The information provided in this blog does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice please contact our expert immigration team who will assist you with any queries you may have. We are highly experienced with all immigration matters. Please visit Review a Solicitor and see for yourself how our immigration team has been highly rated by existing Clients of the Firm.

The spouse visa route is not the only route available in the UK to join your partner. The fiancé visa route allows you to migrate to the UK for the purpose of marrying your partner here, and then benefit from the smooth transition to the highly sought spouse visa.

If your application is prepared thoroughly, you will be granted leave to enter the UK for a period of six months. During this time, you must marry your partner and then apply to switch to the spouse route from within the UK.

What are the requirements for a fiancé visa?

The legal requirements for this route are very similar to that of the spouse route. Your partner must be a British citizen or have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK in order to sponsor you, and:

1. You and your partner must be at least 18 years of age
2. You must have met each other
3. You and your partner must intend to live together on a permanent basis once married
4. You must show that any previous relationship that you or your partner were involved in has ended
5. You and your partner must have enough funds to support yourselves (and any dependants) without claiming public funds
6. Your fiancé must be earning a minimum of £18,600 per annum or have savings to be able to sponsor you. The level of this financial requirement will increase if you are also sponsoring children as dependants
7. You must have suitable accommodation available for you, your partner and any dependants
8. If you are from a non-English-speaking country, you need to take an approved SELT test to prove that you can understand and communicate in English to the level of A1 as set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Preparation

Thorough preparation is vital in such cases. Lack of documentary evidence can result in your application being refused. Extensive evidence of previous contact and wedding arrangements in the UK must be demonstrated with your application.

It is crucial that your legal team assists in preparing a comprehensive bundle of documents in support of your application, demonstrating that your application satisfies the immigration rules. Failure to do so will result in your application being refused.

What happens when my application is approved?

When your application is approved you will be issued a visa for leave to enter the UK, for a period of six months. This leave is granted with the expectation that you will now make the UK your permanent home.

You must marry your partner within the six month period and then apply to switch to the spouse route before your fiancé visa expires.

Provided you satisfy the immigration rules at the time for a spouse visa application, you will be granted leave to remain in the UK for a period of two and a half years. You will be placed on the five-year route to settlement.

After a further extension of two and a half years, you will be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, followed by a naturalisation application thereafter.

At Henry Hyams Solicitors we have over 30 years of combined experience in assisting our Clients with such applications and we have a100% success rate.

If you would like to discuss coming to live in the UK, please contact our immigration team. Henry Hyams has a highly experienced immigration team to guide you at every stage of your application. Henry Hyams Solicitors have been providing legal advice for over 80 years. We have experienced solicitors who have been providing immigration advice, assistance to clients nationally and internationally for many years.

Asif Hanif
Immigration Solicitor