UK Spouse Visa Extension is a process through which you extend your permission to stay in the UK (Leave to Remain) on your existing UK Spouse Visa. Initially, when you apply for the UK Spouse Visa, you either receive 33 months (if you applied for a first-time visa from outside the UK) or 30 months (if you applied to switch to this visa from inside the UK). If you wish to continue living with your family, which includes your spouse/civil partner and dependent children (if any), you must apply for a UK spouse visa extension before your current leave to remain expires. If your visa extension application is successful, you can also continue working and/or studying in the UK without any disruption.
If your UK Spouse Visa Extension application is successful, you are granted leave for another 30 months. While applying for a visa extension, you have to meet its eligibility criteria again. In this article, we will discuss the UK spouse visa extension process.
You must apply for a UK spouse visa extension before your existing spouse visa expires; otherwise, you may have to leave the UK at the end of your existing visa.
You can apply for a visa extension up to 28 days before your current visa expires. If you don’t apply within this period, you will be an overstayer in the UK, which may affect your immigration status and future visa applications as well.
You will not be asked to leave the UK until a decision on your spouse visa extension application is reached. You will also be able to enjoy the rights and benefits that you have on an existing UK spouse visa.
You can apply for a spouse visa extension online. You need to use form FLR (M) (further leave to remain in the marriage category) for a spouse visa extension.
When you apply for a spouse visa extension, you should follow the below steps.
To apply for a spouse visa extension, you must meet its eligibility criteria. For example, you must still be in the same relationship with your spouse/civil partner as you were at the time of the initial UK spouse visa application. Similarly, you must meet the minimum income threshold requirement either alone or together with your partner to meet the financial requirement for UK Spouse Visa.
Every UK visa or visa extension requires the submission of supporting documents. Some of these are mandatory documents, and some depend on your circumstances. For a UK spouse visa extension, you should also collect necessary documents such as a marriage certificate to prove your relationship, photos, utility bills to prove your ongoing relationship, a bank statement, salary slips to prove your financial capability, and a lease or tenancy agreement, etc., to prove you still live together.
The next step is to prepare for the application process. This includes choosing the right application form, which is FLR (M) for UK spouse visa extension, ensuring a valid payment method such as a debit/credit card in place, etc.
You need a UKVI account to apply online. If you don’t have one, you need to create one. You can create one on the UKVI website. Once you create an account, or if you already have one, you simply need to log in to start the application process.
Once you have gathered all the required documents and logged into your UKVI account, you can start filling out the FLR (M) application online. Click here to start the application process. This application has six parts.
1. Start
2. Application
3. Finance
4. Documents
5. Declaration
6. Pay
Please note that you can apply for a UK spouse visa extension by post also.
Submitting the required documents is a key component of the spouse visa extension application process. You can upload your documents while applying online. You need to ensure that your documents are in the correct format and in English or Welsh. If they are not in English, you need to get them translated into either of these 2 languages.
Please note that you can also submit your documents at a TLS center, if you did not upload the documents online.
Unless exempt, you must pay the spouse visa extension fee to the Home Office, which as of now is £1,258. You may apply for a fee waiver if eligible also. You may also have to pay the immigration health charge (IHC) fee of £1035 per year and in case there is a child applying with the parent then the fee is £776 per year. The IHC needs to be multiplied by the length of the visa, that is, 2.5 years.
You need to pay £1000 if you apply for a ‘super priority’ service, which allows you to get a decision on your spouse visa extension application within 5 working days.
As part of your UK spouse visa extension process, you need to book an appointment at the nearest TLS center. The objective of booking an appointment is to enroll your biometrics (fingerprint and photograph) and documents scanned there (if you did not upload them online).
This does not apply to all applicants and in all circumstances. You may have to attend an interview at a TLS center if the Home Office finds that you have not submitted all the documents required or it needs more information and evidence related to your application.
After submitting your application form, enrolling your biometrics, and attending an interview (if applicable), you need to wait for the decision on your application from the Home Office. You can track your application status by contacting the UKVI on the phone or through the TLS website. You need to have a GWF reference number when tracking your application status. You are given a GWF reference number or application reference number at the end of submitting your visa extension application form.
You should usually receive a decision within 8 weeks. However, depending on your circumstances, it may take longer. As mentioned above, you can apply for ‘priority’ or ‘super priority’ service to get a quick
decision.
If you are stuck at any point before, during, or after applying for a UK Spouse Visa Extension application or applying UK Spouse Visa and you require expert help, you can seek our services. We are pioneers in making
spouses/civil partners make their visa extension application a hassle-free experience.
If you have any urgent queries, call us at +44 (0)20 3411 1261 and one of our lawyers will be able to assist you.
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