If you and your partner have taken the exciting step of getting engaged, there can be slightly more difficult considerations if one of you lives outside of the UK. However, if you are engaged to a British citizen or someone settled in the UK you may be able to join them on a fiancé visa uk. Whilst the news is consistently filled with stories about couples kept apart because of difficult immigration rules and incorrect rulings from the Home Office, the right legal advice can help you submit a really strong application and avoid the appeal process. A finance visa could be the beginning of permanent settlement in the UK for a couple soon to be married.
What is a UK fiancé visa?
A UK fiancé visa allows you to make plans to both come to the UK to get married, and then hopefully stay in the UK with your spouse after that. The fiancé visa is valid for an initial six months, with the assumption that you will then apply for a spousal visa when you have got married. A spouse visa will allow you to remain in the UK and live and work here until you can then apply for indefinite leave to remain. If you want to get married in the UK, but don’t intend to stay after the fiancé visa expires then you should apply for a marriage visitor visa.
Marriage Visitor Visa vs Fiancé Visas
Both the marriage visitor visa and the fiancé visa are valid for six months and allow you to get married in the UK. However, marriage visas only give you entrance to the UK for six months and after this you must leave the country. You can’t apply for an extension or spouse visa from inside the UK. If you’re not sure what would be the best option for you, it is best to get specialist advice from an immigration solicitor who is trained in the specifics of your case.
What are the requirements for applying for a fiancé visa uk?
To be granted a fiancé visa, you need to be able to meet certain requirements. These are that:
- Both you and your partner must be over 18 years of age
- You need to have met in person and be very well known to each other before the application
- You must intend to live together permanently after you get married
- Any previous relationships that either of you might have been in must have categorically ended at the time of your application
- You need to be able to prove that you both are in possession of sufficient funds to support yourselves and any dependents, without the help of public funds such as benefits
- If you’re a non-EU national, then your sponsor needs to be able to meet the minimum wage requirement of at least £18,600. There is also a higher threshold if you have children who will also need to be sponsored. This requirement is £22,400 for one child and then an additional £2,400 for each child thereafter.
- If the sponsor has worked for less than six months with their current employer, then they will need to have held savings of at least £62,500 for a continuous period of 6 months before submitting the application
- Sponsors can combine earnings and savings to make up these financial requirements
- You both need to be able to prove that you have suitable accommodation available
You will need to get married within the six-month period or else you will need to leave the UK, as you cannot remain in the UK under an erroneous visa. If you think that this might be the right option for you and your partner, finding the right legal advice can really help you get your visa application process started.
