UK Family visas: apply as Partner, Spouse, Parent - 5 years to Settlement.
Entry visa, switching from another category, settlement Indefinite Leave to Remain. #1 Experts in the Financial Requirement. Accredited by the IAA at the highest Level 3. In business for over 15 years with 100s of successful cases!
Financial Requirement
The current income requirement is £29,000 per year or savings of £88,500. If you had a Spouse, Partner or Fiancée visa, issued under the Rules before 11 April 2024, you can continue under the old Rules, with £18,600 income, for your next application and settlement (Indefinite Leave). If the Sponsor (British or settled partner) receives eligible disability benefits, the threshold is Adequate Maintenance, which is quite low.
Waiting time - if yours is longer than expected
Partners in the 5-year route get a decision within 8 weeks, often 4-5 weeks, but not “still waiting since October 2025”, as we often hear from people approaching us. Settlement SET(M) mostly 3-4 months, but all within 6 months. Super-Priority service seems easily available (contrary to many struggling to get it) and is often decided on same day. If you applied in the 10-year route as a Partner or Parent, the waiting time is 12 months or more.
If you expected to be in 5-year route, but waiting longer, it usually means a problem. Or had an email “cannot decide within standard times”. Almost always miscalculating financial requirement. Even if you have a good job or savings, there are boxes to tick. We can review your case and liaise with HO to “correct” it (hopefully on time).
Visa options: Spouse, Partner, Fiancée
Fiancée
Spouse or Civil Partner
Unmarried Partner
Difference between 5 and 10-year routes
5-year route is a standard route to settlement, meaning you can qualify for permanent residency after 5 years in the UK. It is made up of 2 visas x 2.5 years. Following the White Paper and other recent announcements, the UK Government so far confirmed it would remain 5 years as the standard route to Settlement and won’t change to 10 years.
10-year route is used when you have serious, exceptional circumstances why you cannot meet the requirements of the standard route. Usually financial or being in the UK without a valid visa. It takes twice longer to settlement, 4 visas x 2.5 years. You can also switch from 10 to 5-year route to qualify for it sooner.
Can a tourist switch to a Spouse visa?
No, if you are on a Visitor visa or ETA, you have to return to your country and apply from there. However, we can plan to minimise the time you spend abroad while waiting for a visa.
Bring your husband, wife or partner to the UK
If you live in Britain, but your partner lives in another country, the options are Spouse or Fiancée. Waiting time approximately 3 months; or 6 weeks on fast-track service. Finances: income of £29,000 or savings of £88,500. Often met with UK employment or self-employment, savings, pension or combinations, such as pension plus savings.
Move to the UK together after living abroad
If you are both living abroad and decide to come and live in the UK together, your options are Spouse or Unmarried Partner. If not, you can apply for a Fiancée visa. Waiting times as above. Financial Requirement is income £29,000 or savings £88,500. Commonly met with savings; non-UK employment with a UK job offer; property rental income; pension or combinations.
Switch from another UK visa: Student, Graduate, Youth Mobility etc
If you are both already in the UK and your partner has a non-Visitor status, such as Student, Graduate, Youth Mobility etc. Your visa options are Spouse or Unmarried Partner. Waiting time inside the UK is 8 weeks; or next working day on Priority service. Financial Requirement: income £29,000 or savings £88,500. Can be met using UK employment, self-employment or scholarship of one or both partners, savings and combination of income sources.
Extension after initial 2.5 years
Settlement - Indefinite Leave to Remain - 5 years (not 10)
After an initial visa and extension, it would normally add up to 5 years in this category. You could now apply for permanent residency, called Indefinite Leave to Remain. You cannot count time spent on a Fiancée visa and cannot combine with other categories, like Student or Work. Financial Requirement: income of £18,600 or savings of £34,600. Waiting time is within 6 months; or next working day on fast-track service. The outcome: Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, plus the ability to qualify for a British passport.
Settlement - 10 years
If you are in the 10-year route, you need 10 years (not 5). This is an exceptional route, it is not related to the White Paper from May 2025, it existed for a long time. You can, however, switch to the 5-year route as soon as you can meet the requirements, financial or otherwise, so you could qualify sooner for settlement. You may also qualify sooner on the basis of 10 years in the UK on various visas, under a different category of 10 years Long Residence.
#1 for UK visa advice
We started this company more than 15 years ago after our own experience through a Fiancée and Spouse route. We are accredited by The IAA, formerly OISC, at the highest Level 3. From our London office, we serve customers of all nationalities to join a partner or family in the UK, to remain and settle here.
Children
Children of parents British by descent: a British partner cannot pass their nationality to children born outside the UK, due to being British by descent. The whole family is coming to the UK, so the foreign partner applies for a visa as above, and the children can apply as dependants.
Bring your Partner’s child to the UK: a British citizen is sponsoring a partner to come and live in the UK. The foreign partner can include his/her children as dependants, providing they have sole responsibility for them.
All children must be under 18 years of age at the time of their 1 st application. After that they can carry on as dependants, even if they turn 18 later.
Apply as a Parent
If you are not in a relationship anymore but have a child together, this is a visa for 2.5 years. A child must be aged under 18, British or settled in the UK. Or has lived in the UK for 7 years and it would not be reasonable for them to leave. Parents also have 5 and 10-year routes.
Private Life visas
A child under 18 years of age, who was born in the UK and lived here for 7 years, can apply for Indefinite Leave.
A child under 18 years of age, who wasn’t born here but lived for 7 years, can apply for a Private Life visa, which is for 2.5 or 5 years. It leads to settlement after 5 years (independent of any parent).
A young person aged 18 – 24 years, who has lived in the UK at least half of their lives, can apply for a Private Life visa, which is for 2.5 or 5 years. It leads to settlement after 5 years.
A person aged 18 years or over (except the above), who has lived in the UK for 20 years, can apply for a Private Life visa. It is for 2.5 years at a time and leads to settlement after 10 years on it. Unless you are able to switch to another category, such as a Partner visa in the 5-year route.
Most common questions and answers
We have a dedicated page with Frequently Asked Questions here.
And a page dedicated to FAQs on Indefinite Leave to Remain (Settlement) here.