UK family visa
Family reunion in the UK is published as the family visa, with separate rules for a partner, fiancé, child, parent and adult dependent relative. The first grant on the partner route is two years and nine months.
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- From outside the UK
- £2,064
- From inside the UK
- £1,407
- Healthcare surcharge
- £1,035 a year
Work routes are assessed on the applicant's job or standing; the family route is assessed on a relationship and on income, which makes it a different kind of application with different evidence. For the routes assessed on work, see UK work visa routes.
01
What is the UK family visa?
The family visa is granted to a person to live with a family member settled in the UK for longer than six months. On the partner route the first period granted is two years and nine months.
Stays of six months or less fall under the visitor rules instead, which carry no income requirement and no route to settlement. The family visa is the route where the intention is to live in the UK rather than to visit.
02
Which family members can be joined?
GOV.UK lists the statuses the sponsoring relative holds: British or Irish citizenship, indefinite leave to remain, settled status, pre-settled status, or leave under the Turkish Businessperson route. Each carries its own published conditions and evidence.
- A British or Irish citizen.
- A person holding indefinite leave to remain.
- A person with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
- A person with pre-settled status under that scheme.
- A person with leave under the Turkish Businessperson route.
03
What is the income requirement on a family visa?
On the partner route the published minimum income requirement is £29,000 a year, counted as the couple's combined income. Applicants who applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and remain on that visa are assessed differently.
The figure is combined rather than held by the sponsor alone, and the way it is evidenced depends on whether the income is employment, self-employment or savings. Which evidence satisfies the rule in an individual case is a question for a regulated adviser.
Free starter report
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Five short questions. In return you get a one-page report setting out the steps, the documents, the official fees and the timings for the route you chose, each with its source.
04
What does a UK family visa cost?
An application to join a partner, parent or child costs £2,064 from outside the UK and £1,407 from inside it, and each person added pays that amount separately. The healthcare surcharge is charged on top.
| Where the application is made | Fee | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| From outside the UK | £2,064 | Per person on the application |
| From inside the UK | £1,407 | Per person on the application |
| Healthcare surcharge | £1,035 a year | Per person, on top |
05
What English level does a family visa require?
The published level at first application is CEFR A1. At the extension after two and a half years, an applicant who entered at A1 is required at A2 in speaking and listening; at settlement the level is B1.
| Stage | Level | Skills tested |
|---|---|---|
| First application | A1 | Speaking and listening |
| Extension after 2½ years | A2 | Speaking and listening |
| Settlement | B1 | Speaking and listening |
06
When does a family visa lead to settlement?
Settlement on the family route arises at the end of five years, made up of the first two years and nine months plus an extension of two years and six months. The extension is the intermediate step.
The two grants together come to five years and three months rather than exactly five, so the settlement application falls inside the second grant. The general settlement conditions are set out at indefinite leave to remain.
Sources
- GOV.UK — The family visa is for living with a family member in the UK for longer than six months, and the first grant on the partner route is two years and nine months.
- GOV.UK — The minimum income requirement on the partner route is £29,000 a year as combined income; applicants who applied before 11 April 2024 and remain on that visa are assessed under the earlier rule.
- GOV.UK — The English requirement is CEFR A1 at first application, A2 at the extension after two and a half years and B1 at settlement.
