As the name suggests, you need to apply for a UK spouse visa if you want to live in the UK with your spouse (assuming they are a British citizen). In other words, a spouse visa is meant for the spouse, partner, proposed partner or civil partner of a person who is currently settled in the UK. Applying for such a visa means fulfilling certain requirements - failure to do so can result in an applicant's visa being refused.
UK Spouse Visa Requirements
The following requirements are fundamental to a
UK spouse visa. Failure to fulfil them can result in a sizeable challenge to obtaining your visa.
1. Fund or minimum income requirement
The sponsor in this case has to meet a minimum income threshold to support his or her spouse. If the sponsor does not meet the financial requirement or if they are not able to provide financial documents as evidence, then UK spouse visa will be rejected.
In recent times, the minimum income requirement has become a major challenge for those applying for this visa as the threshold has been increased to £18,600 - this is the minimum amount which a UK sponsor must have as a gross annual income before they can apply for spouses or partners from the non-EEA (European Economic Area) states to join them. Previously, rules only required a couple to demonstrate that they could maintain themselves without recourse to public funds. This has become a huge challenge for those couples who now have to provide the evidence for this increased minimum gross annual income requirement.
2. Accommodation
If the spouse in this case is not able to provide the evidence for the adequate accommodation required under the UK immigration rule, then this will act as a challenge to getting UK spouse visa.
3. English Language
It is very important that the applicant meets the necessary
English language requirements. Failure to do so will result in the refusal of spouse visa applications.
4. Establishing Genuineness of Relationship
To get a successful UK spouse visa, both the applicant and sponsor must be able to provide evidence that they are in a genuine relationship. If they lack evidence or documents which proves the subsisting relationship, then it will pose a big challenge.
5. Correct Representation
The applicant must make a correct representation of any previous attempts made to obtain a UK visa. If they have committed fraud or made false representations in the past then this will stand as a challenge for the applicant to get a UK spouse visa successfully.
6. Immigration History
If the applicant has overstayed during their previous visit to UK or they have any adverse immigration history, then it is going to be difficult for them to obtain a UK spouse visa.
7. Visa Refusal
Previous visa refusal acts as a challenge for the applicant.
8. Medical Reports & Criminal Records
If the applicant has a communicable disease (like tuberculosis) or has a criminal record (where they been accused or if there is an on-going court case) then they are a challenging factors when they apply for a UK spouse visa.
