Spouse Visa UK From Philippines
If your partner is a UK citizen or is legally settled in the UK and you wish to join them permanently in the UK, you will need to apply for a UK Spouse visa to enter and stay in the UK.
Total Law are experts in immigration who can support you with applying for a Spouse visa from both the UK and the Philippines. Call us today on +44 (0)333 305 9375 or contact us online to hear how we can help you optimize your application and maximize your chances of a successful decision.
UK Spouse Visa Overview
Unfortunately for people from the Philippines, simply being married to a British citizen does not automatically allow you to enter and live with them freely in the UK.
Filipinos wishing to live in the UK with their partner will need to apply for a UK Spouse visa. To be eligible to apply for this visa, your partner must be a British citizen or be settled in the UK with Indefinite Leave to Remain or EU Settled Status.
If you meet the eligibility criteria for the UK spouse visa and receive a successful decision on your application, you will first be allowed to stay in the UK for two years and nine months.
Whilst staying in the UK with this visa, you will be allowed to live, work, and study in the UK with your partner, although you will not be allowed to claim UK benefits.
After this initial period, you can apply for an extension and, after living in the UK for five years, you can then apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, allowing you to remain permanently in the UK without immigration restrictions.
Page Contents
- UK Spouse Visa Overview
- Eligibility Requirements for a Spouse Visa UK
- Documents Required for UK Spouse Visa From the Philippines
- How to Prove Your Relationship
- The English Language Test
- The Minimum Financial Requirement
- UK Spouse Visa Processing Time
- UK Spouse Visa Fee
- UK Spouse Visa Extension
- Spouse Visa to Indefinite Leave to Remain
- A Refused Spouse Visa
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility Requirements for a Spouse Visa UK
When applying for a UK Spouse visa, both you and your UK partner must be over 18 years old, meet the eligibility criteria, and you must be planning to live together and remain in a relationship once you move to the UK. For this visa, you will be able to apply either from the Philippines or the UK.
Firstly, your partner must be permanently settled in the UK, either:
- As a British or Irish citizen (either by birth or naturalization)
- With Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, permanent residence, or EU Settled Status
- As a refugee with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK
- As a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa
Secondly, you will need to fulfill and provide evidence that you meet the following requirements:
- You are in a genuine and subsisting relationship with the person you are married to
- You meet the minimum income requirements
- You have appropriate accommodation in the UK, which is owned or solely occupied by your partner and their family, has sufficient living space, and meets public health requirements
- You have a minimum level of English, which is at least level A1 for your first application
- Your relationship is eligible, meaning that you are in a marriage or civil partnership that is legally recognised in the UK or have been living together for at least two years
Documents Required for UK Spouse Visa From the Philippines
For your application, you will have to gather and provide the following documents:
- The application form and fee
- A valid passport and any previous passports
- Two recent passport photos
- Evidence of your genuine and subsisting relationship
- Evidence of the English language requirement
- Proof that you meet the financial requirements, for example, bank statements, savings statements, or income cheques
- Details of any previous immigration applications
- Proof of accommodation in the UK
- Biometric information
When providing evidence for the minimum income requirement, the UK government will not accept overseas employment, and you must submit evidence from the following sources only:
- Employment or self-employment
- Pensions from yourself and/or your partner
- Maternity allowance or bereavement benefits from your UK partner
- Any other income or savings from yourself and/or your partner
There may be cases where you are exempt from proving you meet the financial requirement; this includes if your partner receives state benefits, such as disability or disablement allowance, carers’ allowance, or armed forces guaranteed income.
How to Prove Your Relationship
When applying for a UK Spouse visa, the UK Home Office wants to see evidence that your relationship is genuine and subsisting to avoid people who are marrying only to receive a visa to live in the UK. They also want to be assured that your relationship has lasting qualities and will continue once you are together in the UK.
The officers who assess Spouse visa applications are very thorough in their assessment of the evidence provided to support your genuine relationship. Also, this part of the application is a common pitfall for applicants, so it is very important to provide evidence of sufficient quality to improve your chances of a positive decision.
The Home Office accepts a range of evidence to prove your relationship is genuine, including:
- A letter that explains the timeline of you and your partner’s relationship, including who you are, how you met, how your relationship developed, and your intention to live together permanently in the UK
- Your marriage or civil partnership certificate
- Birth certificates of any children you have together
- Evidence of shared bank accounts, for example, bank statements or letters from the bank
- Evidence of joint mortgages or tenancy agreements, such as official documents that show both your names and address
- Letters or text messages that show the length of your relationship
- Travel itineraries and hotel bookings for any trips you have taken together
- Photographs of you throughout your relationship; however, avoid using selfies and consider using photos from big life events, such as weddings and graduations, and include photos that include other people
- Evidence of financial support, such as money transfer receipts
Applicants commonly submit too much low-quality relationship evidence, for example, hundreds of emails, which can overwhelm the immigration officer who assesses your case and cause delays on your application. In this area, it is better to choose quality over quantity, and five to ten high-quality items may be sufficient.
The English Language Test
The UK Spouse visa requires you to take an English language test or prove that you have a minimum level of the English language. This can be proven by:
- Passing an English language test at level A1 from an approved testing center; level A2 will be required if you wish to extend your stay
- Having a degree or other academic qualification for a course that was taught in English
If you are over 65 years old or have a mental or physical condition, you may be exempt from the English language requirement, although you will need to submit a doctor’s note to evidence your condition.
The Minimum Financial Requirement
Since 2012, there has been a minimum income requirement for a Spouse visa application. The specific requirements depend on the applicant’s location and whether they have dependents.
If you are applying from the Philippines, the Home Office will only consider your partner’s income, savings or pension. However, if you are already in the UK with permission to work, then you can submit evidence of your income or both you and your partner’s combined annual income.
This financial requirement will need to be met and proven each time you apply to leave to remain as a family member and when you become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years.
UK Spouse Visa Processing Time
After submitting your UK spouse visa application, you can expect to wait for up to 12-24 weeks to receive a decision; this processing time may take longer if you have applied from outside the UK.
In the case that you are invited for an appointment at a visa application center, this waiting time will be counted from the date of your appointment.
UK Spouse Visa Fee
The UK Spouse visa costs £1,321 if you are applying from inside the UK; this increases to £1,938 if you apply from the Philippines or another country outside the UK.
You must also account for the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge, which is £1035 for each year your visa is valid.
It is possible to pay for a super-priority service if you wish to receive a rapid decision on your visa application. This service is an additional £1000 and aims to make a decision within one working day. The priority service costs £500 and offers a decision with 5 working days. In the case that your visa application is unsuccessful, any visa fees you have paid are not refundable, and if you choose to apply again, you will have to pay the fees again.
Speaking to an expert in immigration law can ensure that you make the best possible case to the UK Home Office, and, therefore, reduce your chances of having to pay for multiple visa applications. Contact Total Law today on +44 (0)333 305 9375, or contact us online.
UK Spouse Visa Extension
When you are granted your first UK Spouse visa, you are allowed to stay in the UK for two years and nine months. Towards the end of this time, while your visa is still valid, you can apply to extend your visa for another two years and six months, although you must be in the same relationship with your UK partner, have lived with them during your time in the UK, and intend to continue your relationship and live with them for the foreseeable future.
When you apply for an extension, you will also need to meet the financial requirements.
Spouse Visa to Indefinite Leave to Remain
You will be able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after you have lived in the UK cumulatively for five years on your Spouse visa. Indefinite Leave to Remain will allow you to live in the UK permanently and has fewer immigration restrictions than the Spouse visa.
To apply for Indefinite leave to remain in the UK, you will have to have lived in the UK for five years with your partner, prove your relationship is genuine and subsisting, and will continue after applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
You will also need to continue to meet the financial requirements, meet the English language requirement, and pass a Life in the UK test.
A Refused Spouse Visa
When a decision has been made on your Spouse visa, you will receive a letter from the Home Office. If your visa application is rejected, this letter will outline the grounds for the rejection and if you are able to appeal the decision.
Your first option is to simply apply for a Spouse visa another time. On this next application, you can ensure that you have corrected anything that led to the previous refusal.
If your decision letter says you are eligible for an appeal, your second option is to begin the appeal process. Your letter will outline the appeals process and include any relevant deadlines.
How Can Total Law Help?
It can be a challenging time for a relationship when two people are not able to live together permanently, and you may be concerned that you are not completing your application in a way that maximizes your chances of a positive decision on your Spouse visa.
A Spouse visa is one of the hardest UK visas to successfully apply for, as it can be difficult to gather the correct evidence to prove your relationship is genuine, and now, with the increase in financial requirement, more couples will be unable to meet the minimum annual income.
Our team of experienced lawyers at Total Law understand the complexities of visa law and can compassionately support you throughout the visa application process. From completing your application on your behalf to advising on what evidence will best support your visa, we can help you in whatever manner will suit your needs.
Contact us today at +44 (0)333 305 9375 or online to speak to an immigration advisor and learn how we can support you through your immigration journey.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, while living in the UK on a UK Spouse visa you will be allowed to work full- or part-time.
There is no limit on the length of absence while in the UK on a UK spouse visa; however, if you are outside the UK for an extended period of time, this may impact your visa extension or your application for indefinite leave to remain.
If you are unmarried, you can apply for a UK Fiancé visa. For this visa, the requirements are very similar to a Spouse visa, but you must marry within six months of your arrival in the UK.
