Civil Partner Visa
The UK Civil Partner visa category is for partners of British citizens or persons with indefinite leave to remain in the UK, who wish to join, or stay with, their Civil Partner in the UK. You can also apply for a UK Civil Partner visa if your Civil Partner is outside the UK, but intending to return to the UK with you.
How we work
Find out more about how we workRequirements for a UK Civil Partner visa application
In order to qualify for a UK Civil Partner visa you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you meet the following requirements:
- Your partner is British or holds Indefinite Leave to Remain;
- You are both over the age of 18;
- You have met in person and are legally in a civil partnership;
- Your relationship is genuine and you intend to live together permanently;
- Any previous relationships have broken down permanently;
- You will be adequately maintained in the UK without recourse to public funds;
- There is adequate accommodation for you and any dependents;
- You have passed an approved English Langauge test to the required level.
The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances. You may want to speak to one of our immigration lawyer for expert advice.
To discuss your UK Civil Partner visa application with one of our immigration lawyers, contact our UK Civil Partner visa lawyers to request a call back.
Financial requirement for a UK Civil Partner visa application
In order to demonstrate that you can be adequately maintained in the UK without recourse to public funds, you will need to satisfy a financial requirement.
The financial requirement for a UK Spouse visa application states that you will need to demonstrate that your Spouse (or both of you jointly if you are in the UK with valid leave to remain) has a gross annual income of at least:
- £29,000 if you are applying after the 11th April 2024 for your first period of leave to remain or entry clearance.
- If you applied for your visa before the 11th April 2024 and you are applying to extend your leave in the UK you will need to show that;
- you have a combined income of £18,600;
- £3,800 for a first child (who is not British or settled in the UK); plus
- £2,400 for each additional child (who is not British or settled in the UK).
Get a faster decision on your application
If you’re applying from the UK, you may be able to pay an extra £1,000 for the super priority service to get a faster decision.
Satisfying the UK Civil Partner visa financial requirement
You can meet the UK Civil Partner visa financial requirement through salaried and non-salaried income, self-employed income, salary and/or dividends from a company of which you are a Director, property rental income, dividends and income from investments, stocks, shares, bonds or trust funds, pension income, insurance payments, maintenance payments and cash savings above £16,000 that have been held for at least six months, unless you can demonstrate that they have come from the sale of property or investments within the last 6 months.
In some circumstances it is possible to rely on a combination of the above sources of income to satisfy the financial requirement. Different considerations will apply if your Civil Partner is in receipt of certain benefits and you may be exempt from the financial requirement.
What else do you need to know
UK Civil Partner visa processing times
UK Visa & Immigration aims to process 95% of UK Civil Partner visa applications within 12 weeks.
If you require a faster visa processing timeline, most visa application centres outside the UK offer a Settlement Priority Visa Service. This will ensure that your UK Civil Partner visa application is placed at the front of the queue at every stage of the decision-making process. The visa processing time for a UK Civil Partner visa submitted via the Settlement Priority Visa Service is normally not more than 30 working days. A well prepared visa application may result in a quicker processing time.
If you apply to switch into or extend your stay as a Civil Partner from within the UK, you will be able to choose from two processing timelines. If you apply via the Standard Service, your in-country application will normally be decided within 8 weeks. If you apply via the Super Priority Service, you should normally receive a decision on the next working day after providing your biometric information.
UK Civil Partner visa application fee
The Home Office application fee for a UK Civil Partner visa application submitted outside the UK is currently £1,846. The Home Office application fee to switch into the Civil Partner category from within the UK or extend stay as a Civil Partner is currently £1,048. You will also be required to pay a NHS surchage which is currently:
For each adult (18 or older) it costs:
- £2,587.50 if you’re staying for 2 years and 6 months
- £3,105 if you’re staying for 2 years and 9 months
- £5,175 if you’re staying for 5 years
For each child (under 18), it costs:
- £1,940 if you’re staying for 2 years and 6 months
- £2,328 if you’re staying for 2 years and 9 months
- £3,880 if you’re staying for 5 years
Civil Partner visa validity period
If your application for a UK Civil Partner visa is successful, your visa will be valid for 33 months initially. If you apply for leave to remain in the UK as a Civil Partner then you will be granted leave valid for 30 months.
Before your initial grant of leave expires, you will need to apply to UK Visas and Immigration to extend your stay. If your application for further leave to remain as a Civil Partner is successful then you will be granted further leave to remain for a period of 30 months.
After spending 5 years in the UK as the Civil Partner of a British citizen or settled person, you will be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
FAQs
Can a Civil Partner visa holder work in the UK?
Civil Partner visa holders have a full right to work and study in the UK.
Unable to satisfy the requirements for a UK Civil Partner visa?
If you are not able to satisfy certain of the requirements for a UK Civil Partner visa, you may still be able to apply to join or remain with your partner on Human Rights grounds if you can demonstrate that there would be very significant difficulties in your relationship continuing outside the UK.
How can we help you with your UK Civil Partner visa application?
Sarah Rogers
Founder of IAC
Our immigration lawyers regularly assist civil partners to relocate to, and settle in, the UK. Whether you require expert advice on the requirements of the Immigration Rules, an independent assessment of your prospects of qualifying for a visa or professional assistance with preparing an immigration application, we can help.
The financial requirement rules are particularly complex and include mandatory requirements. We can advise you and ensure that you can meet all of the requirements and have the required supporting documents that must be provided to UK Visas and Immigration in order to demonstrate your ability to meet the rules. Our immigration lawyers specialise in assisting applicants with complicated financial circumstances to secure successful outcomes in their civil partner visa applications.
We can help you with as much or as little advice and assistance as you need with tailored packages or individual services giving you flexibility to chose all the assistance you need, when you need it. You’ll also have the benefit of access to our innovative client portal, giving everything you need at your fingertips.
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