The Fiance/ Civil partner visa

Love is in the air, and we can hear the distant sound of wedding bells as couples worldwide get hitched!

However, a word of warning - Love may know no borders, but the same can’t be said for the UK immigration and border control officer waiting at the gates.

If you or your partner are seeking to enter the UK as a fiancé or proposed civil partner, then you might have heard of ‘The Fiancé/Proposed Civil Partner Visa’.  The fiancé visa will permit successful applicants to spend up to 6 months in the UK, during which time they can marry or form a civil partnership with their loved one. The applicant is not permitted to work during this time, it’s issued purely to facilitate happy unions!

But sadly, love isn’t quite enough to grant you a visa. To be a fiancé or proposed civil partner in the eyes of the UK government, you need to be anticipating both Marriage/civil partnership and permanently settling in the UK.

The course of true love never did run smooth…

As with all things visa and immigration, there are certain requirements that must be met by the person seeking leave to enter. Some are fairly obvious, whilst others are more subtle. Check over the following to see if you qualify:

-        The applicant or sponsor will be over 18

-        You must have met each other

-        You must intend to live with each other permanently after your union

-        Applicant must be able to support themselves until the date of the union, and afterwards, without the help of public funds

-        The applicant must meet all suitability requirements

-         The applicant must meet English language requirements

-        If applicable, the applicant must have taken a TB test

-        The person the applicant seeks to join in the UK, must already be settled and present in the UK or is on the same occasion being admitted for settlement

Then there’s the cost to think about, the government fee for this visa is £1524 with an optional priority service charge of £574. However, you should anticipate spending more than this if you require any help with your application, or there are complications with your case.

Our UK specialist Ninder is an expert of these things, and she can help you to apply and process fiancé visas to ensure that things go off without a hitch. If you’re interested in getting her help, email us at hello@vivalavisa.co.uk to find out more!