If you and your partner wish to settle in the UK together, you can apply for a Fiance Visa.
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If you intend to relocate to the UK to begin a new life with your UK-based partner, you could be eligible for the UK Fiance Visa. The Fiance Visa is designed to enable non-EEA nationals to enter the UK to marry/enter into a civil partnership with their UK-based partner, and to begin a new life here. The applicant’s partner must be either a UK citizen or a person with settled status in the country.
Fiance Visas last for 6 months and they are granted under the assumption that you will marry your partner within the validity period of the visa.
You must apply for another immigration permission to remain in the UK after your Fiance Visa expires. The simplest is to switch from the UK Fiance visa to the Spouse Visa, which grants holders 30 months of residence in the UK. You can look for employment and study in the UK as a Spouse Visa holder, without any restrictions.
To be eligible for the Fiance Visa, both you and your partner must meet certain conditions and requirements.
The main eligibility criteria in 2022 are as follows:
In your Fiance Visa UK application, you will need to provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet certain minimum financial thresholds.
You need to prove to the Home Office that as a couple you have enough money to support yourselves whilst you are in the UK (as well as any dependents included in your application).
Your combined annual income must be at least £18,600. If you have any child dependents who will be joining you, this sum increases by £3,800 for your first child and £2,400 for each child after your first.
You can prove your finances through any of the following:
It is important to note that as a Fiance Visa holder, you will not be classed as a permanent resident and therefore, you will not have access to public funds.
If you want to apply for a Fiance Visa, you will need to provide certain information and documents which prove that you are eligible for the Fiance Visa.
You will need to provide information about yourself and your UK-based partner, as well as any dependents who you want to add to your application. Some of the information which you will need to provide includes:
Here at the Immigration Advice Service, we can advise you on all the documentation and information which you will need to provide in your portfolio of evidence. We will help you to source, gather and compile all your documentation, whilst ensuring your evidence adheres to all necessary administrative standards.
Call us now to find out more about how we can help you.
If you are from a non-English-speaking country, you will need to fulfil an English language requirement as a Fiance Visa applicant, unless you are exempt (more below).
You need to demonstrate that your level of English in reading, writing, listening and speaking is at least to the level of A1 as set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
You will need to pass a SELT test at the level of at least A1 at an approved English language test centre to prove your English language ability.
Your pass certificate will need to be included in your portfolio of evidence to submit to the Home Office.
You will be exempt from the English language requirement if:
One of the key UK Fiance Visa requirements is the genuine relationship requirement. You must provide sufficient evidence to prove that you are in a genuine relationship with your UK-based partner.
You will need to provide information such as:
If you need any help with the genuine relationship requirement, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We will consider your case and advise you on all the information and documents which you will need to provide to prove your relationship is genuine.
If you would like any assistance, call our friendly client care team now.
Currently, it costs £1,538 to apply for the Fiance Visa from abroad and £1,048 to apply from inside the UK. There may also be other costs attached to your application. See our posts on UK fiance visa costs.
There is no specific timetable for when you will receive a decision on your Fiance Visa. If your application has been completed fully and to the required standard, you can expect to receive your decision quicker.
However, if, for example, your application is missing certain key documents, this will delay the processing stage. Immigration officials may contact you to request more information if they deem it to be necessary.
On average, you can expect your UK Fiance visa processing time between 2 and 3 months after the date it is received.
We can help to formulate your UK Fiance Visa application to the very highest standards with our industry-leading application package. With this service, one of our expert immigration lawyers will work with you through the entire application process. We understand what it takes to formulate a successful application and we will maximise your chances of securing the Fiance Visa.
Through hiring our services, you can expect to receive a quick decision on your application. To find out more about our application package, please call our friendly team now.
If your Fiance Visa application is approved, you will be permitted to remain in the UK for up to six months. You must get married within the 6-month period of your Fiance Visa and you must abide by the conditions imposed on your immigration permission.
If you are travelling from outside of the UK, you will need to report to border control when you arrive. It is important to bring photocopies of key documents and information from your application with you when you travel to the UK.
If you are granted with a Fiance Visa, it is expected that you will make the UK your new home. This requires you to switch to a different form of long-term immigration permission when your visa expires.
In most circumstances, you will not be able to apply for a Fiance Visa extension. However, if there were exceptional circumstances which prevented you from getting married within the initial 6-month period, at the discretion of the Home Office, you might be granted an extension.
The same requirements will need to be fulfilled to be eligible to apply for the extension and your circumstances must not have changed significantly.
One of the main benefits of the Fiance Visa is that it offers a smooth transition to the highly sought-after Spouse Visa. You will need to go through the standard Spouse Visa application process, but you will not need to leave the UK to apply for it (provided you apply before your Fiance Visa expires).
You can stay in the UK for 30 months under a Spouse Visa and you will be able to apply for a Spouse Visa extension when your original Spouse Visa expires, provided your circumstances haven’t changed. The Spouse Visa extension also lasts for 30 months.
You can work in the UK and study as a Spouse Visa holder and all time spent in the UK under this visa counts towards minimum residency requirements for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and British citizenship.
After you have spent 5 years living in the UK under a Spouse Visa, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain status, which is a form of permanent residence, meaning you can remain in the UK without any restrictions.
After you have lived in the UK for a year under ILR, you will be eligible to apply for full British citizenship. As a British citizen, you can apply for a British passportand enjoy the full benefits of being a British citizen.
To lodge a Fiancé Visa appeal, it is recommended that you follow the below steps:
There is no set time for visa appeals to be processed. Some may be decided within one month, while others may have to wait for over 12 months.
Approximately 50% of immigration decisions are overturned on appeal, and recent figures showed that the Home Office loses 75% of immigration appeals.
This means that there is a high chance that you will be successful if you submit a strong appeal against your initial decision.
Reach out to us for more information or to see how we can help you?
Applications from outside the UK will cost £1,538. For those applying in-country, a Fiance Visa application costs £1,048.
If you are applying with children, this charge will also increase with each dependent child.
Similar to other partner visas, the Fiance Visa requirements are:
If you are concerned you do not meet any of these requirements, our expert lawyers will be able to advise you on the alternative ways you can prove that you are eligible for a UK Fiance(e) Visa.
The UK Fiance Visa is granted under the assumption that you will get married to your partner within the 6-month validity period of the visa.
In the vast majority of circumstances, you will not be able to apply for an extension.
You can apply for the specialist UK Marriage Visa instead of the Fiance Visa if you intend on marrying in the UK, but not settling here. The Marriage Visa fee is £95, and you can remain in the country for up to 6 months.
You cannot apply for an extension to the Marriage Visa and you cannot switch immigration permission under this visa either.
If you decide that you want to stay in the UK after you get married, you will need to leave the UK and apply for another form of immigration permission.
Also, it is worth bearing in mind that you cannot marry your partner in the UK as a Standard Visitor Visa. You can make arrangements for your wedding/civil partnership with this visa, but you will need to leave the country and apply for the Fiance Visa or Marriage Visa to actually marry your spouse or enter into a civil partnership.
Citizens of the following countries are exempt from the English language requirement:
When applying for a Fiance Visa UK or an Unmarried Partner Visa, it is very important that you fill your application out properly and are able to prove the legitimacy of your relationship. Many people who apply for Fiance or Proposed Civil Partner Visas have their applications refused because they are unable to do this properly and the Home Office do not believe their intentions or relationship are genuine.
We know how daunting this can be and, as a result, we make it our responsibility to guide you through each step of the application process.
Our services include:
Contact us now online or by calling to speak with one of our immigration lawyers about your Fiance Visa UK application.
We understand that a visa application rejection is extremely distressing news. The Immigration Advice Service is here to provide full support.
Your refusal letter will set out the reason/s for the rejection. If you believe that your application was unfairly rejected, you will have the option of challenging the decision.
If you believe that a genuine mistake was made on your application, such as a document not being taken into account, you could opt to carry out an administrative review. With this option, your application will be considered by a different immigration official.
In certain cases, a full legal appeal is another option you can take. We can offer full support with the appeal process, including completion of appeal forms and full legal representation in front of the upper tribunal.
To find out more about how we can help you challenge a Home Office decision, please take a look at our appeal package. Call us now for more information.
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