What is a Fiance Visa?
Uk Visas & Immigration Services under the Immigration rules allows applicants who intend to relocate to the UK to begin a new life with your UK partner. Their Sponsor must be a British citizen or a person present and settled in the UK, with indefinite leave to remain, Settled status or with permanent resident in the UK. The applicant applying can also bring their family member to the UK when applying for a UK fiance visa application. Visa applicants may need to submit further information and provide full details in support of their application.
The application is made online at a visa application centres as part of the visa application process. Fiance visa holder last for 6 months and they are granted under the assumption that you will marry your partner within the validity period of the visa. You must apply for another Immigration permission to remain before your Fiance Visa expires in the United Kingdom. The simplest transition is to the Spouse Visa, which grants holders 30 months of residence in the UK. You can look for employment and study in the UK as a Spouse Visa holder, without any restrictions. The rules are different if you are looking to apply for a K-1 visa in the United States, you will need to submit your application at the nearest U.S. embassies.
Who is Eligible for a UK Fiancé Visa?
In order to apply for a fiance visa, both you and your partner must meet certain conditions and requirements.
The main eligibility criteria are as follows:
- Both you and your partner must be at least 18-years-old
- You must be planning to get married within the 6-month validity period of the Fiance Visa
- Your partner must be a UK citizen or a person with settled status
- You must intend to live with your partner in the UK once you are married/in a civil partnership
- You need to demonstrate that you have the means to financially support yourselves as a couple and won’t become a financial burden on the state. You must have a combined income of at least £18,600 annually to meet the financial requirement
- You need to show that you have suitable accommodation to live in with your partner and your dependents
- If you are from a non-English-speaking country, you need to take an approved English test to prove that you can understand and communicate in English and meet the English language test or English language requirement
What are the Financial Requirements for the Fiance Visa UK?
In your Fiance Visa UK application, you will need to provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet certain minimum financial thresholds.
You need to prove to the Home Office that as a couple you have enough money to support yourselves whilst you are in the UK (as well as any dependents included in your application) without recourse to public funds. Your annual income must a gross annual income of £18,600. If you have any child dependents additional financial requirements would apply to meet the requirement.
You can prove your finances through any of the following:
- Regular salary through employment
- Self-employment
- Statutory sick pay, maternity, paternity or adoption pay
- Cash Savings
- Stocks and shares
- Pension payments
- Property financial gains, such as a regular income from rent
You may still be able to meet the requirement if you are not working or are on benefits or have sufficient savings to satisfy the financial requirements.
How much is the Home Office application fee?
The Home Office application fee for a UK Fiance visa application submitted outside the UK is currently £1,523. The fee must be paid as part of the application process.
Do I need to pay the UK NHS Charge?
You and any dependants will need to pay the UK NHS Surcharge, which is a separate fee from the Spouse visa application fee. The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) covers the initial period of the length of the visa, which is 2.5 years. A separate fee is applicable for each dependant. The Immigration Health Surcharge fee is currently £1,560. The NHS charge will cover a period of 33 months.
Receiving a Decision:
If your Fiancé/Fiancée Visa application is approved, you will be permitted to remain in the UK for up to six months. You must get married within the 6-month period of your Fiance Visa and you must abide by the conditions imposed on your Immigration permission. If you are travelling from outside of the UK, you will need to report to border control when you arrive in the UK. It is important to bring photocopies of key documents and information from your application with you when you travel to the UK.
In most circumstances, you will not be able to apply for a Fiance visa.
However, if there were exceptional circumstances which prevented you from getting married within the initial 6-month period, at the discretion of the Home Office, you might be granted an extension from inside the UK, without the need to return back to your home country and re-applying for a new visa again. The same requirements will need to be fulfilled to be eligible to apply for the extension and your circumstances must not have changed significantly.
My Legal Services can also help you with the switch from Fiance to Spouse Visa or Civil Partnership Visa.
How Do I Switch to the UK Spouse Visa?
One of the main benefits of the Fiance Visa is that it offers a smooth transition to the highly sought-after Spouse Visa or Civil Partnership Visa and the good news is you can make the application from within the UK. You will need to meet the Spouse visa requirements and application process, in order to apply but you will not need to leave the UK to apply for it.
You can stay in the UK for 30 months under a Spouse Visa and you will be able to apply for a Spouse Visa extension before your original Spouse Visa expires, provided your circumstances haven’t changed. The Spouse Visa extension also lasts for 30 months.
You can work in the UK and study as a Spouse Visa holder and all time spent in the UK under this visa counts towards minimum residency requirements for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in order to settled in the UK and then apply to be eligible for British citizenship.
After you have spent 5 years living in the UK under a Spouse Visa, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain status, which is a form of permanent residence, meaning you can remain in the UK without any restrictions. After you have lived in the UK for a year under ILR, you will be eligible to apply for full British citizenship. As a British citizen, you can apply for a British passport and enjoy the full benefits of being a British citizen.
Get in Touch with us Today:
My Legal Services immigration lawyers can help you check your eligibility and individuate the correct requirements to make your application successful. Call us on 02037 324 736 to speak with one of our qualified Immigration Lawyers and get for immediate help or enquiry online with your situation.