Spouse and partner visa solicitors in Leicester

This page is general information only. Immigration rules change often and your options depend on your own history, so check the current rules or take advice before applying.

A spouse or partner visa allows someone to join, or stay with, a British citizen or a person settled in the UK. It covers married couples, civil partners, fiancé(e)s and unmarried partners who have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage for a set period.

The main requirements

Broadly, the Home Office looks at four things.

The relationship. It must be genuine and subsisting, and you must intend to live together in the UK. Evidence usually includes documents showing time together, communication and, for unmarried partners, cohabitation.

Money. There is a financial requirement, usually met through the UK partner’s earnings, the applicant’s earnings once in the UK, savings, or certain other income. The rules on which income counts, over what period and with what documents are strict, and this is where many applications go wrong.

Accommodation. You must have adequate accommodation without recourse to public funds and without overcrowding.

English language. The applicant usually needs to show English at a set level, through an approved test or a qualifying degree, unless an exemption applies.

How long it lasts

Partner visas are granted for a limited period and then extended. After enough time on the route, you may be able to apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain). The government has announced changes to the settlement rules, so check how they affect you. See indefinite leave to remain and citizenship.

When a solicitor helps

Many couples apply without professional help. Advice is worth considering if your income is from self-employment or a company you own, you’re relying on savings, one of you has an immigration history involving refusals or overstaying, you’re applying from within the UK on a visa that may not allow switching, or you’ve had a refusal.

Only solicitors regulated by the SRA, and advisers registered with the Immigration Advice Authority, can lawfully give immigration advice as a business. Every firm listed below is on the SRA register.

Common questions