Spouse Visa

Our highly experienced and knowledgeable immigration lawyers are dedicated to helping couples acquire their UK Spouse visas.  We understand how important it is to keep your family together and the stress often faced by couples when applying for a Spouse Visa or a Spouse Visa extension.  When you instruct us, you can be confident that your application and supporting documents will be presented to the Home Office in the correct way and that any weaknesses in your application are explained in a detailed cover letter.

What are the requirements for getting a UK Spouse Visa?

If you want to apply for a Spouse Visa, you must prove to an immigration caseworker that:

  • your husband or wife is a British Citizen or settled in the UK (they will be the sponsoring spouse)
  • you are legally married (some tribal marriages are not recognised)
  • you and your spouse have acceptable accommodations and plan to live together
  • the sponsoring spouse can meet the minimum income requirement
  • you can speak English to the required standard

What is the minimum income requirement?

To successfully obtain a Spouse Visa, the sponsoring spouse must earn a minimum of £18,600 per year.  The amount increases if you are bringing dependent children with you to the UK.

The financial threshold requirement has resulted in several Judicial Review proceedings, most notably, the case of R. (on the application of MM (Lebanon)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2017] UKSC 10; [2017] 1 W.L.R. 771 (SC).  Here, the Supreme Court upheld the minimum income requirement on principle but stated Entry-Clearance Officers needed to have regard to the welfare of any children involved in the application, as per its statutory duty under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.  In addition, it stated that in some cases third-party funding should be considered by the decision-maker.

If you are worried that you cannot meet the minimum income requirement, speak to one of our immigration lawyers.  We will examine your situation and advise you on the best course of action to take.

Will I need to attend a Spouse Visa interview?

If your caseworker is not satisfied that you and your spouse are in a genuine marriage, they may request that you attend a Spouse Visa interview.  If you are asked to attend, make sure that you prepare extensively. 

What if my Spouse Visa is refused?

If your Spouse Visa application is refused, you may be able to appeal on human rights grounds.  Even if you have worked with another immigration solicitor on your initial application, we can take over your case and manage an appeal (if your case qualifies).]

Established in 2008, Garth Coates Solicitors is a leading Immigration Law Firm that can provide professional legal advice to ensure that your Application satisfies the strict requirements of the Immigration Rules

Our team of legal professionals offers comprehensive and considered advice to enable our clients to make informed choices. We strongly believe that our clients deserve the best; we take our responsibilities very seriously to ensure that client satisfaction is achieved by providing a professional yet friendly legal service. We aim to resolve all immigration matters brought to us by working diligently and together with our clients, keeping them informed of the progress of their case at all stages. Our outstanding success rate is maintained thanks to the high standard of our work.

If you would like us to assist you with your Immigration Matter, kindly click here to leave us an Enquiry. Alternatively, we can be reached via telephone at (00 44) (0)20 7799 1600 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (UTC+00.00 London) every Monday to Friday.