Partner & Family Visas

Spouse Visa

The UK Spouse Visa is for married partners of British or Irish citizens, persons who are settled in the UK, persons with pre-settled status, persons with a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa and persons with refugee status or humanitarian protection who wish to join, or stay with, their husband or wife in the UK.  You can also apply for a UK Spouse Visa if your Spouse is outside the UK, but is intending to return to the UK with you.

The UK Spouse Visa can lead to indefinite leave to remain or settlement in the UK after a period of 5 years.

UK Spouse Visa Requirements

In order to qualify for a UK Spouse Visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you meet the following requirements:

• Your partner is British or Irish, is settled in the UK, has been granted pre-settled status, holds a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa or has refugee status or humanitarian protection;
• You and your partner are both over the age of 18;
• You and your partner are not within a prohibited degree of relationship;
• You and your partner have met in person;
• You and your partner are legally married in a marriage that is recognised in the UK;
• Your relationship is genuine and subsisting;
• You and your partner intend to live together permanently in the UK;
• Any previous relationship has broken down permanently;
• You satisfy a financial requirement;
• There is adequate accommodation for you and any dependents;
• You speak and understand English to a required level.

Civil Partner Visa 

The UK Civil Partner Visa is for civil partners of British or Irish citizens, persons who are settled in the UK, persons with pre-settled status, persons with a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa and persons with refugee status or humanitarian protection who wish to join, or stay with, their civil partner in the UK.  You can also apply for a UK Civil Partner Visa if your Civil Partner is outside the UK, but is intending to return to the UK with you.

The UK Civil Partner Visa can lead to indefinite leave to remain or settlement in the UK after a period of 5 years.

UK Civil Partner Visa Requirements

In order to qualify for a UK Civil Partner Visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you meet the following requirements:

• Your partner is British or Irish, is settled in the UK, has been granted pre-settled status, holds a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa or has refugee status or humanitarian protection;
• You and your partner are both over the age of 18;
• You and your partner are not within a prohibited degree of relationship;
• You and your partner have met in person;
• You and your partner are legally in a civil partnership that is recognised in the UK;
• Your relationship is genuine and subsisting;
• You and your partner intend to live together permanently in the UK;
• Any previous relationship has broken down permanently;
• You satisfy a financial requirement;
• There is adequate accommodation for you and any dependents;
• You speak and understand English to a required level.

Unmarried Partner Visa

The Unmarried Partner Visa is available to long term partners of British or Irish citizens, persons who are settled in the UK, persons with pre-settled status, persons with a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa and persons with refugee status or humanitarian protection who wish to join, or stay with, their unmarried partner in the UK.  You can also apply for a UK Unmarried Partner Visa if your unmarried partner is outside the UK, but is intending to return to the UK with you.

The UK Unmarried Partner Visa can lead to indefinite leave to remain or settlement in the UK after a period of 5 years.

Unmarried Partner Visa Requirements

In order to qualify for a UK Unmarried Partner Visa you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you meet the following requirements:

• Your partner is British or Irish, is settled in the UK, has been granted pre-settled status, holds a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa or has refugee status or humanitarian protection;
• You and your partner are both over the age of 18;
• You and your partner have met in person;
• You and your partner have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years;
• Your relationship is genuine and subsisting;
• You and your partner intend to live together permanently in the UK;
• Any previous relationship has broken down permanently;
• You satisfy a financial requirement;
• There is adequate accommodation for you and any dependents;
• You speak and understand English to the required level.

Fiancé Visa

A Fiancé Visa allows a person who has settled status in the UK to bring their Fiancé to join them in the UK.

To qualify for a Fiancé Visa, the following must be satisfied:

• The sponsor and their Fiancé must be 18 years of age or over
• The sponsor and applicant must be in a genuine relationship – this means they must have met each other and intend to live together on a permanent basis once married
• The sponsor must show that any previous relationship they have been in has ended and that they are legally free to marry
• The sponsor and applicant must have a serious intention to marry within six months of the Fiancée Visa validity period
• The sponsor and applicant must have enough funds to support themselves without claiming public funds and the sponsor must be claiming a minimum of £18,600 per annum – the level of this requirement will increase if dependants are being sponsored
• There must be suitable accommodation for the sponsor, applicant and any dependants
• The applicant must pass an English language test

Family Member of PBS Migrant Visa

The Family Member of a PBS Migrant visa category is for partners and children of points-based system migrants to enter and remain the UK with their family member. To apply in this category, you must be related to a PBS migrant as either their husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner, same sex partner or child (under the age of 18 at first application).

Requirements for a Family Member of a PBS Migrant visa

In order to qualify for entry clearance or leave to remain as the partner of a PBS migrant, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• You are over the age of 18;
• You are the spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner or same sex partner of a person who has leave as a PBS migrant, is being granted leave at the same time as a PBS migrant or, if applying for an extension of stay, your partner has ILR as a PBS migrant or has obtained British citizenship after having ILR as PBS migrant;
• If you are the unmarried or same-sex partner of a PBS migrant, you have been living in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for a period of at least 2 years;
• Your relationship with the PBS migrant is subsisting and you intend to live together throughout the PBS migrant’s stay in the UK;
• You do not intend to stay in the UK beyond any period of leave granted to the PBS migrant;
• You satisfy a maintenance funds requirement (unless the PBS migrant is a Tier 1 Investor migrant);
• If applying for leave to remain, you were not last granted entry clearance or leave as a visitor, short-term student, temporary admission or temporary release;
• If over 18 and seeking entry as a partner of a Tier 1 Investor or Tier 1 Entrepreneur, you have provided a criminal record certificate from the relevant authority in any country in which you have been present for 12 months or more in the past 10 years while aged 18 or over.

To be granted entry clearance or leave to remain as the child of a PBS migrant, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• You are the child of a person who has leave as a PBS migrant, is being granted leave (including ILR) at the same time as a PBS migrant, or has indefinite leave to remain or British citizenship and who was last granted ILR under the rules relating to Tier 1, 2 or 5;
• You are under the age of 18 on the date of application, unless you are applying for leave to remain and were last granted leave as the child of a PBS migrant or the child of a migrant granted leave under a different category of the rules who has since been granted leave as a PBS migrant or who is applying for leave as a PBS migrant at the same time;
• You are not married or in a civil partnership, have not formed an independent family unit and are not leading an independent life;
• You do not intend to stay in the UK beyond any period of leave granted to the PBS migrant;
• Both of your parents are lawfully present in the UK or being granted entry clearance or leave to remain at the same time, unless:

• the PBS migrant is your sole surviving parent;
• the PBS migrant has and has had sole responsibility for your upbringing;
• there are serious or compelling family or other considerations which would make it desirable not to refuse the application and suitable arrangements have been made for your care in the UK;

• You satisfy a maintenance funds requirement (unless the PBS migrant is a Tier 1 Investor migrant)

How can our Immigration Team help?

Our Immigration Lawyers are experts in the field and offer comprehensive legal advice as a standard.  Our team has experience of dealing with clients from all over the world and will ensure any application meets the legal requirements for entry into the United Kingdom.