2023 UK Fiancé vs. Spouse Visa – How different is one visa from the other?

by UK Immigration Law Firm in India

Reading time: Approx. 6 mins

Listen to the audio version of this blog

In this article we have covered these important points:

Introduction: UK Fiancé vs UK Spouse Visa 2023

  • In this blog, we have comprehensively covered the UK Fiancé vs UK Spouse Visa and how different is one visa from the other
  • As a UK Immigration Law Firm, we have come across many clients who are unaware of the different partner routes to join their Partner in the UK, including Fiancé Visa & Unmarried Partner Visa.
  • There is also a lack of awareness about the UK Spouse Visa. Moreover, we have even had some clients applying for a UK Marriage Visit Visa when really they would have been eligible for a UK Fiance Visa.
  • Essentially talking, these two visas are mostly similar regarding their purpose, fees, eligibility, documentation requirements etc.
  • Here we have an extract of an interview with our Principal Director, Mrs. Falguni Y. Parekh about the UK Fiancé vs UK Spouse Visa

Apply For Fiancé Visa UK 2023

  • The purpose of the UK Fiancé Visa is to allow foreign nationals to enter the UK to marry their British or ‘settled’ (ILR) partner
  • You can apply for a Fiancé Visa UK only if you intend to get married with your partner within 6 months from the date of arrival
  • With a UK Fiancé Visa, the applicant can later switch to a UK Spouse Visa, post their wedding and can stay in the UK permanently

UK Fiancé Visa Cost in 2023

Entry Clearance Application Fee Priority Service Cost
(Optional)
£1,523 £573

Apply for UK Spouse Visa 2023

  • A person, who is already married to a British national or settled (Indefinite Leave to Remain-ILR) person in the UK, can only apply for a UK Spouse Visa and live with their partner in the UK permanently
  • UK Spouse Visa can be applied from outside the UK and from within the UK (in certain cases)
  • The applicant of UK Spouse Visa can remain in the UK for 2.5 years and can take up employment or even start their own business in the UK
  • To successfully apply for Spouse Visa UK, you also have to meet all the UK Spouse Visa requirements and submit documents for Spouse Visa UK

UK Spouse Visa Cost in 2023

Applying from: outside the UK

Entry Clearance Application Fee Immigration Health Surcharge Fee for Entry Clearance Priority Service Cost
(Optional)
£1,523 £1,872 (calculated by rounding up to the nearest half year) £573

Applying from: within the UK

Entry Clearance Application Fee Immigration Health Surcharge Fee for Entry Clearance Priority Service Cost
(Optional)
£1,033 £1,872 (calculated by rounding up to the nearest half year) NA

Interesting Read: Permanent Residence in the UK Through Marriage: Everything You Need to Know

UK Fiancé vs UK Spouse Visa important tips which will save you money

  • A couple must prefer to marry outside the UK, and then apply for a UK Spouse Visa from the applicant’s home country
  • UK Spouse Visa route is the best-suitable option, plus extremely cost-effective, as it will eliminate expenses of a UK Fiancé Visa and save money of the non-British partner’s family members to travel to the UK
  • Now, if the couple got married recently, the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration Organization (UKVI) will potentially subject them to further scrutiny
  • However, the couple can prove this with proper preparation of the application thanks to a UK-Qualified Solicitor
  • With the UK Fiancé Visa route, the couple has to go through the entire application process all over again to receive a new UK Spouse Visa
  • This will make the applicant pay a double price and also freshly submit the proofs of their relationship to the Home Office

Note for Readers:

UK Marriage Visitor visa (also known as UK Marriage visa) and UK Fiancé Visa are not similar. A Marriage Visit Visa is a 6-months duration visa, for the sole purpose to get married in the UK. At the end of the duration, the visa holder must go back to their country of residence.

UK Fiancé vs UK Spouse Visa – which is the right visa for you? Ask The SmartMove2UK

  • The UK offers different visa routes to live with your better half in the country.
  • For someone with minimum immigration knowledge, this can get confusing. And the outcome will be a refusal on the UK Fiance Visa or UK Spouse Visa Application
  • If you are looking for assistance in choosing a suitable route to move to the UK to live with your partner, you can BOOK A CONSULTATION with our UK Spouse visa lawyer or UK Fiancé visa lawyer.

You can contact us on the below given options

Call for UK Visa Expert +91 9819127002 WhatsApp for UK Immigration Visa Expert +91 9819127002
Book UK Visa Consultant Book your Consultation Mail for UK Immigration Visa Expert info@smartmove2uk.com

You can also watch our video on: Difference between UK Spouse Visa & UK Fiancé Visa explained by Ms. Falguni Y Parekh (SRA-regulated solicitor)

UK Fiancé vs UK Spouse Visa: FAQ’s

Many prefer a UK Spouse Visa over the UK Fiancé Visa for one simple reason, it saves time and money.

A fiancée can be called a partner. You can only refer to them as a spouse after getting married.

The purpose of the UK Fiancé visa is to allow foreign nationals to enter the UK to marry their British or ‘settled’ (ILR) partner. The couple has to get married within 6 months from the date of arrival of the visa applicant.

The Entry Clearance Application Fee for a UK Fiancé Visa in 2022 is £1,523. And NO Immigration Health Surcharge.

If you apply outside the UK, a decision will usually be made within 12 weeks. If you apply in the UK, a decision will typically be made within 8 weeks of your application date if you use the standard service.

As per 2020 data, The UK visa Approval and Rejection rate was 83.29% and 16.15% respectively.

To switch from a UK Fiancé visa to a Spouse visa, you will have to first get married to your partner and freshly apply for a new category of visa, which is the UK Spouse visa. You are required to pay the application fees, Immigration Health Surcharge and submit all the valid documents along with meeting the financial criteria.

You must be able to prove one of the following:

  • you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognized 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.

You and your partner must have a combined income of at least £18,600 a year.

If you have applied for a Spouse Visa or a Fiancé Visa you should receive a decision within 12 weeks, this time varies , and you may receive a decision sooner. Ultimately, the processing time for spouse and fiancé visas is the same and one is not quicker than the other.

No, that’s not a mandatory requirement. You must be able to prove one of the following:

  • you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognized 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.

Yes, the IELTS Test is mandatory to obtain a UK Spouse visa.

If you have applied for a Spouse Visa or a Fiancé Visa you should receive a decision within 12 weeks, this time varies , and you may receive a decision sooner. Ultimately, the processing time for spouse and fiancé visas is the same and one is not quicker than the other.

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