Is it so difficult to get a spousal visa to England, as many people write and say? What obstacles has the Home Office prepared for spouses who have decided to become a unit of British society? In fact, a wife/husband visa to the UK can be issued quickly enough – the main thing is to know the rules and requirements of British immigration law.
Legal basis of marriage
In order to get a spousal visa or, as it is also called, a wife’s visa to the UK (Spouse/civil partner visa), you first need to become a valid and legal spouse of a British citizen – namely, the United Kingdom, and not another European country. For the wife of a non-British man, there are special visas and completely different rules and conditions, unless he lives in the country for permanent residence (ILR).
We are talking about the fact that before applying for a visa, you must already be in an officially registered marriage. We are looking at a case in which the wedding takes place not on the territory of England, but in the country of residence of the second half of a British citizen or some third country-in this case, you need to formalize the relationship in the jurisdiction that is currently recognized by the UK itself. If you want to get married in England, then you will need a completely different visa.
For love or for convenience?
It is almost impossible to fake love and relationships under British law. To get a wife’s visa, you will need to confirm that you are in a real, not fictitious relationship. Visa officers will examine your correspondence, ask for applications from relatives or friends, check tickets from joint trips and bills for the apartment you shared. Also, be prepared for the fact that you will have to show Home Office employees your shared photos that prove that you are really a couple – including images from the wedding, etc. Marriage of convenience for obtaining a wife’s visa to the UK is not the easiest and most reasonable way to become a citizen of the United Kingdom.
The housing issue and more
After confirming the fact of your relationship, a series of material questions follows. One of the most important conditions and at the same time obstacles to obtaining a spouse’s visa to England can be financial problems. If we consider the simplest case, when a couple does not have children together and children from other marriages, the annual income of the sponsoring spouse must be at least £18,600. If less, then you need to show the savings – shared or one of the spouses – at least £16,000. To this we add the difference between the actual and required income, multiplied by 2.5.
Of course, a married couple must provide evidence that they have a “roof over their head”, regardless of whether the property is owned or it is a rented room.
Probably, it is not even necessary to mention that among the mandatory conditions for obtaining a British spousal visa (as well as all other types of visas) – the absence of debts and criminal violations.
