What is a fiance visa?
The fiance visa category enables a British citizen, Irish citizen, or person settled in the UK to bring their fiance to join them in the UK. "Settled status" means that the person is ordinarily resident in the UK and has no immigration restrictions on the length of their stay.
The fiance visa is also often referred to as the "prospective marriage visa". Fiance visas are different from other partner visa categories in that with a fiance visa there is no requirement for the applicant and the sponsor to have lived together before making an application.
Please note that if you are a UK citizen returning to live in the UK you can apply for your fiance to join you at the same time.
Fiance visa requirements
To qualify for a fiance visa you must satisfy the following criteria:
- You and your future spouse must be at least 18 years of age
- You and your future spouse must have met each other in person
- You and your future spouse must intend to live together on a permanent basis once married
- You must show that any previous relationship that you or your partner were involved in has ended (whether it was as a married or an unmarried couple)
- You and your future spouse must have enough funds to support yourselves (and any dependants) without claiming public funds
- Your fiance (your sponsor) must be earning a minimum of £29,000 per annum or have savings to be able to sponsor you
- You must have suitable accommodation available for you, your future spouse and any dependants
How long can you stay in the UK?
A fiance visa grants you entry to the UK for a period of six months during which time you are required to marry your fiance in the UK. Please note that you are not permitted to work or study during this six-month period.
Once you are married you can apply for a spouse visa from within the UK. The spouse visa enables you to work in the UK and will initially be granted for a period of 30 months.
After spending five years on a spouse visa you are then eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, as long as your marriage is subsisting and you can continue to meet the financial requirements.
Dependants
If you and your fiance have children under the age of 18 they may enter the UK as your dependants. You should make an application for them at the same time as your fiance visa application. You do not need to show extra income for dependent children. The £29,000 requirement is the same whether or not you bring children.
English language requirements for partners
As a fiance visa applicant, you must show that you can speak and understand English. For your first application, you need to reach CEFR level A1. This is a basic level, and the test only checks your speaking and listening.
You do not need to take a test if any of these apply to you:
- you are a national of a majority English-speaking country
- you have a degree that was taught in English (if your degree is from outside the UK, it must be confirmed by Ecctis)
- you are aged 65 or over
- you have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement (you will need medical evidence, and the Home Office decides each case)
If none of these apply, you will need to pass an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT). Only SELT results are accepted, so check that your test centre is approved before you book.
If you are applying from overseas, we can help arrange an approved test in your home country.
Contact us to find out more about the English language requirements.