SRA-regulated immigration solicitors advising and representing spouse, fiancé, civil partner and unmarried partner clients under Appendix FM. From £900 for standard cases, quoted in writing on a free 15-minute scoping call before you commit.
You likely qualify if:
Or call us direct on 0203 355 9823 — Mon-Fri 9am-6pm.
Fees
Fees vary by case complexity, number of dependants, and Home Office charges (Immigration Health Surcharge, biometric, application fees — paid separately to UKVI). Free 15-minute scoping call — we quote the full fee in writing before you commit.
UKVI government fees are separate.The Immigration Health Surcharge and the application fee are paid directly to the Home Office (typically around £1,846 each — confirm current rates at gov.uk before applying). We’ll give you a written breakdown of the total cost at the scoping call, so there are no surprises.
How it works
Speak directly to a qualified solicitor. We listen, ask the right questions, and identify any risks in your case before you commit a penny.
You get the total fee in writing, scope clearly defined, before any work begins. No hourly surprises.
Your dedicated solicitor builds the case file — financial evidence, relationship documentation, supporting letters. Reviewed line by line for refusal-risk before submission.
We submit to UKVI, track progress, and respond to any caseworker queries on your behalf. You stay informed throughout.
The financial requirement
This is where most spouse visa applications are won or lost. The sponsor must show a gross annual income of at least £29,000, under paragraph E-LTRP.3.1(a) of Appendix FM. That figure replaced the old £18,600 threshold on 11 April 2024. Check the current figure on GOV.UK before you rely on it — the thresholds have moved twice in recent years.
Two things about that rule are routinely misunderstood, and both cost people their applications.
First, cash savings aren’t a flat number. The rule is a formula: £16,000, plus two and a half times the shortfall between your income and the threshold. If the sponsor has no qualifying income at all, that works out at £88,500. But if the sponsor earns £20,000, the shortfall is £9,000 — so the savings needed are £16,000 plus £22,500, which is £38,500, not £88,500. Savings normally have to be held for at least six months and be under your control.
Second, if your application runs on the pre-April-2024 basis, the transitional threshold is £18,600 plus £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child — capped at £29,000. New applications no longer carry a child uplift, but the transitional route hasn’t disappeared. We regularly see couples talked out of applying because someone told them it had.
Income can come from salaried or non-salaried employment, self-employment, pension income, non-employment income such as rent or dividends, cash savings, or a combination. Each route has its own specified evidence under Appendix FM-SE, and that’s the part that catches people out: the evidence rules are mandatory, not advisory. The right figure proved the wrong way still gets refused.
Evidence
Every case differs, but a partner application is built from five groups of evidence.
Marriage or civil partnership certificate, evidence of how the relationship developed, messages and travel records, and cohabitation evidence where the route needs it.
Payslips and matching personal bank statements covering the period your category requires, an employer letter confirming the role and salary, your P60, tax returns and accounts if you’re self-employed, and six months of statements for any savings relied on.
Tenancy agreement or mortgage statement, and a letter from the owner plus room details if you’re staying with family.
An approved secure English language test at the level required for your stage, or evidence that you’re exempt — a degree taught in English, for instance, or nationality of an exempt country. Check which level and which exemptions apply to your route on GOV.UK.
Current and previous passports, and a tuberculosis certificate if you’re applying from a listed country.
We send you a checklist built for your specific category rather than a generic list, then review every document before anything is submitted.
Timelines
GOV.UK currently publishes a 12-week decision time for partner and spouse applications made from outside the UK. In-country extensions and switches are usually quicker. Priority and super priority services are available at extra cost on many routes and cut the wait substantially.
Treat all of that as a planning assumption, not a promise. Waiting times are published per route on GOV.UK and they change — check the current figure before booking a wedding, a flight or handing in a notice period around them. We give you a realistic range at the scoping call and tell you when a priority service is worth paying for and when it isn’t.
Refusals
In our experience, refusals come down to a short list. And almost all of it is evidential rather than substantive.
Appendix FM-SE is prescriptive, and a payslip set that doesn’t line up with the bank statements behind it is a refusal waiting to happen.
Usually because the evidence is thin on the period the caseworker actually cares about, rather than thin overall.
Or a missing tuberculosis certificate where one was required.
Particularly where the couple will be living with relatives.
Previous breaches of immigration law, deception in an earlier application, or criminality.
If you’ve already been refused, read the refusal notice before you do anything else. The clock is already running.
A refusal of a partner application under Appendix FM is treated as a refusal of a human rights claim — which means it carries a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) on Article 8 grounds under section 82 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. The deadline is 14 days from the date the decision was sent if you’re inside the UK, and 28 daysif you’re outside it. Your refusal notice states the exact deadline that applies to your case — work to that date, not to this page.
An appeal isn’t the only option. A fresh application that directly addresses the reasons for refusal is sometimes faster and cheaper, and judicial review is available where the decision was unlawful rather than simply wrong on the evidence. We review the notice free on the scoping call and tell you which route actually fits your situation — because going down the wrong one burns the deadline on the right one.
More on visa refusals and appealsNot married, or not married yet?
Appendix FM covers four partner routes, and the evidence differs between them. Pick the right one before you apply:
Spouse visa cases we’ve handled
Sarah & Ahmed
Challenge
Self-employed sponsor — variable monthly income made the £29k threshold harder to evidence
Solution
We used 6-month income averaging plus rental income from a buy-to-let to clear the financial threshold
Result
Granted in 9 weeks despite an initial Home Office query
“Other firms said it was impossible. Abrahams found a way.”
James & Priya
Challenge
First application refused for insufficient relationship evidence
Solution
Built a refused-application strategy with new evidence and a detailed relationship timeline
Result
Administrative review succeeded — visa granted without a tribunal hearing
“Worth every penny. Direct contact with our solicitor made all the difference.”
Emma & Carlos
Challenge
Carlos's visa expiring in 6 weeks — needed an emergency switch to spouse route
Solution
Super Priority service application with a complete documentation pack prepared in 5 working days
Result
Granted in 4 weeks — gave them their wedding without an immigration cliff-edge
“Stress-free process. They handled everything while we focused on the wedding.”
Names and details anonymised for client confidentiality. Past results don’t guarantee future outcomes — every spouse visa application is decided on its own facts and the current Immigration Rules.
Your Solicitor
Immigration & Litigation Solicitor
Imran handles immigration and litigation cases that need methodical preparation and clear strategy.
SRA #509359
Immigration & Litigation Solicitor
Humaira walks families through every stage of immigration and litigation matters with calm, careful guidance.
SRA #663190
Litigation & Housing Disrepair Solicitor
Sannah recovers damages and forces repairs in housing disrepair claims — usually on no win, no fee.
SRA #654258
In West Yorkshire? We take spouse visa instructions in person at our Bradford office on Listerhills Science Park — immigration solicitors in Bradford has the office details, the areas we cover and where Bradford appeals are heard.
Common questions
Free 15-minute scoping call. We listen first, then quote the full fee in writing if you want to proceed.
SRA-regulated firm #809071 · Reviewed by Imran Shah (SRA #509359) · Last reviewed May 2026
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Each spouse visa application is decided on its own facts and the current version of the Immigration Rules. UKVI fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge change periodically — confirm current figures at gov.uk before applying. Past results don’t guarantee future outcomes. Abrahams Solicitors · SRA-regulated firm #809071. Last reviewed: May 2026 by Imran Shah (SRA #509359).
Page last reviewed: May 2026. URL: https://www.abrahamssolicitors.co.uk/uk-spouse-visa/.
