Eligibility and application process for a UK Fiancé visa

The UK Fiancé visa is a category that allows a non-UK citizen to enter the UK to marry or a form a civil partnership with a person who is a British national (or a person who is settled in the UK- please see below for further details).

Applicants will be granted a 6-month visa to allow them to enter the UK and marry their partner. You will need to enter the UK within the 6-month period and marry your partner in the UK.

What are the eligibility criteria for a UK fiancé visa?

One of the main criteria or f which must be met in order to successfully secure a UK fiancé visa is that your relationship and plans to marry must be genuine.

You and your partner must be 18 years or over;
Intend to live together permanently in the UK after you apply, and your partner must be:

A British or Irish citizen, or;

Have settled in the UK – for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence

From the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre- settled status – they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021

have a Turkish businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa

You have met in person;
You must prove that any of your previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended, if applicable.
Your relationship is genuine and you intend to live together permanently in the UK;
You intend to marry within six months of your arrival in the UK;
You must meet the financial requirement;
Prove that there is adequate accommodation for you and your partner;
You must be able to meet the English language requirement.

Meeting the Financial requirement:

Annual income of £18,600; or
Cash savings of £62,500; or
A combination of the above

Income of the minimum threshold for £18,600 can come from the following:

Earnings from employment
Earnings from self-employment
Cash savings above £16,000
Pension
Non-employment income, e.g., income from property rental or dividends from shares

In addition to the financial requirement, the main eligibility criteria also includes providing proof that you are in a genuine relationship, you intend to marry within 6 months, meet the accommodation requirement and that you meet the English language requirement.

How long will your visa be granted for?

You will initially be granted leave for 6 months to enable you to enter the UK and marry. Once you are married or enter into a civil partnership, you can switch into a spouse visa in country.

If your application for further leave to remain in the UK as a Spouse is successful then you will be granted further leave to remain for a period of 30 months. You will need to extend your Spouse leave for a further 30 months before it expires.

After spending 5 years in the UK as the Spouse of a British citizen or settled person, you will be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

How can you apply for a fiancé visa?

You can apply for a fiancé visa from overseas. This is not a category that you can switch into in country. The Home Office application fee for a UK Fiancé visa application submitted outside the UK is currently £1,523. It is important to remember that Fiancé visa holders are not permitted to work in the UK.

Processing times

The processing time of a fiancé visa can vary due to several factors. However, on an average, a fiancé visa is usually processed by the Home Office within 12 weeks from the date of biometric submission.

If you are overseas, you may be able to select a priority service when making your application or when booking your biometrics appointment. The priority service is available at an additional fee and may reduce the standard visa processing time for straight forward application. A priority application is decided within 6 weeks from the date of biometric.

Get assistance with your application – Contact the best UK lawyers

Mulgrave Law are Specialist Immigration Lawyers and can assist in obtaining a fiancé visa from overseas or within the UK by providing the following services: