Identify the correct family route
A family visa can cover specified partners, parents, children and adult dependent relatives. Joining someone with temporary work or Student permission will usually involve that person’s dependant route instead.
Partner applications require both people to be adults and the UK partner to hold a qualifying nationality or status. A recognised marriage or civil partnership is one option. Unmarried partners normally need a qualifying relationship of at least two years; cohabitation throughout that period is not an absolute requirement where there are accepted reasons for living apart.
Partners and children under ECAA
If you are the partner or child of an ECAA Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker, do not assume that the general family-visa requirements automatically apply to your application. Your current permission, relationship and the main holder’s status need a separate assessment under the ECAA provisions.
Extension and settlement are different stages. When the main holder settles or becomes British, separate provisions may apply to further permission for a partner who is not yet eligible. Children also need their own eligibility assessment.
Apply the correct financial test
The usual partner minimum is £29,000 annual income. Qualifying extensions with the same partner following a successful application made before 11 April 2024 use the £18,600 starting threshold, plus applicable child amounts, capped at £29,000.
Specified disability or carer benefits can trigger an adequate-maintenance test instead. These exceptions must be established, not assumed. Eligible savings or income sources may be used under detailed rules; the available bank balance alone does not answer every financial question.
Build evidence around your actual circumstances
Prepare a relationship timeline alongside identity, accommodation and financial evidence. Employment, self-employment, company-director income and savings require different documents and periods of evidence. Avoid using a generic checklist without identifying the correct financial category.
- Record previous marriages and how they ended.
- Explain periods apart and the evidence of your continuing relationship.
- Include children’s circumstances and any relevant care arrangements.
- Identify translations, English-language evidence and previous immigration decisions early.
Plan arrival, extension and later settlement
A fiancé or proposed civil-partner permission is different from permission as a spouse: it is time-limited for the intended ceremony and does not initially permit work or study. After the ceremony, another successful application is needed.
Settlement timing depends on the permission actually granted and the conditions met. An exception-based family application can follow a different timetable. For an enquiry, state where each person lives, the UK family member’s status and any current expiry or refusal deadline.
Common questions
Is £18,600 still the general spouse-visa threshold?
No. The usual current figure is £29,000. The older starting figure remains relevant to qualifying transitional cases; it should not be applied to every new application.
Can every visitor switch to a family visa in the UK?
No. Visitors usually need to apply from outside the UK. Specific exceptions and the person’s circumstances require checking before choosing where to apply.
Your next step
Plan your family application
Briefly explain the relationship, each person’s status and your timescale. We will confirm fit and proposed fees before agreeing any detailed review or application work.
Send a short enquiryOfficial sources
This guide gives general information. The rules, dates and circumstances relevant to an application need to be checked individually.