Bringing Your Partner to Live in the UK

Spouse and unmarried partner visa under Appendix FM: £29,000 minimum income, English at A1/A2/B1 stages, 5 and 10-year routes and the exceptional circumstances test.

Wesbridge Associates is an IAA-regulated UK immigration law firm. Our advisers support individuals, families and UK sponsors with skilled worker visas, sponsor licences, family routes, settlement (ILR), British citizenship, appeals and compliance — combining experienced legal advice with AI-powered self-service tools.

Reviewed by Wesbridge Associates' IAA-regulated immigration advisers. Last updated: July 2026.

The UK Spouse or Partner visa (Appendix FM) lets the husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner of a British citizen, a person with settled status (ILR), pre-settled status with rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, refugee leave or humanitarian protection live in the UK. Wesbridge Associates prepares spouse and partner applications end to end — relationship evidence, the financial requirement under Appendix FM-SE, English-language documents and the online application — for entry clearance from overseas and in-country switches.

Who qualifies as a spouse or partner

You qualify if you are legally married to or in a civil partnership with your UK sponsor, or if you have lived together in a relationship 'akin to marriage or civil partnership' for at least two years before applying. Both partners must be aged 18 or over, intend to live together permanently in the UK, and be in a genuine and subsisting relationship — evidenced by cohabitation records, joint finances, communications history and, where relevant, children of the relationship.

The financial requirement

From 11 April 2024 the minimum income requirement is £29,000 gross per year — there is no longer a separate uplift for children (the previous £22,400 + £2,400/£3,800 per child formula was withdrawn). It can be met from the sponsor's UK employment or self-employment income, non-employment income (for example rental), pension income, cash savings held for at least 6 months (£16,000 baseline plus 2.5× any income shortfall over 2.5 years), or a combination — subject to the strict evidential rules in Appendix FM-SE. Where the sponsor receives certain disability or carer benefits, an adequate maintenance test applies instead.

English language requirement

Most applicants must show CEFR A1 speaking and listening at the first application, A2 at the 2.5-year extension and B1 at settlement. It can be met with a Secure English Language Test from a Home Office-approved provider, a degree taught and researched in English from a recognised institution (with UK ENIC confirmation where the degree is from outside the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the Anglophone Caribbean), or by holding the nationality of a listed majority-English-speaking country. Exemptions apply where you are aged 65 or over, or have a long-term physical or mental condition preventing you from meeting the requirement.

How it works with Wesbridge

Step 1 — free 15-minute screening to identify the correct route (5-year partner, 10-year partner, fiancé, or exceptional-circumstances) and any risks. Step 2 — fixed-fee engagement, detailed document checklist and financial-requirement modelling using our salary/savings calculator. Step 3 — we draft the online application, prepare the relationship and financial evidence bundle, book biometrics at a VAC abroad or UKVCAS in the UK, and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. Step 4 — decision monitoring (typically around 12 weeks for entry clearance, 8 weeks in-country, with Priority service available on most partner routes). Step 5 — we diarise your extension at 2.5 years and your ILR application at 5 years.

The 5-year route to settlement

The visa is granted for 33 months if applying from overseas or 30 months if switching in-country, then extended for a further 30 months. After 60 months of continuous leave as a partner you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, provided you still meet the financial requirement, pass the Life in the UK test, meet English at CEFR B1, and remain in a genuine and subsisting relationship. The 10-year route (used where you rely on GEN.3.1/3.2 exceptional circumstances or Article 8 private life) takes longer to settlement but can be the correct path where the standard route is not met.

Frequently asked questions

Do we both need to earn £29,000?

No — £29,000 is a household figure. It can be met by the UK-based sponsor alone, by the applicant's UK earnings once they have permission to work, by combined income, by cash savings held for 6 months, or by non-employment/pension income. Overseas earnings of the applicant generally do not count unless they are returning with a confirmed UK job offer starting within 3 months.

Can I switch to a spouse visa from inside the UK?

Yes, if you already hold valid leave that permits switching — for example most work, Student or Graduate visas. You cannot usually switch from a visitor visa; you would need to leave and apply for entry clearance. We check switching eligibility as part of the initial screening.

What if my UK partner earns below £29,000?

You may still qualify by combining income sources, adding cash savings held for 6 months, or, in a narrow set of cases, by arguing exceptional circumstances under GEN.3.1 or GEN.3.2 of Appendix FM where refusal would breach Article 8. Exceptional-circumstances cases are evidence-heavy and usually place you on the 10-year rather than 5-year route to settlement — book a consultation to review your options.

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