Fiance Visa UK

If you wish to enter the UK to join your partner (either your spouse, fiancé or proposed civil partner), you must meet the following requirements:

• You and your partner must both be over the age of 18;
• Your fiance must be already living in the UK as a settled person or British citizen;
• You and your partner must have met each other in person at least once before the date of your application;
• You must be planning to get married within six months;
• You must both intend to live together permanently after the marriage or civil partnership;
• You must both be able to sustain yourselves and your dependants financially without the aid of public funds;
• You must meet the so-called maintenance condition, meaning that your partner must be earning a minimum of £18,600 per annum to sponsor you;
• You must have suitable accommodation available for you and your family;
• You must pass an accredited English language test, or provide a valid certificate to demonstrate your knowledge of the written and spoken language.

All foreign partners who wish to enter the UK must first demonstrate their knowledge of written and spoken English.

To meet the English language requirement, you can either:

• Provide a valid English language test certificate;
• Hold a degree or academic qualification that was taught or researched in English, and that is recognised by UK NARIC;
• Pass a language exam at level A1 from an approved test provider;
• Demonstrate that you are a national from one of the English-speaking countries that are exempt from this eligibility criteria.

You are also exempt from proving your knowledge of English if you are over 65 or under 18, or if you have any physical or mental condition that prevents you from sitting an exam.

Further exemptions apply to victims of domestic abuse, refugees, Commonwealth citizens or any other applicant in exceptional circumstances (such as living in the UK as an orphan, widow or over-age dependent).

You partner will act as your sponsor, meaning that he or she must meet specific eligibility criteria. Your proposed partner must be:

• Settled in the UK either on ILR or as a naturalised citizen;
• Must be physically present in the UK at the time of your application, or must be entering the country with you;
• Must intend to make the UK their home with you provided that your application is successful.

If your application is successful, you and your partner will be allowed to stay in the UK to get married and settle in this country together. To obtain your visa, you must satisfy the following maintenance criteria:

• Adequate maintenance and accommodation, without recourse to public funds, must be available until and after the date of your marriage;
• You must have access to satisfactory accommodation for your family after the marriage or civil partnership, without recourse to public funds.

If you fail to get married within six months from the date you entered the UK, you may be eligible to seek a Partner Visa extension. Before you submit a second application, you must ensure that you meet the following requirements:

• You must already be living in the UK on a valid fiancé or proposed civil partner visa;
• Your partner must still be holding a valid status as a British citizen or settled person;
• You can demonstrate that there is a good cause that your marriage or civil partnership did not take place until that moment;
• You must still be in the condition of meeting the same maintenance requirements for which you were granted entry clearance the first time.

On average, it takes between two to three months for the Home Office to process a Fiance Visa application. During this time, your London immigration lawyer will constantly be monitoring the state of your case to avoid any delays.

On the other hand, you can speed up this process by following some essential guidelines, such as:

• Compile and submit an adequate bundle of supporting documents;
• File all your forms correctly, avoiding even the smallest mistake;
• Always provide your original documents and, if needed, an accredited translation.

Your lawyer will always be available to work with you, to ensure that your application is completed to the highest standards, and to avoid any inaccuracy that may jeopardise your case.

If your visa request is approved, you will be allowed to enter the UK and remain for up to six months, provided that you and your partner get married within this timeframe.

Once married, you can apply to change your status and get a Spouse Visa.

This permit will allow you to stay in the UK for an additional 60-month period, with a further opportunity to get a 33-month renewal.

After a certain number of years spent in the UK as a lawful resident, you may be ready to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Eventually, you will become eligible for British citizenship by marriage.

The specific UK immigration rules for Partner and Family Visas is known as Appendix FM, and it requires applicants to provide an extensive portfolio of supporting evidence.

If you fail to demonstrate that you are in a genuine relationship or that you qualify for all the eligibility criteria, your application may be delayed or even rejected.

If you wish to challenge the UKVI’s decision, our team of London immigration lawyers are here to help you through the process of appealing to the court. If necessary, we can also represent you at the full hearing before the tribunal, and liaise with the authorities until your case is solved.

Partner and Visa applications from abroad cost £1,538. If you are applying from within the UK, you will be charged £1,048.

However, you must take into account other fees, which may depend on the type of processing service that you require. Besides, this charge will increase if you are applying with any dependent children, or if you need to sit an English language exam.

Once you got married, you Fiance Visa will not be valid anymore. In fact, you must apply for a Spouse Visa to remain in the UK for up to 2 additional years once this new status will be granted.

As a Spouse Visa holder, you will be entitled to both work and study in the UK, as well as settle in this country with your partner for a certain number of years.