UK Visas and British Citizenship

The difference between 5 and 10-year routes for spouses, partners and parents of British citizens.  5 or 10 years refer to the time you need to spend in the UK to qualify for Settlement, ie permanent residency, also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).  5-year route is a standard one. You can qualify for permanent residency after 5 years in the UK. The 1st visa is for 30 months (2.5 years) if you apply inside the UK, such as when switching from a Student, Graduate, Youth Mobility or a work visa. Or for 33 months (2.5 years + 3 months) if you apply outside the UK. Then extension for further 2.5 years, then settlement after 5 years.  10-year route is used when you have serious, exceptional circumstances why you cannot meet the requirements of the standard route. For example, a serious illness or similar family circumstances are preventing you or your partner from meeting the Financial Requirement £18,600. Here the 1st visa is again for 30 months (2.5 years), but you ...

  We are often asked about the visa options for partners of UK citizens, as well as for partners of European citizens who have a settled or pre-settled status in the UK. Fundamentally there are 3 options: Spouse, Unmarried Partner and Fiancée.    Spouse visa: As the name suggests, it is for married couples. It also includes civil partners. A civil partnership is a formal process that results in an official document, similar to a marriage certificate. For the UK visa purpose, it’s treated as a marriage. In the past, a civil partnership was only for same-sex couples but now it is available for heterosexual couples as well.    Fiancée visa: A visa for 6 months, without the right to work. It gives a foreign partner a chance to come to the UK and marry the Sponsor within 6 months (or register a civil partnership). Then he/she could apply for a Spouse visa after getting married. Then a Spouse visa would be the same as above and would allow to work in the UK. Fiancée v...

  We are writing to update on the processing times for UK visas. At the moment, all categories in all locations are taking longer than normal. A full story is here, the Home Office is prioritising Ukraine Visa Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/visa-decision-waiting-times     Applying outside the UK:  The timing for family visas was recently extended from 3 months to up to 6 months. Unfortunate news for spouses and families of UK citizens. In most countries, you can purchase a Keep My Passport service and travel during that time (but not to the UK).   For work, study and other non-family visas, the processing time remains up to 3 weeks officially. Although we now see applications taking longer.  Priority services: suspended in all locations. Only a limited Priority service remains for visitor visas.      Applying inside the UK:  Applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain (Settlement) are taking up to 6 months. Someti...

  The difference between 5 and 10-year routes for spouses, partners and parents of British citizens.    5-year route is a standard one.  You can qualify for permanent residency after 5 years in the UK. The 1st visa is for 30 months (2.5 years) if you apply inside the UK, such as when switching from a Student, Graduate, Youth Mobility or a work visa. Or for 33 months (2.5 years + 3 months) if you apply outside the UK. Then extension for further 2.5 years, then settlement after 5 years.  10-year route is used when you have serious, exceptional circumstances  why you cannot meet the requirements of the standard route. For example, a serious illness or similar family circumstances are preventing you or your partner from meeting the Financial Requirement £18,600. Here the 1st visa is again for 30 months (2.5 years), but you need further 3 extensions until you can settle in the UK after 10 years. There may be better solutions, however, such as switching from the ...

Amazingly, it has now been 2 years of the New Normal! Here we put a summary of what changed in the Immigration rules and procedures for a UK Spouse and Partner visas. #1 Application inside the UK. It has been back to normal. You have to submit a new application (online) before your current visa expires. However, you have more 6 weeks to book an appointment for biometrics and provide your documents.  #2 Absences from the UK due to Covid travel restrictions. If you happened to stay abroad longer than intended because of Covid travel restrictions, it won’t affect your future U.K. visa applications or continuous residency, as long as it was for a reasonable time (consistent with the Governments’ policies).   #3 Changes in your income including furlough payments. The “Covid furlough” leave is considered as a normal period of your employment. If your employer paid you at least 80% of your normal salary, for that purpose of a U.K. visa it will be counted as 100%. There are other...

  As it is Valentine’s Day today, we are making a post on the Unmarried Partner visa. Love is good, who needs a marriage certificate, right? On a serious note, an Unmarried Partner visa is one of the more difficult UK visa categories ! In theory, it doesn’t sound so - you must have lived together for minimum 2 years. Many couples did , or at least perceived  their relationship in that way. So, what are the challenges when it comes to applying for a U.K. visa: 1. Most common is misinterpretation of ‘lived together’ as ‘been together’. It has to be actually living together at the same address in a relationship akin to a marriage. 2. Proving it in a specific way the U.K. Immigration Rules require. Namely , official letters, bills and similar documents, showing the same address for both partners over 2 years.  The main point is ‘official’, such as utility bills or medical letters. Items that don’t form a strong case : Amazon delivery notes, letters from parents confirming th...

  It is a common scenario in our practice: a British/foreign couple returning together to the UK (often with children) after living /working abroad. Most commonly from the USA, Australia/NZ or Asia. Although most our clients have been working there for years, they often find it challenging to find a job offer in the UK before coming back, meaning their non-British spouse/partner would find it difficult to secure a UK visa.  Here are top 5 solutions from our experience:  Option 1: Savings. This is most common. The couple needs savings of £62,500 held for 6 months. Can be in any currency or country. If your family want to help, they have to deposit money on your and/or your partner’s account. You have to wait for 6 months.  Option 2: British partner coming to the UK alone and working for 6 months.   This may not sound like a god option at first glance, being apart for 6 months, but it is a realistic option and it often ends up being the only option. 6 months ...

  How are they different? What are advantages of each of them? Our helpful table below gives you the visa options for partners of UK citizens. Spouse visa (including civil partners) Fiancée visa Unmarried Partner visa Marital status Have to be married (or get married) and apply for a UK visa as a Spouse. Can come to the UK, get married within 6 months and then apply for a Spouse visa. Instead of being married, have to have lived together for 2   years. Have to be able to prove it with the required documents, such as bills etc. Where to apply? Can apply outside the UK, in a country where a foreign spouse lives or works (but not visiting). Can switch inside the UK from most categories. Only outside the UK This includes a situation where the current UK visa allows switching to a Spouse visa but the couple has to take the Fiancée route (such as if they need time to meet the Financial Requirement). Same rules as for a Sp...

5-year route is a standard one.  You can qualify for permanent residency after 5 years in the UK. The 1st visa is for 30 months (2.5 years) if you apply inside the UK, such as when switching from a Student, Graduate, Youth Mobility or a work visa. Or for 33 months (2.5 years + 3 months) if you apply outside the UK. Then extension for further 2.5 years, then settlement after 5 years.  10-year route is used when you have serious, exceptional circumstances  why you cannot meet the requirements of the standard route. For example, a serious illness or similar family circumstances are preventing you or your partner from meeting the Financial Requirement £18,600. Here the 1st visa is again for 30 months (2.5 years), but you need further 3 extensions until you can settle in the UK after 10 years. There may be better solutions, however, such as switching from the 10 to 5-year route or settling after 10 years on any visas. Can you combine them when counting to settlement?  In ...