the Global Talent visa within 3 months of getting an endorsement. You cannot apply to switch to a Global Talent visa if the organisation that endorsed you has withdrawn its approval.

You cannot apply to switch to the Global Talent visa from within the UK if you’re currently in the UK in one of the following circumstances:

• on a visit visa
• on a short-term student visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a seasonal worker visa
• on a domestic worker in a private household visa
• on immigration bail
• you were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example, on compassionate grounds

You must leave the UK and apply for a Global Talent visa from abroad if you’re in one of these categories.

You can choose a visa duration between 1 and 5 years. There is no limit to the number of times you can extend your Global Talent visa, provided you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

Yes, you may be eligible to apply for ILR as a Global Talent migrant after 3 or 5 years, depending on your field of speciality for which you have been endorsed and whether you're considered a leader or potential leader.

You must apply for a Global Talent visa online.

How you apply for the Global Talent visa depends on whether you’re:

• outside the UK and are coming to the UK
• inside the UK and extending your current visa
• inside the UK and switching from a different visa

The way you apply for a Global Talent visa depends on your circumstances. 

• If you’ve won an eligible prestigious prize, you can apply for the visa directly.
• If you’ve not won an eligible prestigious prize, you’ll need to get an endorsement first to prove that you’re a leader or potential leader in your field.

You can apply for the Global Talent visa without an endorsement if you’ve won an eligible prestigious prize. To be eligible for this route:

• the prize must be named on the list - other prizes awarded by the same institutions are not eligible
• you must be the named winner of the prize

If you have not won a prize which is named on the list, you’ll need to apply for an endorsement instead. You can apply for an endorsement if you work in one of the following fields:

• academia or research
• arts and culture
• digital technology

If you are not eligible to apply for ILR yet, you can apply for an extension of your Global Talent visa. You should apply before your current visa expires.

You can usually apply to extend your stay in the UK if either:

• you applied for the Global Talent visa based on an endorsement, and the organisation that endorsed you has not withdrawn its approval
• you applied for a Global Talent visa based on an eligible prestigious prize you won, and the prize has not been withdrawn

You must be able to show that you earned money in your expert field during your time in the UK by sending evidence with your application, for example, payslips. 

Applicants who currently have a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa can extend under the Global Talent category.

You can challenge the refusal of your Global Talent visa by filing an Administrative Review (AR) of the Home Office refusal decision of your Global Talent visa application. 

If you applied for the Global Talent visa from outside the UK, you should file the Administrative Review (AR) within 28 days of the refusal decision. If you applied for the Global Talent visa from inside the UK, you should apply for the Administrative Review (AR) within 14 days of the refusal decision. 

Yes, you can submit your Global Talent visa application through a Priority or Super Priority Service for a faster decision on your application. 

A person applying for a Global Talent visa from outside the UK can use the Priority Service to get a decision on the application within 5 working days. 

A person applying for a Global Talent visa from inside the UK can apply either through a Priority Service (decision within 5 working days) or Super Priority Service (decision within 24 hours). 

The processing time for the Global Talent visa application varies depending on the type of service you use to apply for your Global Talent visa. 

The processing times for Global Talent visa applications are as follows: 

Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application through standard service takes up to 8 weeks.

Priority Service: An application for a Global Talent visa submitted through Priority Service takes up to 5 working days.

Super Priority Service: An application for a Global Talent visa submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.

The Graduate Visa allows international students who have completed an eligible course in the UK to stay in the UK for 2 years (3 years for PhD or other doctoral qualifications) to work or look for work without needing a sponsor.

To qualify for the Graduate route visa UK, you must:

• Be in the UK on a Student visa.

• Have successfully completed a degree or other eligible course at undergraduate level or above.

• Have studied with a licensed student sponsor.

• Have completed the course during your last grant of permission as a Student.

The eligible qualifications for a Graduate visa UK include:

• UK bachelor’s degree
• UK master’s degree
• PhD or other doctoral qualification
• Certain professional qualifications (e.g., PGCE, LPC)

You can apply for the Graduate visa UK after your university has informed the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course. You must apply before your current Student visa expires.

Yes. You can:

• Work in most jobs (including self-employment)
• Do voluntary work
• Switch jobs or employers without restriction

You cannot:

• Work as a professional sportsperson
• Claim public funds (benefits)

The Graduate visa is granted for:

• 2 years for most applicants
• 3 years if you have completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification

Yes. Before your Graduate visa expires, you can switch to a different visa route from within the UK, such as: 

• Skilled Worker visa
• Student visa
• Spouse/Partner visa
• Parent of a child visa
• Global Talent visa
• Innovator Founder visa
• Scale-up Worker visa
• Leave to remain based on 7 years child residence

You can only sponsor those dependants already in the UK as your dependants on your Student visa. You cannot bring new dependants unless switching to another eligible route e.g. Skilled Worker visa.

No, the Graduate route is not a settlement route, so you cannot apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a Graduate. Also, the time spent under the Graduate visa cannot be combined with other visa categories to qualify for ILR after 5 years. 

However, all the time spent on the Graduate visa does count towards the 10 years long residence required to qualify for ILR based on living 10 years continuously and lawfully in the UK. 

You can only study while on a Graduate visa if the course you want to study is not eligible for a Student visa. Generally, a person on a Graduate visa cannot study a course that would require sponsorship under the Student visa route.

You can remain in the UK for the full duration of the visa to look for work. However, you must leave the UK or switch to another visa route when your Graduate Visa expires.

You may be able to switch to the following visa routes, depending on your circumstances, without being sponsored by a UK employer: 

• Student visa
• Spouse/Partner visa
• Parent of a child visa
• Global Talent visa
• Innovator Founder visa
• Leave to remain based on 7 years child residence

You can challenge the refusal of your Graduate visa by requesting an Administrative Review (AR) of the refusal decision. You must file an Administrative Review (AR) within 14 days of the refusal decision. 

You can submit a fresh Graduate visa application within 14 days of the refusal of the Graduate visa application or within 14 days of the decision on the Administrative Review (AR), if you submitted your Graduate visa before the expiry of your leave to remain. 

The T2 Minister of Religion visa is a UK work visa designed for individuals who have been offered a job within a faith community in the UK, such as a minister of religion, missionary, or member of a religious order.

To qualify for a T2 Minister of Religion visa from outside the UK, you must:

• Have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed UK sponsor.
• Demonstrate knowledge of English by passing an approved English language test at CEFR level B2 or higher, or by having an academic qualification taught in English and recognised by Ecctis as equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher.
• Have at least £1,270 in your bank account to support yourself, unless your sponsor can cover your costs and has certified maintenance in the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). 
• Be 18 years or older.
• Meet the suitability requirements whereby the application does not fall for refusal under the General Grounds for refusal.
• Provide tuberculosis test results if you're from a listed country.

Your partner and children can also apply to join you or stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.

If your partner's or child’s application is successful, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. If a child’s parents have visas with different expiry dates, the child’s visa will end on the earlier date.

A dependent partner or child is any of the following:

    your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
    your child under 18 - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
    your child over 18 if they currently have permission (‘leave to enter’ or ‘leave to remain’) to be in the UK as your dependant

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.

Yes, you may be able to switch to a T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK if you’re already in the UK on a different type of visa. You must apply before the expiry of your current leave to remain. 

If you’re currently in the UK on a Student visa, you must also meet one of the following requirements:

• you have completed the course you were sponsored to study
• your job start date is after your course has finished
• you have studied for a PhD for at least 24 months

You cannot apply to switch to this visa if you’re currently in the UK:

• on a visit visa
• on a short-term student visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a Seasonal Worker visa
• on a Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa or an Overseas Domestic Worker visa
• on immigration bail
• because you were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example, on compassionate grounds

If you are in the UK on any of the above-listed visa categories, you must leave the UK and apply for a T2 Minister of Religion visa entry clearance from outside the UK. 

You may be able to apply to extend your stay in the UK under a T2 Minister of Religion visa. You should apply before your current visa expires. You’ll still need to meet the eligibility requirements and provide the right documents. You’ll also need a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your sponsor.

You can extend a T2 Minister of Religion visa for up to 3 years, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, or the time required to take your total stay in the UK to a maximum of 6 years, whichever time is shorter.

Under the T2 Minister of Religion visa category, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) 28 days before completing 5 years' residence in the UK. 

You can take a second job while on a T2 Minister of Religion visa if you're working up to 20 hours a week in either:

• The same profession as your main job.
• A profession on the Skilled Worker immigration salary list.

You can also do unpaid voluntary work while you are on a T2 Minister of Religion visa.

The most common reasons for refusal of a T2 Minister of Religion visa is that the UKVI does not believe that the applicant's job as a T2 Minister of Religion is genuine or that the applicant is capable of performing the job role. 

You can challenge the refusal of your T2 Minister of Religion visa application by requesting an Administrative Review (AR) of the refusal decision. If you applied from outside the UK, you should submit the Administrative Review within 28 days, and if you applied from inside the UK, you should submit the Administrative Review (AR) within 14 days. 

Yes, you will need a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned by your employer/sponsor to apply for your T2 Minister of Religion visa. 

The processing time for the T2 Minister of Religion visa application varies depending on the type of service you use to apply for your T2 Minister of Religion visa. 

The processing times for T2 Minister of Religion visa applications are as follows: 

Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application through standard service takes up to 8 weeks.

Priority Service: An application for a T2 Minister of Religion visa submitted through Priority Service takes up to 5 working days.

Super Priority Service: An application for a T2 Minister of Religion visa submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.

Yes, you can change employers while holding a T2 Minister of Religion Visa. However, your new employer/sponsor must be willing to sponsor your T2 Minister of Religion visa, and you may need to submit a new visa application to update it.

If the applicant is applying for permission to stay and has been in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, they will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.

If the applicant has been in the UK for less than 12 months on the date of application, either:

• the applicant must have funds of at least £1,270; or
• the sponsor must certify that they will, if necessary, maintain and accommodate the applicant up to the end of the first month of their employment, to an amount of at least £1,270.

According to changes to the Immigration Rules introduced on 17 July 2023, a student switching into a T2 Minister of Religion visa from inside the UK must fulfil one of the Conditions A, B or C below on the date of application:

Condition A:

• the applicant must have completed the course of study for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned (or a course to which ST 27.3 of Appendix Student applies); or

Condition B:

• the applicant must be studying a full-time course of study at a degree level or above with a higher education provider which has a track record of compliance; and
• the Certificate of Sponsorship must have a start date no earlier than the course completion date; or

Condition C:

• the applicant must be studying a full-time course of study leading to the award of a PhD with a higher education provider which has a track record of compliance; and
• the Certificate of Sponsorship must have a start date no earlier than 24 months after the start date of that course.

You should normally apply for an extension of your T2 Minister of Religion visa within 28 days before the expiry of your current leave to enter or remain as a T2 Minister of Religion. However, an early extension of your T2 Minister of Religion visa is also possible, and you can apply for a T2 Minister of Religion visa up to 3 months before the expiry of your current leave to enter or remain as a T2 Minister of Religion. 

The British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa offers a route for eligible Hong Kong residents and their families to live, work, and study in the UK, with the potential to settle permanently and eventually apply for British citizenship.

You must meet the following eligibility requirements for the BNO visa UK:

• You must be a British National (Overseas).
• Alternatively, if you're aged 18 or over and born on or after 1 July 1997, and one of your parents is a BN(O), you may also be eligible.
• Your permanent home must be in Hong Kong, the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man at the time of application.

Eligible dependants include your spouse or partner, children under 18, and adult dependants who rely on you due to illness, disability, or age.

Each family member must submit a separate application, which can be linked to your application using a unique application number or family linking code.

The documents required to apply for a UK visa under the BNO visa route may vary depending on the individual circumstances of the applicant. 

Generally, you will need to provide the following documents when applying for a UK visa under the BNO visa route:

Proof of Identity and BN(O) Status: You must provide the following documents as 

•  A valid passport or travel document.
• If you have a BN(O) passport (current or expired), it can be used to demonstrate your status.
• If you don't have a BN(O) passport, the Home Office can verify your status, but this may delay your application.

Proof of Residence: Documents showing your home address, such as utility bills, bank statements, or a letter from your employer.

Financial Evidence: Evidence that you can support yourself and your family for at least 6 months, unless you've been living in the UK for 12 months or more.

Relationship Evidence: Documents proving your relationship with family members applying with you, such as marriage or birth certificates.

Tuberculosis (TB) Test Certificate: If you're applying from certain countries, including Hong Kong, you'll need to provide a valid TB test certificate.

You should take the following steps to apply for a BNO visa from outside the UK: 

• Complete the online application form.
• Prove your identity using the 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app or by attending a visa application centre.
• Submit your supporting documents.
• Await a decision on your BNO visa application.

You should take the following steps to apply for a BNO visa from inside the UK:

• Complete the online application form.
• Prove your identity using the 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app or by attending a TLSContact service point.
• Submit your supporting documents.
• Await a decision.

Yes, you can apply for switching to a BNO visa from inside the UK if you are already in the UK under a different type of UK visa category. 

You can apply for a BNO visa for either:

• 2 years and 6 months, or
• 5 years.

Yes, the visa allows you to live, work, and study in the UK without restrictions.

While on a BNO visa in the UK, you can:

• work (except you cannot work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach)
• study (including at school, college or university)

You cannot usually get most benefits (public funds).

Once you have a BNO visa, you might be able to get access to benefits. You’ll be eligible for this in certain financial circumstances, for example, if you:

• do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
• have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
• are at risk of losing your place to live or being unable to afford essential living costs
• have a very low income, and not having access to benefits would harm your child’s well-being

Yes, after 5 continuous years in the UK on a BN(O) visa, you can apply for ILR, provided you meet residence and other eligibility requirements.

Yes, one year after obtaining ILR under the BNO visa route, you can apply for British citizenship (subject to meeting requirements such as the Life in the UK Test and English language).

If you are a spouse of a British Citizen, you can apply for naturalisation as a British Citizen immediately after the grant of ILR as a BNO. 

No, it's helpful but not required. The Home Office can verify your BN(O) status without the passport.

The processing time for the BNO visa application varies depending on the type of service you use to apply for your BNO visa. 

The processing times for BNO visa applications are as follows: 

Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application through standard service takes up to 12 weeks.

Priority Service: An application for a BNO visa submitted through Priority Service takes up to 5 working days.

Super Priority Service: An application for a BNO visa submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.

The cost of the BNO is dependent on the period for which you apply for a BNO visa. 

You can check the UKVI costs for the BNO visa application by clicking on the link below: 

• How Much Does a BNO Visa UK Cost?

You can challenge the refusal of your BNO visa by filing an Administrative Review (AR) of the refusal decision. You should apply for an Administrative Review (AR) within 28 days if you applied for a BNO visa from outside the UK and within 14 days if you applied for a BNO visa from inside the UK. 

You should normally apply for an extension of your BNO visa within 28 days before the expiry of your current leave to enter or remain as a BNO. However, an early extension of your BNO visa is also possible, and you can apply for a BNO visa up to 3 months before the expiry of your current leave to enter or remain as a BNO.