FAMILY VISAS

Partner Visa Eligibility

To apply as a partner, both you and your partner must be at least 18 years old and intend to live together permanently in the UK.

Your partner must also be one of the following:

• A British or Irish citizen
• A person with indefinite leave to remain or settled/pre-settled status
• A citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland with pre-settled status (must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021)
• A holder of a Turkish Businessperson or Worker visa
• A person with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK

You Must Prove One of the Following:

• You are in a marriage or civil partnership recognised in the UK
• You’ve lived together for at least 2 years in a relationship similar to marriage
• You are engaged and will marry or enter a civil partnership within 6 months of arriving in the UK

Additional Requirements

• You must have at least A1 level English (first visa application)
• You must be able to financially support yourself and any dependants without public funds

Financial Requirements

• Minimum income of £18,600 per year
• Additional £3,800 for your first child
• Additional £2,400 for each child after the first

Alternatively, you may use savings to meet the requirement.

Children as Dependants

You can include children in your application if:

• They are under 18 at the time of application (or were under 18 when first granted leave)
• They are not living an independent life (e.g., not married, not moved out, no children of their own)

How Long Can You Stay?

• As a partner: 2 years and 9 months (or 2 years and 6 months on extension)
• As a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner: 6 months
• You must extend your visa to remain beyond this period

When Can You Apply for Settlement (ILR)?

• You may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 continuous years on a partner visa
• Time spent on a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner visa does not count toward the 5-year requirement
• Different rules apply if your initial visa was issued before 9 July 2012