What is a fiance visa?
The fiance visa category enables a person who has 'settled status' in the UK to bring their fiance to join them in the UK. Settled status means that the person is ordinarily resident in the UK and has no immigration restrictions on the length of their stay.
The fiance visa is also often referred to as the 'prospective marriage visa'. Fiance visas are different from other partner visa categories in that with a fiance visa there is no requirement for the applicant and the sponsor to have lived together before making an application.
Please note that if you are a UK citizen returning to live in the UK you can apply for your fiance to join you at the same time.
Fiance visa requirements
To qualify for a fiance visa you must satisfy the following criteria:
- You and your future spouse must be at least 18 years of age
- You and your future spouse must have met each other
- You and your future spouse must intend to live together on a permanent basis once married
- You must show that any previous relationship that you or your partner were involved in has ended (whether it was as a married or an unmarried couple)
- You and your future spouse must have enough funds to support yourselves (and any dependants) without claiming public funds
- Your fiance must be earning a minimum of £29,000 per annum or have savings to be able to sponsor you. The level of this financial requirement will increase if you are also sponsoring children as dependants
- You must have suitable accommodation available for you, your future spouse and any dependants
How long can you stay in the UK?
A fiance visa grants you entry to the UK for a period of six months during which time you are required to marry your fiance in the UK.
Once you are married you can apply for a spouse visa from within the UK. The spouse visa enables you to work in the UK and will initially be granted for a period of 30 months.
After spending five years on a spouse visa you are then eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain as long as your marriage is subsisting and you can continue to meet the financial requirements.
Dependents
If you and your fiance have children under the age of 18 they are only allowed to enter the UK as your dependents if it can be proven that it would cause serious problems if they are not allowed to enter the UK at the same time. As such, it may be a better option to wait until after you and your fiance are married before making applying for the entry of your dependents.
English language requirements for partners
All partners, spouses, civil partners and fiancés must be able to prove that they can speak and understand the English language. As part of your application you will need to provide evidence to show that you have passed an English language test from an approved test provider.
If necessary we can assist you with arranging the relevant tests for most countries around the world. Please contact us if you would like to know more about the English language requirements for UK immigration.