The United Kingdom is known as the home of both modern parliamentary democracy and the industrial revolution. The rich history and culture of this land have been attracting people since the old times. Why visit the United Kingdom? Besides the reasons we listed, there can be various reasons to travel to this mesmerizing country, for example, football. As most of you know, England and other countries of the United Kingdom are good at football. The United Kingdom is one of the ten most visited countries in the world. More than 35 million people travel to the UK per year. Also, many people travel with their families. Considering this, we decided to talk about a UK family visa. In this blog, you will get answers to these questions: how much is UK spouse visa fee, what are the requirements for UK spouse visa, how to apply for UK spouse visa, where to apply for UK spouse visa, how long processing time for UK spouse visa takes, and more.
United Kingdom visa policy
Foreign citizens that want to visit The United Kingdom should answer the visa requirements and provide necessary documents and details. The UK visa policy includes the four constituent lands that make up the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as well as the Crown territories of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The Channel Islands are the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. There are several types of visas for the UK. The kind of visa depends on the visitor's nationality, duration of stay, and purpose of travel. The UK visa types are:
- UK Visit Visas
- UK Study Visas
- UK Short-term Work Visas
- UK Long-term Work Visas
- UK Investor Business Development and Talent Visas
Visa-free countries
All countries have a list of visa-free countries. Such kinds of lists are generated through special agreements between countries. Today, citizens of 87 countries can travel to the United Kingdom without getting through the visa application process. Almost all European countries have a visa-waiver agreement with the United Kingdom (there are some exceptions). Some of those non-European countries on the list are:
Argentina
Antigua and Barbuda
Brunei Darussalam
El Salvador
Czech Republic
Hong Kong
Marshall Islands
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Solomon Islands
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Trinidad and Tobago
The United States of America
Standard Visitor Visa
People who want to visit the United Kingdom for tourism, family visits, business (including participation in some events, sporting attractions, etc.), or any other purpose for less than six months can apply for a Standard Visitor Visa. Depending on the reason, there are six types of standard visas.
- Standard Visitor Visa
- UK Marriage Visa
- Permitted Paid Engagement Visa
- Parent of Tier 4 Child Visa
- Visit the UK in a Chinese tour group
- Visa to pass through the UK in transit
UK partner visa
What is a UK partner visa? The UK partner visa is also known as a UK marriage visa. It lets you live together with your British partner in the UK for a maximum of 30 months. You can extend the duration for another 30 months. Of course, you should answer the requirements to realize it. People who apply must:
- Married with the British citizen
- Married with UK settled person
- Married with UK refugee
The main qualification criteria are: providing proof that you are in a genuine relationship and that you meet particular financial conditions. In the following parts, we will give more detailed information about the visa.
Requirements for UK spouse visa
Before applying for a UK family visa, you should check and collect the required documents. It will help you eliminate the chance of delay and rejection. You will need to provide the documents below:
- UK visa marriage certificate requirement. The first one is the UK visa marriage certificate requirement.
- Proof of relation time. You should prove that you and your partner have been living together for at least two years.
- A valid passport
- English language certificate. The applicant should provide a valid English language certificate to show that he has enough language skills to live in the country.
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof that the relationship is legitimate
- Financial proof. You must meet the income threshold and the financial terms.
- You must prove that you are married to a British citizen. If your spouse is a UK citizen, he should submit a copy of his(her) passport
Keep in mind that all documents must be in English. If you have documents in foreign languages, you should provide the original and the translated copy.
How much is UK spouse visa fee?
Now, it is time to talk about fees for UK spouse visa. Fees for UK spouse visa may vary depending on the application place. It is cheaper if you realize the application in the United Kingdom. People that will apply from abroad will pay more. The current charge is £1,523 for any application submitted from abroad. If you are submitting your application from within the UK, the cost will be £1,033. Also, if you have children, you will need to pay an extra fee for each of them. You can only apply from the UK if you are not attempting to enter the UK as a guest or have permission to stay in the UK for more than six months. You cannot apply for partner permission from inside the UK. There can be other additional payments, and all applicants must consider them:
- Translation service fees for your documents that are not in English or Welsh
- An approved English test (the necessary term for the majority of applicants)
- Some other fees
English language test
As you know, the official language of the United Kingdom is English. So, you need to have skills in this language to feel more comfortable in business and daily life. What is the English language test validity duration? It will be valid for two years after you give the test. During the exam, you will show your speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills. The qualification will be valid only if your English exam is taken by an approved Secure English Language Testing (SELT) Provider. SELT tests for immigration reasons are only reachable in the Trinity College London or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Consortium. Applicants don't need if they have:
- If you are from a country the majority of the population speaks English
- If you are under 18 or above 65
- If you have a long-term physical or mental condition
- If you have a diploma that shows that you studied in English (qualification will only be valid if approved by UK NARIC)
Spouse visa financial criteria
To get permission, you will need to verify you have enough financial support for the whole duration of the visa. There are several ways to prove it:
- Savings over £16,000
- Incomes from employment or self-employment
- Maternity, paternity, adoption, or sick pay
- Pensions
- Profits from rent or shares
If the partner works in a foreign country, he or she can't show his salary. These people can show only savings. On the other hand, if the partner lives in the UK, he (she) can provide both salary and savings. Furthermore, there are situations where you don't need to meet the compulsory eligibility criteria:
- Disability living money
- Severe disablement money
- Industrial harms disablement profit
- Attendance money
- Personal freedom payment
- Armed forces independence payment or insured benefits payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
- Constant attendance allowance, mobility supplement, or war disablement pension under the War Pensions Scheme
- Police injury pension
Accommodation requirements
Applicants will need to present proof of accommodation that fits UK living criteria. Your spouse should prove that he (she) has suitable living conditions for both of you( also for children if you have). Applicants will need to provide:
- A record of the property
- You should prove that there are enough rooms for everyone
- Confirmation that you can manage your family's accommodation
- Your property must have enough rooms for the couple and any children. Each person needs a private room, but:
- Couples can share the same bedroom
- You can include living rooms when counting bedrooms
- Children below one do not need their room
- 1-9 years old children count as half a person
- Ten years or over children count as an adult
- Children aged ten years or over of the opposite sex cannot share a room
The processing time for UK spouse visa
The average processing time for spouse visa changes between 2-12 weeks. The visa processing time may vary depending on the papers provided and the submission country. Where can I apply for a visa? You can apply via the website. You will need to fill the online application form and provide the required documents. Authorities will analyze the documents you give in the application process, and after that, they will call you for an interview. Here you will need to answer some basic questions about the purpose of your visit and so on.
