Scope of advice
- Spouse and civil-partner applications
- Unmarried and durable partners
- Fiancé and proposed civil-partner routes
- Financial requirement and permitted sources
- Specified evidence under Appendix FM-SE
- Accommodation and English language
- Extensions and settlement
- Previous refusals and complex histories
01 / The approach
Identify the correct family route and stage.
Entry clearance, in-country switching, fiancé permission, partner extensions and settlement apply different requirements. The application must be designed around the sponsor’s status and the applicant’s present immigration position.
02 / The approach
Prove finance through the permitted evidential route.
Income, savings and other permitted sources are governed by detailed rules and specified evidence. The figures, period relied upon and documents must correspond; an apparently sufficient income can still be poorly evidenced.
03 / The approach
Present the relationship accurately and proportionately.
The evidence should explain how the relationship developed, how the couple live or communicate and their intention to live together permanently in the UK. Volume does not cure inconsistency.
Questions before proceeding.
What is the current minimum income requirement?
For many new partner applications the published threshold is £29,000, but transitional arrangements and exceptions can apply. The rules in force for the particular applicant must be checked before relying on a figure.
Can savings be used?
Potentially. Appendix FM and Appendix FM-SE govern when cash savings can meet or supplement the financial requirement and how the funds must be held and evidenced.
Can a visitor switch to a partner visa in the UK?
Usually not. There are limited exceptions and route-specific circumstances, so the applicant’s present permission and facts require review before any in-country application.
When does the partner route lead to settlement?
Many applicants qualify on a 5-year route, while others may be placed on a 10-year route. Continuity, extensions and the requirements at settlement must be planned across the whole period.
Primary material
Rules and official guidance.
Immigration Rules Appendix FMAppendix FM-SE: specified evidencePartner and spouse visa guidanceContinue your reading.
Do bonuses, commission and overtime count?Do partners have to live together for 2 years?Spouse visa savings: amount, timing and evidenceSpouse visa refused: appeal or make a fresh application?Whose income counts for a spouse visa from the USA?What happens to a spouse visa after separation?Spouse visa financial evidence for company directorsUK relocation for international familiesContinue within this subject
Plan the family's status as one connected position.
Partner, child, residence, travel and settlement questions can produce different answers for different family members. The next application should preserve the intended longer-term position.
Representative experience
The work in context.
Navigating a complex application under the 10-year partner routeFamily and status review
Map the family’s onward position, not an isolated application.
Quastels can review present status, family relationships, travel, work, children and the settlement or citizenship position the next step should preserve.
Map the family’s onward position ↗︎