Spouse visa requirements Spouse visa extention Spouse visa this Spouse visa that. But why bother so much about this? I mean why are WE so bothered about this? Think of it this way…. Listen to the distant sound of the garba musical notes…
“sanedo sanedo”
You are swaying to the music in United Way, Vadodara. You are in the zone. The music is in your blood and the rhythm in your bones. Through this magical symphony of moving bodies, you spot a woman. The right woman. Her body moves to rhythm of your heartbeat. She sees you looking at her. Your eyes lock. And you have a moment. A moment in which you experience eternity. And then… The moment passes. She is in a different dance circle than you. She moves one way and you move the other. You feel you may never see her again…
Then after the evening ends, you are standing with your friends outside the ground and the impossible happens. One of your cousins calls out to you and lo and behold, she is standing with the girl that you had a magical connection with while dancing the Garba. She introduces the two of you. Her name is Sejal and she is a British Indian here working in Vadodara with an NGO for a year. From that point onwards, there is no turning back. Six months later she is you are engaged to this woman who you knew was the right woman for you from the moment you laid your eyes on her on that fateful Navratri night. It’s time to marry now and move in together in the United Kingdom. Smooth sailing… But not so fast. The day you are making your wedding plans, your friend comes to you with a paper in hand saying “Bro, it’s not going to be easy”. You seem confused at first. You love a woman, she loves you back, and you want to live together in her country of origin. What’s so difficult about that? Turns out… You need something called a “Spouse Visa” which is nearly as difficult to get as it is to grasp your own shadow.
You ask him innocently, “now what?” He slowly lays out the sheet of paper in his hand in front of you and says “this is a good start”.
You look down at the piece of paper which appears to be an information handout from a certain Law firm called “The SmartMove2UK”.
The hand out reads as follows:
UK Spouse Visa, also known as a UK marriage visa at times even UK husband visa or UK wife visa, allows married partners of UK citizens to immigrate to the UK because they are married to someone who is ‘settled in the UK’ – i.e. a person who is ordinarily resident in the UK and has no immigration restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK. This is a settlement Visa and the initial entry clearance is for 33 Months. There are various aspects to the UK Spouse Visa, like spouse visa extension and Spouse visa requirements. To get started, however, you need to know the requirements.
To apply as a partner, you and your partner both need to be 18 or over.
Your partner must also either:
- be a British citizen
- have settled in the UK (they have ‘indefinite leave to remain’ or proof of permanent residence)
- have refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK
Meeting financial requirement
You must have enough money to support yourselves (and any dependents) without claiming public funds i.e. your sponsoring partner must earn more than £18,600 per year or alternatively
evidence savings of £62,500 to be able to sponsor you. The minimum financial requirement is higher if they are also sponsoring dependent children.
What counts as income
You and your partner can use:
- income from employment before tax and National Insurance – you can only use your own income if you earn it in the UK
- income you earn from self-employment or as a director of a limited company in the UK
- cash savings above £16,000
- money from a pension
- non-work income, for example from property rentals or dividends
If you’re using income from self-employment or employment, you’ll need to prove you or your partner received that income for 6 months or more.
Meeting English language requirements
You can prove meeting this requirement with an academic qualification, or by taking a test.
You can prove your knowledge of English if both:
- you have a degree or academic qualification that was taught or researched in English
- your qualification is recognised by UK NARIC as being equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree or higher.
Read : English language requirement for spouses to stay
You can prove your knowledge of English by passing an approved English language test with at least a CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening.
Genuine and subsisting Relationship
Your relationship must be genuine and that you intend to live together as a family in the UK.
You must be able to prove one of the following:
- you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK
- you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
- you are a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner and will marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving
Accommodation
As part of the application process, you must show that you and your partner (and any children) will have adequate accommodation in the UK as per the UK housing Space standards. This is to prevent individuals later seeking public assistance.
You must prove that you have taken TB Test.
Our clients in UK or India can speak to any of our Spouse Visa UK Consultant based in India (Mumbai | Delhi | Bengaluru) on +91 22 2850 9857 or +91 98191 27002 or email us on info@smartmove2uk.com and book your appointment with our Experts.
Back in Vadodara, you slowly lift your eyes up from the document to meet your friends eyes and say… “let’s get started then.”
