Requirements for the UK Spouse Visa

If you are a foreigner who is looking to join your husband or wife in the United Kingdom, you will likely need to apply for a Spouse visa. But what is a Spouse visa? And what are the Spouse visa requirements? Today’s blog will answer these questions while providing an overview of the UK Spouse visa 2021. Learn how to apply for the Spouse visa by meeting the Spouse visa UK Accommodation requirement in 2021 as well as the other financial, relationship, and other essential requirements for the visa. 

What is a Spouse visa?

• A Spouse visa is a kind of Family visa to the United Kingdom. Spouse visas allow eligible individuals to come to the UK for the purpose of residing with a UK resident (their partner) for (at minimum) over half a year. 
• Applicants who receive a Spouse visa may remain in the country for up to two and half years. 
• Please note that you can also apply to extend or switch your spouse visa, provided that you are in the country when you lodge your application. For help doing either, contact us here.

Spouse visa requirements

• You must meet the following conditions in order to be eligible for the Spouse visa: 
  • The Spouse visa UK relationship requirements in 2021:
    • You can apply for a Spouse visa even if you are not married to your UK partner, so long as you meet the Spouse visa UK relationship requirements in 2021. Categories of persons who meet these requirements are unmarried partners as well as soon-to be married individuals.  
    • If you are not married, you will need to provide Spouse visa supporting letters as evidence (such as a bank statement with mailing address) that you reside with your partner, and that you have been together (residing at the same address) for a minimum of two years. 
    • In addition to the above, in order to be eligible for this visa, your spouse/partner will also need to have one of the following:
      • Irish or British citizenship 
      • Settlement in the country 
      • Humanitarian/refugee status
      • EU/EEA citizenship 
      • Either a Turkish Worker visa or a Turkish Businessperson visa 
  • The Spouse visa UK financial requirements in 2021:
    • Both parties (i.e. the applicant and the partner) must demonstrate that they have a joint yearly salary of £18,600 (minimum). 
    • In addition to meeting the Spouse visa UK financial requirements in 2021, applicants must pay spouse visa fee of either £1,033 or £1,523, depending on whether you are applying from inside or outside the country (please note that this fee is not inclusive of the healthcare surcharge and the fee related to biometric data collection). 
  • The Spouse Visa UK Accommodation requirement in 2021:
    • In order to be eligible for the Spouse visa, you will need to provide proof that you intend to reside with each other (i.e. in the same accommodation) after you complete your UK immigration. 
  • English language requirements:
    • Applicants who are applying for a new Spouse visa will need to demonstrate that they meet the English language requirements. One way they can do this is by scoring at the (minimum) level A1 on the CEFR scale (Common European Framework of Reference for Language). 
    • Alternatively, you can meet the English language requirement by submitting proof of having graduated/obtained a degree from an English-language university. 
    • Please note that applicants who are from one of these states will not need to prove their English language abilities: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA.
  • The Spouse Visa UK Tuberculosis requirement (TB):
    • Applicants who are from certain countries will need to meet the Spouse visa UK tuberculosis requirement (TB). If you are from one of these countries below, you will therefore need to submit a negative TB test result as part of your UK Spouse visa: 
      • Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei, Burma, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Cameroon, China, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

How to apply for a Spouse visa

• Applicants for the UK Spouse Visa in 2021 should follow the below steps in order to receive a visa: 
  1. Assemble your required documents
     • Your required documents will stand as evidence that you meet the various UK Spouse visa application requirements outlined above (financial, relationship, English language, tuberculosis, accommodation, etc.). These will likely include the submission of financial documents (bank statements) marriage/civil partnership certificates, English language examination results, and other Spouse visa supporting letters.
     • In addition, you must submit a passport and biographical information about yourself, your family, and your previous visa, criminal, and travel history. 
  2. Apply online
     • The UK Spouse application can be lodged online. When you are ready to access the application, please contact us here.
  3. Submit your biometric information
     • The main in-person element of what is otherwise an entirely online process involves the submission of your biometrics (including fingerprints and photos) for security purposes. You will have to do this at a center that specializes in this service. For help on finding a biometric information center in your country, contact us here.
  4. Await your decision
     • Those who lodged their applications from within the country should receive their UK Spouse visa in around 8 weeks; those who applied from abroad can expect to receive a visa (or a rejection) within 12 weeks. 
     • Please note it is usually possible to pay more to receive a decision within several days (at a minimum cost of £800).