Spouse Visa UK

The UK Spouse Visa is meant to enable the partners of British citizens to live with them in the UK. This is also called the UK marriage visa. This way the spouse of a UK citizen is granted an indefinite leave to remain in the country, after a probationary period of time.

The main concern that authorities have with UK spouse visa applications is arranged marriages. Therefore, it is important to establish that the marriage in question is genuine and not engineered to gain access to the UK.

What is a UK Spouse Visa?

The UK Spouse Visa targets the spouses of UK citizens that need to obtain the right to remain in the country with their spouses. This visa grants them the right to stay on in the country with their spouses, therefore removing the need for separation and giving the marriage a fair chance to work.

Unlike most visas, this particular visa requires several details about your personal life. The success of your visa application depends on how genuine your marriage is, so the authorities have to do the necessary to ensure they have the information they need. Two visas that are similar to this one is the settlement visa and the family visa.

Who qualifies for a UK Spouse Visa?

The following criteria must be fulfilled to qualify for a UK spouse visa. Please note that the criteria will vary according to your circumstances.

• Your partner must be a British citizen
• Your partner must have indefinite leave to remain
• You must be legally married
• You are both adults over the age of 18
• You must have met each other in person
• You intend on living with each other on a permanent basis once you are in the country
• You have a genuine relationship
• You are both not in relationships with other people
• You can be supported by your partner once you have arrived in the UK, either by his salary or savings
• You will be sponsored by him, as will any dependents that you may have
• The both of you will not be a burden on public funds
• You are proficient in English, and will be able to communicate with the people of the country adequately

Cost

The visa fee is 1,523 pounds (154530 INR) if you are applying from outside UK, and 1,033 pounds (104813 INR) if you are applying from within UK.

Processing Time

It may take anywhere from 8 weeks to 12 weeks to get your UK spouse visa approved.