The UK family visa, also referred to as a spouse visa or marriage visa, allows a spouse or civil partner from overseas to come to the UK to live, work or study.

At Saxon Solicitors, we specialise in immigration and represent clients in securing spouse visas. We have an excellent understanding of the visa application system as well as exceptional knowledge of the complex area of immigration law.

Our team can make a spouse or partner visa application on your behalf, ensuring that it includes all of the necessary documentation in support so that it has the best possible chance of being approved.

We have a strong track record of success in securing spouse visas for our clients as well as helping individuals whose initial applications have been rejected.

We offer services in Urdu and Arabic as well as English.

Spouse visa eligibility

To be eligible to apply, your UK based spouse or partner must be:

• A British or Irish citizen
• Settled in the UK
• From the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have been living in the UK since before 1 January 2021
• Someone with a Turkish businessperson visa or Turkish worker visa
• Someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK

Proving your relationship

To secure a spouse visa, you will need to provide a wide range of evidence in support of your application. This includes documents proving your relationship is genuine. You need to show one of the following:

• That you are in a marriage or civil partnership that is recognised in the UK
• That you have been living together for at least two years
• That you are a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner and intend to marry or enter into a civil partnership within six months of arriving in the UK

You may also be granted a visa if you have a child in the UK who is either a British or Irish citizen or who has lived in the UK for seven years.

Where it would cause significant difficulties or breach your human rights, for example, your right to have a  family life, if you and your partner could not live together in the UK, then it may also be possible to secure a visa.

We can advise you of your eligibility and the best way to approach your application, depending on your circumstances and those of your spouse or partner.

Documents in support of your application

To prove that you satisfy all of the eligibility criteria, you will need to provide numerous documents when you apply for your visa.

This could include:

• Your marriage or civil partnership certificate
• Official correspondence sent to you both at the same address, such as tax bills, mortgage statements or invoices for rent
• Joint bank statements showing your shared address
• Correspondence from healthcare providers showing your shared address

If you are unable to provide these documents or they are more than four years old, there may be other correspondence you can use, although it will be harder to obtain a visa in these circumstances.

Our team know how best to approach a visa application, including in situations that may be more complex than normal. As immigration experts, our depth of knowledge of the system means that we will ensure your application includes the right range of documentation and that it is as robust as possible.

We also deal with applications to extend family visas as well as applications for indefinite leave to remain.

Contact our expert UK spouse visa solicitors

As immigration specialists, we offer expert advice and representation for family visa applications, including second applications for clients who have applied themselves first and had a visa rejected or refused.

To speak to our UK immigration solicitors in Manchester, ring us on 0161 795 9955 or fill in our contact form below and we will call you back.

We deal with asylum applications for clients in Manchester, Blackburn and Bradford as well as further afield.