Our civil partner visa solicitors have successfully assisted 100s of clients with their civil partner visa applications and are experts in preparing civil partner visa applications. We have successfully handled standard to highly complex civil partner visa applications and can leverage our expertise to help you join or remain with your civil partner in the UK in an efficient and timely manner. Our team of specialist immigration lawyers will take the time to understand your objectives, assign the right lawyer or a team of lawyers – where necessary – to your case and agree a strategy to help you achieve your objectives as cost-effectively and as quickly as possible.
If you wish to discuss your UK Civil Partner Visa application with one of our expert immigration lawyers, call us on 0203 5761893 or complete our enquiry form.
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To successfully apply for a UK Civil Partner Visa, you must demonstrate to the UK Visas and Immigration that you meet the following requirements:
The suitability criteria outlined in Appendix FM annexed to the Immigration Rules;
The Financial Requirements as set out in Appendix FM, whereby you must have a gross annual earnings of at least £18,600 or savings of at least £62,500 if the applicant or the sponsor are unable to show income from employment or self-employment;
Your partner is a British Citizen, a person with indefinite leave to remain or with limited leave to remain under Appendix EU;
You and your partner are both over the age of 18 at the time of submitting your application;
You and your partner have met each other in person and you have entered into a legal Civil Partnership;
You have a genuine and subsisting relationship with your Unmarried Partner, and you intend to live together permanently in the UK;
Any previous relationship that you or your partner may have been part of has broken down permanently;
Your Civil Partner will be able to arrange for your adequate maintenance in the UK without recourse to public funds;
You and your dependents will have adequate accommodation in the UK;
You are able to satisfy the English Language requirement of a UK Unmarried Partner Visa application.
The specific criteria you need to meet in order to qualify for a Tier 1 Investor Visa will differ depending on your personal circumstances.
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The UK Civil Partner Visa is designed for civil partners of British or Irish citizens, individuals who are settled in the UK, those with pre-settled status, individuals holding a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa, and those with refugee status or humanitarian protection who want to join or remain with their civil partner in the UK. You can also apply for a UK Civil Partner Visa if your civil partner is currently outside the UK but intends to return with you.
After a period of 5 years, the UK Civil Partner Visa can lead to indefinite leave to remain or settlement in the UK.
To qualify for a UK Civil Partner Visa, you must demonstrate to UK Visas and Immigration that you meet the following criteria:
Your partner is British or Irish, settled in the UK, granted pre-settled status, holds a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa, or has refugee status or humanitarian protection;
Both you and your partner are at least 18 years old;
You and your partner are not within a prohibited degree of relationship;
You and your partner have met in person;
Your civil partnership is legally recognized in the UK;
Your relationship is genuine and ongoing;
You and your partner intend to live together permanently in the UK;
Any previous relationship has ended permanently;
You meet the financial requirement;
Adequate accommodation is available for you and any dependents;
You possess the required English language skills.
The specific criteria you need to satisfy to be eligible for a UK Civil Partner Visa can vary depending on your circumstances. You may wish to speak to an immigration lawyer for specific advice and guidance on your Civil Partner Visa application.
Top qualify for a Civil Partnership visa you must demonstrate that your sponsoring Civil partner:
Is a British or Irish citizen;
Has indefinite leave to remain or has been granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme;
Has been granted pre-settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme;
Has a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa;
Has been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK.
Additionally, you must meet the following criteria:
Your civil partnership must be legally recognized in the UK;
Both you and your civil partner must be at least 18 years old;
Your relationship must be genuine and subsisting;
Any previous relationships must have permanently broken down;
You have adequate accommodation in the UK and plan to live with your civil partner permanently;
You meet the minimum financial requirements;
You meet the minimum language requirements.
A crucial aspect of fulfilling the relationship requirement for this visa is demonstrating that you are in a valid, legally binding civil partnership.
You can do this by providing evidence of a civil partnership certificate that is legally recognized in the UK.
In addition, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will need to verify that your relationship is genuine and subsisting. This means that your connection with your civil partner must be authentic, enduring, and not created solely for deceitful purposes.
This requirement ensures that people do not enter into a civil partnership merely to circumvent UK immigration rules.
There are several ways to prove that your civil partnership is genuine and subsisting, which typically involve presenting a variety of proof and evidence collected throughout your relationship with your civil partner.
To qualify for a Civil Partnership visa, you must provide evidence to the Home Office that your civil partnership is genuine and subsisting.
You can achieve this by submitting various documents in support of your visa application, which may include, but are not limited to:
Proof of cohabitation, such as shared utility bills or a tenancy agreement;
Evidence of shared financial responsibilities, like joint bank accounts or utility bills;
Documentation showing joint involvement in raising children, if applicable;
Proof of visits to each other's home countries;
Informal evidence or correspondence, such as photographs, text messages, personal letters, or details of trips taken together;
Additionally, you must also supply evidence that any previous relationships, like marriages or civil partnerships, have been permanently dissolved. This can be done by providing documentation of a divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership.
To qualify for a Civil Partner Visa, you will need to satisfy the Home Office that you and your civil partner intend to reside together permanently in the UK. At the initial application stage, both parties must demonstrate a commitment to living together permanently in the UK immediately following the outcome of the Civil Partner Visa application or as soon as circumstances permit thereafter. You will also be required to demonstrate the intention to went to live permanently in the UK at the time of your application for extension of your leave and subsequently at the time of your application for indefinite leave to remain.
When applying for further leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain as a civil partner, the Home Office expects periods spent outside the UK to be limited, justified, and consistent with an intention to reside together permanently in the UK. Acceptable reasons for time spent abroad may include work, holidays, training, or study.
If you or your civil partner spend the majority of your time overseas, the Home Office may question your intention to reside together permanently in the UK. They will consider the reasons for travel, duration of absence, and whether you and your civil partner travelled and lived together during the time spent outside the UK.
Any Previous Relationships Must Have Permanently Broken Down
The Home Office requires confirmation that neither you nor your civil partner are married to or in a civil partnership with another person at the time of your entry clearance application as a civil partner. If you or your civil partner have previously been married or in a civil partnership, you must provide evidence that the marriage or civil partnership has been legally dissolved.
If you or your civil partner were previously married or in a civil partnership that has not been legally dissolved, you may still qualify for an Unmarried Partner Visa. In this case, you must provide evidence that the new relationship is genuine and ongoing, and that the previous relationship has permanently dissolved.
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To be eligible for a Civil Partnership visa, you and your civil partner must demonstrate a specific amount of combined income. Generally, this is £18,600. If you have dependent children who are also applying with you, an additional £3,800 per year is required for the first child, and £2,400 per year for each subsequent child. However, these additional costs do not apply if the child is a British or Irish citizen, has indefinite leave to remain, or possesses settled or pre-settled status.
The minimum income requirement can be met through:
UK-based employment income before tax and National Insurance;
Self-employment income or income as a director of a UK limited company;
Cash savings above £16,000;
Pension income;
Non-work income, such as property rentals or dividends.
Exemptions may apply if your civil partner receives certain state benefits.
To prove that you meet the financial requirements of a UK Civil Partner Visa application, you may need to provide documents such as:
Bank statements showing income
Six months of payslips;
In addition to financial requirements, you must also demonstrate that you have secured adequate accommodation in the UK. The accommodation must:
To satisfy the accommodation requirement, you can submit:
By addressing both the financial and accommodation requirements in a comprehensive manner, you increase the likelihood of a successful Civil Partnership visa application.
Demonstrating English language proficiency is a crucial aspect of eligibility for a UK Civil Partnership visa. However, you are exempt from proving your English language skills or taking an English language test if any of the following conditions apply:
If none of the above exemptions apply, you must take an approved English language test and pass at the A1 level or higher on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for an initial UK Civil Partnership Visa application.
Please note that the minimum language requirement increases after residing in the UK for 2.5 years. At this point, you must pass an approved English test at the A2 level or higher to extend your visa and continue living in the UK. However, if you initially pass the test at the A2 level or higher, you can use the same test result when extending your visa, provided the test provider has not withdrawn the result.
To apply for a Civil Partnership visa, you must complete the online application form, provide all the necessary supporting documents and address any complications with your application in a letter of representations.
You must ensure that the application form is correctly completed, has all the necessary details regarding your circumstances and that all the supporting documents have been uploaded onto the application portal prior to your enrolment of your biometrics.
You can only travel to the UK once your application for a UK Civil Partner Visa has been approved and you have been granted UK Civil Partner visa.
You will not be able to submit any further documents in support of your application after you have submitted them via the online application portal. Therefore, it is very important to carefully consider the documents you need tom provide in support of your application to avoid the possibility of your application being refused.
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One of the main reasons for Civil Partner Visa applications being rejected is the lack of sufficient supporting documents. The Immigration Rules have strict requirements regarding the necessary documents for a UK Civil Partner Visa application, which may vary for each case. It is essential to seek advice from an immigration lawyer to ensure that the documents listed are suitable for individual circumstances.
Failure to provide a required document in the correct format or with complete information may lead to a visa application being refused. Appeals can take many months to conclude, can be extremely costly and outcomes of appeals may be uncertain. Submitting a fresh application can also prove time-consuming, costly and without any guarantees that it will be successful.
Our Expert immigration lawyers offer expert advice on the necessary documents for a successful Civil Partner Visa application, ensuring compliance with the Immigration Rules.
If you apply for indefinite leave to remain as a civil partner and do not satisfy the above requirements, UK Visas and Immigration will consider whether you meet the requirements for a further extension of stay as a civil partner.
The current application fee for a UK Civil Partner Visa submitted outside the UK is £1,523, while the fee to switch or extend within the UK is £1,033.
UK Civil Partner Visa Processing & Decision Waiting Times
For applications submitted outside the UK, the Home Office’s standard service takes 12 weeks (3 months). However, recent updates indicate a processing time of 60 working days for standard family visa applications, including Civil Partner Visas.
Applications to switch to the UK Civil Partner Visa or extend a UK Civil Partner Visa from within the UK should be decided within 8 weeks. The Super Priority Service is unavailable for new Civil Partner Visa applications outside the UK. However, existing applicants can upgrade to a 15 full working days/3 weeks Priority Service. The Home Office plans to reintroduce the Priority Visa service for overseas applications in early 2023.
A successful UK Civil Partner Visa will result in the grant of an initial period of 33 months of leave (if you apply from outside the UK). If you apply for a UK Civil Partner Visa from inside the UK, you will be granted 30 months of leave to remain. Before your initial leave expires, you must apply to extend your UK Civil Partner Visa. After completing five years of residence in the UK under the Civil Partner Visa category, you will be eligible for indefinite leave to remain.
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You are permitted to switch to the Civil Partner Visa category from within the UK provided you satisfy the eligibility of the UK Civil Partner Visa. To do so, you must have valid leave to remain in the UK at the time of your application for a UK Civil Partner Visa.
If you are on a visitor’s visa and you wish to switch to the Civil Partner Visa category, you will be expected to leave the UK and apply from abroad. If you are in the UK with leave granted pending the outcome of Family Court proceedings, you may be permitted to apply for a UK Civil Partner Visa from inside the UK if you can demonstrate that you have exceptional reasons for doing so.
Working in the UK on a Civil Partner Visa
Civil Partner Visa holders have the full right to work in the UK without any restrictions.
If your Civil Partner Visa application is successful, you will be granted leave for an initial period of 30 months, with an additional 3 months if applying from abroad. Before your leave expires, you must apply for an extension of your Civil Partner Visa. If your civil partner extension application is successful, you will be granted leave for a further 30 months.
After completing five years (60 months) in the UK under the Civil Partner Visa route, you may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
To qualify for indefinite leave to remain as a civil partner, you must demonstrate the following, in addition to the previously mentioned requirements:
Our team of specialist immigration lawyers can assist you in relation to your civil partner visa application through expert legal advice, guidance, and representation on a fixed fee basis. Our fixed fee covers all the work in relation to your civil partner visa application from initial instructions until a decision is reached on your application by the Home Office. If instructed, your case will be handled by a specialist immigration lawyer whose work will entail the following:
Why Choose Our Specialist Immigration Lawyers For Civil Partner Visa Application?
Our expert immigration lawyers have a wealth of experience in handling all types of immigration applications and have successfully assisted many applicants with their spouse visa applications. Below is a summary of reasons why we are different and are the right fit for you:
Our team of specialist immigration lawyers handle each case with great care and attention to detail from outset to its conclusion. Our expert immigration lawyers will ensure that your case if progressed in a timely manner and that you receive the highest quality legal advice and representation throughout the life of your retainer. The quality of service provided by our team of specialist immigration lawyers are self-evident from our Google review.
Remote Legal Services
Our team of specialist immigration lawyers can provide you with excellent advice, guidance and legal representations remotely using modern means of communication. Whilst our expert immigration lawyer can meet you face to face in our offices at the heart of London, where a face to face meeting is not possible or convenient, our lawyers can represent you remotely without the need for you to attend our offices. Our expert immigration lawyers have successfully represented clients remotely from all four continents without their needing to attend our offices for a face to face meeting and can also represent you remotely if necessary.
Specialist Advice and Representation
If instructed, your matter will be assigned to a lawyer with specialist knowledge of immigration law who will handle your matter from initial instructions to its conclusion, and where necessary – such as in complex matters – your immigration lawyer will be assisted by other immigration lawyers to ensure the best possible legal advice and representation.
Fast Track Visa Processing Service
The Home Office (UKVI) provide a faster processing of application via its Priority Service application which enables you to get a decision on your (in-country) application within 24 hours of enrolling your fingerprints or within 5 days of enrolling your biometrics for out of country applications. Our specialist immigration lawyers can take all steps to submit your application via Priority service so that you can get a decision on your application in the shortest time possible.
Fixed Fees With Payment Plan
To help you with certainty regarding the costs of your legal representation, we provide services for a reasonable and affordable fixed fee. To further help our clients manage the costs associated with their application, we can offer an instalment plan so that you can pay your fixed fees in instalments. Please do note, however, that all instalments must be completed before you enrol your biometrics.
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Although our offices are officially open Monday – Friday, if you wish to have your case progressed outside of our normal office hours, we can arrange for one of our immigration lawyers to handle your case on an urgent basis for an additional fee.
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Our team of specialist immigration solicitors and lawyers can provide you one-off advice completely free of charge via our online enquiry form.
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If you are based outside the UK, you may apply for a UK Civil Partner Visa from the country where you live. If this is not your country of citizenship, you will need to demonstrate that you are living in that country legally.
If you are already in the UK and have been granted permission to stay for over six months, you can apply for UK Civil Partner Visa from inside the UK. If you are staying in the UK with leave as a visitor, you will need to leave the UK and apply for entry clearance as a civil partner overseas.
Civil Partner Visa applications are made using an online application form. There is a different application form, depending on whether the applicant is applying from inside the UK or overseas.
You must make sure that you apply using the correct online application form as completing the wrong form can lead to significant delays and/ or refusal of your application. You may wish to seek the advice and guidance of an immigration lawyer to ensure that you complete the correct application form.
The Home Office requires UK Civil Partner Visa applicants to provide a specific list of documents in support of their application. Some of the required documents may need to be obtained prior to the submission of your online application to ensure the dates of those documents precede the date of your application. It is, therefore, advisable to prepare all of the necessary documents to be provided in support of your application prior to the completion and submission of your UK Civil Partner Visa application.
The Home Office will recognize civil partnerships conducted outside the UK in the following circumstances:
Additional requirements regarding age, prohibited degrees of relationship, and previous divorces may apply. In general, if your civil partnership is considered valid in the country where it took place, the UK will recognize it as well. The Civil Partnership Act 2004 also allows for recognizing certain overseas relationships as equivalent to a civil partnership in the UK.
When you apply for a UK Civil partner Visa, you will be granted a two-and-a-half-year leave (plus an additional three months if applying for Entry Clearance). Before this leave expires, you must apply for an extension and if successful, you will be grated a further two-and-a-half-year leave. Most individuals in this category follow a five-year route to settlement, becoming eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain after completing 60 months of residence in the UK under the UK Civil Partner Visa category.
Some applicants may be on a 10-year route to indefinite leave to remain as a result of their inability to meet some of the requirements of the UK Civil Partner Visa. If you switch from the five-year to the ten-year route after entering the UK, both grants of leave can be counted towards the ten-year requirement.
Once you are granted Indefinite Leave to Remain, you can immediately apply to naturalize as a British citizen if you remain in a civil partnership with a British citizen partner. Otherwise, you must wait 12 months before applying.
If your UK Civil Partner Visa application is refused, you should have the right to appeal the Home Office’s decision to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. The appeal will be heard at the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in the UK.
If you are in the UK, you and your civil partner will be permitted to attend and provide evidence to the Tribunal. If you are outside the UK, your civil partner can attend, while you can submit a statement and evidence for the Tribunal to consider. The Tribunal usually arranges for the hearings to take place remotely allowing those giving evidence to do so remotely via Videoconferencing tools. However, in some cases the Tribunal may consider it appropriate to have a face-to-face hearing.
Immigration appeal proceedings can be procedurally complex and difficult to navigate for those not familiar with immigration and public law litigation. They can also take a very long time to conclude and are usually costly. You may, therefore, wish to seek advice and assistance from UK immigration lawyers to enhance your chances of a successful outcome to your appeal.
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