Immigration

The sponsor – meaning the partner is already in the UK – must show a minimum annual income meeting the current threshold. This figure has changed over time, so always check the position when you are ready to apply. You can meet it through employment, self-employment, rental income, dividends, or savings above a specified level. Large savings can substitute for income, but only savings above £16,000 count and you need to have held them for at least six months. Mistakes here are one of the top reasons applications get refused.

If you are married to a British citizen, you can apply immediately after receiving ILR with no waiting period. Everyone else normally needs to hold ILR for 12 months first. You will also need to meet residence requirements, which is three years in the UK if married to a British citizen and five years otherwise. Absences are counted strictly, so it would be advised to keep track of your travel.

Many refusals carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal, particularly where human rights are engaged. Spouse and family visa refusals usually fall into this category. Time limits are strict, so it is worth acting quickly. For visitor visa refusals, appeal rights are limited and usually you need to submit a fresh application addressing the reasons given. Either way, it is advisable to get the refusal notice reviewed properly.

No more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling twelve-month period, and no single absence exceeding six months. Exceptions exist for serious compassionate circumstances, but the Home Office interprets these narrowly. Keep a log of every trip from day one as reconstructing your travel history years later will be challenging.

For most ILR and citizenship applications, yes. The test covers British history, culture, traditions and the legal system. It is multiple choice, lasts about 45 minutes, and you need 75% to pass. Do not underestimate it as the pass rates are lower than you might expect. Some applicants are exempt, such as those aged 65 or over, and with certain long-term health conditions. We can advise on whether an exemption applies to you.

No. This catches people out all the time. Visitor visas do not allow you to switch to a settlement route from within the UK. If you enter as a visitor and then decide you want to stay as a spouse, you will need to return home and apply from there. If you are engaged and planning to marry in the UK before settling here, you need a fiancé visa, not a visitor visa.

Photographs together, records of communication, evidence of visits, joint financial arrangements like bank accounts or tenancy agreements, and utility bills showing both names. If your relationship has been mostly long-distance, a detailed history of visits and regular contact becomes especially important. The goal is to build a narrative that tells your story in a way a caseworker can follow and believe.

ILR gives you the right to live and work here indefinitely but you are not a British national. You cannot vote in general elections, hold a British passport, and your status can be lost if you spend too long outside the country. British citizenship is permanent, and you hold it for life, can vote, obtain a passport, and come and go freely. For many people, citizenship is the ultimate goal but for others, ILR provides all the security they need.