UK FAMILY VISAS – SPOUSE, FIANCÉ, UNMARRIED PARTNER, AND MORE
UK Family Visas allow eligible foreign nationals to reunite with their family members in the UK for extended stays of 6 months or longer. At Cromwell Wilkes, we specialise in family visa applications, providing expert advice and support for those looking to reunite with family members in the UK.
If you’re looking to join family members in the UK and you’re from a non-EU or EFTA country, you may be eligible to apply for a UK family visa.
This includes:
- Spouse, fiancé(e), civil or unmarried partner of a qualified sponsor
- Children under the age of 18
- Parent of a child under 18
- Individuals seeking to be cared for by a family member in the UK
TYPES OF UK FAMILY VISAS
The Spouse Visa is for those wishing to join their British or settled partner in the UK. To qualify for a Spouse Visa, both you and your partner must be aged 18 or over and meet the following criteria:
- You both must intend to live together permanently in the UK.
- The sponsor (your partner) must be earning at least £29,000 per year before tax.
- You must have a good command of the English language.
- One of you must be British, Irish, settled in the UK, or from the EU with pre-settled status (if you arrived before January 1, 2021).
- You must be able to provide proof of your relationship, such as marriage certificates or evidence of cohabitation.
Our expert team will help you with the necessary documentation and ensure your application meets all legal requirements.
If you are engaged to a British citizen or someone settled in the UK, the Fiancé Visa allows you to join your partner in the UK. To qualify, you must meet similar requirements to the Spouse Visa, with the key difference being that you must marry your partner within 6 months of arrival in the UK.
Our team will guide you through the application, ensuring all documentation is correctly prepared.
For couples who are not married but have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years, the Unmarried Partner Visa is available. You and your partner must meet the following criteria:
- You must prove that you have been living together in a relationship similar to marriage for at least two years.
- You must both intend to live together permanently in the UK.
- Your partner must meet the financial requirement, earning at least £29,000 per year before tax.
If you are the parent of a child under 18, you may apply for a Child Visa to bring your child to the UK.
To qualify, the child must not be married or have children of their own, and one parent must be British or settled in the UK.
To apply, you must provide evidence of your sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing or that the child will be joining both parents in the UK.
If you are an adult dependent relative of a British citizen or settled person, the Dependant Visa allows you to join your family in the UK. This visa is typically for elderly parents or relatives who need care that cannot be provided in their home country.
You must demonstrate that you are financially dependent on the family member in the UK and that adequate care is not available in your home country.
The Adult Dependent Relative Visa is for individuals over the age of 18 who require long-term care that can only be provided by a family member in the UK. To qualify, you must prove that:
- You are financially dependent on your family member in the UK.
- You require long-term care due to age, illness, or disability.
- Your relative can provide the required care in the UK.
These applications are highly complex and require detailed evidence of care needs and dependency.
If one of your grandparents was born in the United Kingdom, you may be eligible for a UK Ancestry Visa, which allows you to live and work in the UK for up to five years. To qualify, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must be at least 17 years old.
- You must be a Commonwealth citizen or a British Overseas Citizen.
- You must prove that you intend to work in the UK.
- You must have sufficient funds to support yourself in the UK.
After five years, you can apply for settled status in the UK.
If you are a non-EEA family member of an EU or Swiss citizen living in the UK, you may be eligible to join them under the EU Settlement Scheme Family Permit.
You may be eligible to apply if:
- You are a spouse, civil partner, durable partner, child, dependent parent, or grandchild of a relevant EEA citizen or their spouse/civil partner
- Your family relationship began before 31 December 2020
- You intend to accompany or join the relevant EEA citizen in the UK within 6 months of applying
HOW CAN CROMWELL WILKES HELP YOU APPLY
FOR A UK FAMILY VISA?
Our expert team is dedicated to offering clear, reliable immigration advice for family members seeking to join their loved ones in the UK. We specialise in all family-based visas, providing tailored legal support throughout the application process.
We also offer assistance with documentation preparation, meeting financial and relationship requirements, and advising on any complex issues that may arise.
To schedule your FREE consultation with one of our expert solicitors, please complete the form below. Provide as much information as possible to ensure we can offer the best advice and guidance.
