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UK Visas

Spousal Partner Visas

General visa criteria:

  • You must have been married to, or able to show that you have been cohabiting with, an eligible person, for 2 years
  • An eligible person is a citizen of Britain or the EU, or a UK resident who is free from immigration control
Take a FREE online Visa Assessment
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Spousal Partner Visas

Marriage to a British Citizen

You may apply for this visa if you are married to a British citizen, or person who has settlement status in the UK (i.e. a person who holds indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or right of abode. The visa, which is initially issued for a 2-year probationary period, allows you to work without restriction and to exit and re-enter the UK multiple times. At the end of the probationary period, you must submit evidence to the Home Office that you have been living together for that time, after which you may be eligible to apply for ILR yourself.

In order to apply for this visa you and your spouse must:

  • Have met
  • Be lawfully married to one another
  • Intend to live together permanently as man and wife
  • Be able to support yourselves and your dependant children, if you have any

This visa may also be applied for if you are married to a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) other than the UK (please note that the probationary visa is issued for 5, rather than 2 years)

You may also apply for a marriage visa under any of the following circumstances:

  • You are married to someone who holds and ancestry visa
  • You are married to someone who holds a student visa
  • You are married to someone who holds a work permit
  • You are married to someone who holds a Tier 1 visa

However, in all of these cases, you must apply for the visa outside the UK, typically in your partner’s home country. If you wish to apply from South Africa or Australia, you should contact our Cape Town or Melbourne office.

Unmarried Partner

You may apply for this visa if you are in a long-term relationship with a British citizen or a person who has settlement status in the UK. You and your partner must be able to provide evidence that you have been living together in a relationship akin to a marriage for 2 years or more. The relationship may be a heterosexual or a same-sex relationship.

The visa allows you to work freely in the UK. In order to apply for it you must:

  • Be able to support yourselves, and your dependants if you have any, without recourse to public funds
  • Intend to live with your partner permanently

As for the marriage visa, this visa is initially issued for a 2 year probation period (5 years if your partner is a citizen of an EEA country other than the UK), at the end of which, provided you are able to submit evidence that your relationship is genuine and that it will continue, you may apply for ILR.

Call now to speak to a 1st Contact consultant about how we can help you to remain in the UK based on your relationship or take an online assessment.

 
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Why 1st Contact?

When you apply for a visa, you have two options:

  1. You can take the DIY route and work directly through the UK Border Agency website  
  2. You can work through an agency like 1st Contact Visas.

While doing things yourself could save you money in the short term, the benefits of working with us could outweigh many risks and implications that you could face in the long run.

With us, you get:

  • Help with your specific application. We don't believe that any visa application is generic – you have a different background and may have very unique needs from the next applicant.
  • Industry expertise. We're known for being specialists in the immigration industry. With over 250 staff in our London, Melbourne and Cape Town offices, we have the knowledge and resources to make sure your migration journey runs smoothly.
  • Dedicated consultants, here to talk you through your visa options.
  • Less stress. We apply on your behalf, and take care of the admin for you.
  • No gimmicks. If you don't get the visa, we don’t charge for our services.