Suitability Requirements for a Spouse Visa Application from the UKVI

British citizens and those who are settled in the UK can sponsor their partners from non-EU countries to get a spouse visa in order to come to the UK. The spouse or marriage visa falls under the family visa category within the immigration department.

It’s necessary for the spouse of the British citizen to get this visa if they wish to settle or stay in the UK for longer than 6 months. Under the spouse visa, the applicants are allowed to work in the UK and can apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or British citizenship after a few years.

The Basic Requirements

To be eligible for the spouse visa, applicants must satisfy the following UKVI requirements:

• The applicant and their British spouse should be over the age of 18 years.
• They should be legally married after having met in person first. This rule is added to prevent arranged and forced marriage issues.
• The applicant and their partner are expected to live together permanently and should have sufficient accommodation arrangements before coming to the UK.
• The British citizen who’s sponsoring their spouse should show sufficient funds that can support their partner and any children they have, without claiming government funds.
• The sponsoring partner’s yearly earnings should be over £18,600 or equivalent in savings. They’re required to provide at least 6 months of payslips or bank statement showing the savings for the same duration prior to the application.
• The financial requirementwill increase for each additional dependent child being sponsored along with the spouse visa.
• The applicant should fulfil the UKVI English language requirements.
• The applicant should have proper legal documents to prove the validity of the marriage or civil partnership.
• In some cases, the Home Office requires evidence of the relationship, which can be shown through pictures and conversation records.
• The applicant should provide all the documents required to process the spouse visa. The documents should be authentic and submitted on time.
• The applicant should not be in the UK on a Visit visa at the time of the application.

The Language Requirements

To settle in the UK under a spouse visa, the applicant must show sufficient English language skills that prove their ability to speak and understand English. The following policies can help identify the language requirements for different situations:

• If the applicant is a resident of a non-EU country, they’re required to pass an approved language test, such as IELTS, to be able to apply for the visa.
• If the applicant is from a non-English speaking country in the EU, they must also provide an English language test certificate.
• If the applicant holds an academic qualification from a recognised British institution, they can be exempt from the language test requirements.
• The applicant can also be exempt from the language requirement if they have a UK NARIC recognized qualification that’s equivalent to a UK bachelor’s or higher degree.
• Applicants can give the test to an approved test provider within their country if they’re applying from overseas.

Get in touch with Wembley Solicitors!

The spouse visa can be a bit tricky if you aren’t familiar with the UKVI immigration processes. The smart decision is to hire an expert solicitation firm, such as Wembley Solicitors. We’re a leading Spouse visa in London and Wembley and UK immigration law firm in Middlesex, London.