Spouse Visa Extension UK

In order for your Spouse Visa to be extended you will need to prove that you are in a “genuine relationship”. You will need to provide evidence to demonstrate your relationship meets Home Office immigration rules.

You are required to include a marriage/civil partnership certificate which is recognised in the UK with your application. If you are not in a marriage/civil partnership with your partner, then you will need to provide information which shows you have been in a long-term relationship with your partner for a number of years.

The Home Office will also need to see evidence that you have been living together during your time in the UK. This can be supported by showing joint correspondence to your UK address such as council tax bills, bank statements etc.

Above all, your must be able to clearly demonstrate that you have been in a relationship with your partner during the period of your current visa and that you will continue to do so once your visa extension application has been approved.

To extend your spouse visa you need to complete an application form for a Spouse Visa extension under the category FLR (M). You must make your application before your current visa expires.

As a part of the application process, you will need to provide details about your partner or spouse which demonstrates the nature of your relationship, as well as other supporting documents to show you meet the financial requirement, your spouse’s UK status, English language ability and good character criteria.

You may be required to attend an interview with the Home Office. This may be because your case is complicated or you have not supplied enough evidence to support your extension application. Failing to provide the correct documents can add lengthy delays to the application process or result in a visa refusal. Therefore, you may wish to seek advice from professional immigration lawyers to avoid any potential problems with your spouse visa extension application.

Your spouse visa extension application can take up to eight weeks to process and you will be told if your visa extension has been granted or rejected. If your application has been turned down it is possible to make a fresh application or appeal the decision depending on the reasons for the refusal.

It is possible to receive a quicker decision through the super priority service. This option will process the application within one working day and costs an additional £610.

All documents provided must be originals or certified copies. They must also be in either English or Welsh otherwise you must provide officially translated copies.

Depending on your circumstances, it is likely you will need to provide the following:

•  Your current passport or other valid travel ID – if you have any previous passports, you’ll be expected to provide a copy of the photo page together with copies of any pages that include a visa stamp. You will also need to provide documents relating to your partner and any children you are applying on behalf of
• Financial documents such as bank statements and payslips. It is possible to provide electronic financial documents if they are accompanied with a letter from the issuing authority
• Certified English language test certificate (unless you are exempt from this requirement)
• Details and proof of relationship – a marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate accepted under UK law. You will need to be able to demonstrate that you are both in a genuine relationship and that you have been living together for the time you have been in the UK

Cost of Spouse Visa extension

The fee for Spouse Visa extension applications is £1,033 – although there are also additional costs involved such as opting for the fast track application package.

You will be required to have Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) – which costs an additional £19.20.

There is also the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is £624 per annum per applicant.

It is possible to move from a Spouse Visa to indefinite leave to remain status once you have lived in the UK for a continuous five year period.

ILR status allows an individual to live in the UK without being subjected to visa conditions – meaning they are able to work, live, study and travel in/out the UK without restrictions.

To be eligible for ILR from a UK Spouse Visa, you must:

• Have lived in the UK with valid entry clearance as a non-EEA partner for at last five years
• Meet the same minimum income requirement for your visa (£18,600 per couple)
• Not have breached any immigration regulations or laws
• Pass the ‘Life in the UK’ test
• Meet the ‘good character’ and ‘good behaviour’ requirements
• Supply Biometric Resident information
• Not have spent more than 180 days outside of the UK during the 12 months prior to your application

The next step after gaining ILR status is to apply for British citizenship – this can be done 12 months after being granted ILR.