Apply for a UK Spouse visa extension before your visa expires. Visa and Migration helps to renew your UK Spouse Visa with expert guidance, document preparation, and end-to-end support with assured success.
A UK Spouse Visa allows a person who is married to a British citizen or an individual with settled status (Indefinite Leave to Remain) to live in the UK for an initial period of 30 months. Suppose a person currently holding a Spouse Visa wants to continue living in the UK with their spouse/partner. In that case, they will need to make an application for a UK Spouse Visa extension before their current visa expires, and if their application is approved, they will be granted leave for a further 30 months.
The applicant, in order to extend their Spouse Visa, must still be in a genuine and subsisting relationship with their sponsor, fulfil the financial requirements (unless exempt), and meet the required level of English language qualification.
Meeting the suitability requirements means that the applicant must not fall for visa refusal under the suitability grounds. These grounds for refusal usually include:
• Criminal convictions
• Deception, false representations, or fraud
• Debt to the NHS (National Health Service) or unpaid litigation costs
• Threats to national security
The UKVI will run checks across the applicant’s immigration and criminal history.
A person, when applying for a UK Spouse Visa Extension, needs to meet specific eligibility criteria.
The applicant must demonstrate to the UKVI that they are still in a genuine and subsisting relationship with the same UK partner. They can provide evidence such as shared utility bills and communication records.
The applicant must have been living together with their partner in the UK throughout the duration of the initial spouse visa. This requirement emphasises proving the authenticity of the relationship.
They must further intend to live together permanently in the UK. However, if the couple cannot live together because of study or work, or for cultural reasons, they will need to prove that they have an ongoing commitment to each other.
The general minimum annual income threshold was increased to £29,000 (regardless of the number of dependent children being included) for those applying for their first UK Spouse Visa on or after 11 April 2024. However, if a person applied for this visa before this date and is now applying for a visa extension need to meet the previous threshold of £18,600 per annum plus £3,800 per year for the first dependent child and £2,400 per year for each dependent child thereafter. However, if the total amount exceeds £29,000 due to the number of children in the application, the applicant will only be required to provide proof of a gross annual income of £29,000.
An applicant might not need to prove they have extra money if their children are citizens of the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Norway, and they do not have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or are not permanently settled in the UK.
Please note that, at the time of visa extension, the income of both the applicant and the sponsor can be combined. The applicant may also rely on savings, employment income, self-employment income, non-employment income (such as rental income or dividend income), or a combination of these financial resources to meet this requirement.
The applicant will be required to pass a higher level on the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) when applying to extend. What they need to do depends on what level of the CEFR they passed for their first visa.
If they passed:
Level A1 on the CEFR, they will need to pass at least level A2 in speaking and listening
Level A2, B1, B2, C1, or C2 on the CEFR, they can use the test result again for their application for extension, as long as their test provider has not withdrawn their test certificate or the test certificate was accepted successfully in a previous application under the same category.
If the applicant was given an exemption in their first application, they will need to pass a test at level A1 or provide evidence of exemption again.
The Immigration White Paper released on 12 May 2025 proposes increasing the English language CEFR level threshold across several UK visa routes. However, no confirmed changes have yet been made by the Home Office in relation to increasing the English language CEFR level requirement for a UK Spouse Visa Extension. A2, as of date, remains the minimum required level, although this may be subject to change in the future.
To successfully apply to extend a Spouse Visa, applicants must submit the following key documents:
Evidence of personal details, such as a current passport or another valid travel ID. If the applicant has any old passports, they should provide a photocopy of the photo page and any pages that contain a visa stamp. They will also need to provide documents related to their spouse/partner and any children they are applying for.
Evidence of meeting financial requirements, such as payslips, bank statements, and tax returns.
Certified English language test certificate or proof of degree taught in English (unless the applicant is exempt)
Evidence of the applicant's relationship with their UK partner, such as a marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate that’s recognized under UK law.
Evidence of cohabitation throughout the applicant’s residency in the UK, such as joint bills, bank statements, and rental agreements.
One must apply for an extension up to 28 days before their current visa expires.
The Spouse visa extension application process is largely the same as for the initial spouse visa application. Applicant in the UK need to complete the correct application form online, prove their identity, and provide evidence along with their application to show that they continue to meet the eligibility criteria for this visa route.
Below are the key steps to apply for an extension:
Before starting the application, applicants need to ensure they fulfil all the eligibility criteria for the visa extension, including the genuine and subsisting relationship requirement, cohabitation, financial, and English language proficiency requirements.
To prove that all eligibility criteria are met, applicants need to gather supporting documents. This includes a valid passport, marriage certificate, proof of cohabitation, financial proof, and knowledge of the English language documentation.
A person applying for a Spouse Visa extension needs to complete the application form FLR (M) online on the government’s official website gov.uk. All sections of the application must be filled out accurately and honestly (disclosing all the relevant information), as any discrepancies can lead to delayed processing.
The fee for extending a Spouse Visa is £1,321. Applicants also need to pay an IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge) of £1,035 per year per adult or £2,587.50 per adult for an extension of 30 months.
As part of the application process, applicants may need to prove their identity again. For this, they will need to book and attend a biometric appointment at a UKVCAS (UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service) service point to enrol their biometric information (fingerprints and facial photograph).
After completing the biometric appointment, the extension application will be submitted. Applicants need to ensure that all supporting documents are included, as any missing documents or information can lead to delays or refusal.
Attending an interview may be required only if the Home Office requests it to further assess the application. The applicant must be prepared to discuss their relationship with their partner and provide additional details if asked.
The Home Office will process the application and deliver its decision, usually within 8 weeks. However, this may take longer depending on the personal circumstances of the applicant.
The applicant may also choose to avail Priority service for an additional £500 to get a decision within 5 working days, or Super Priority service for an additional £1,000 to get a decision by the end of the next working day.
During the processing time, the applicant can usually remain in the UK under Section 3C leave, provided they applied before their existing visa expired.
After processing the application, the Home Office sends an email and/or letter to the applicant telling whether it has approved the application.
If a UK Spouse Visa Extension Application is approved, the applicant will be granted leave to remain in the UK for another 30 months.
The applicant will get an eVisas which is an online record of their immigration status.
If the Home Office refuses an application, the applicant may have the right to appeal or request an administrative review. If they choose to reapply, they should address any grounds for refusal given in the refusal letter and provide additional evidence if necessary.
To extend a UK Spouse visa under the 10-year route, an extension application must be made every 30 months using the online FLR(FP) form. Applicant is not required to meet the standard financial and English language requirements for these extensions. However, they, per the criteria in paragraph EX1 of Appendix FM, will need to prove that it would be unreasonable for the child to leave the UK or that there are insurmountable obstacles to family life with a partner outside the UK.
Applying for a Spouse Visa Extension after your existing Spouse Visa has expired means you risk becoming an overstayer. However, under exceptional circumstances, the Home Office may still consider your application, but that does not rule out the significantly higher risk of your visa refusal.
Yes, under Section 3C, you will usually be allowed to remain in the UK until you get a decision on your application from the Home Office, provided you applied before your existing Spouse Visa expired.
Yes, a spouse visa holder can live, work, and study in the UK without restrictions.
The combined income of the applicant and the sponsoring partner must meet a minimum gross annual income of £18,600. This threshold increases if there are any dependent children.
Yes, you have the option of solely relying on combined savings of at least £62,500 held for at least 6 months, or combining the savings with employment income (the minimum amount of cash savings must be £16,000) under certain categories.
Yes, unless you are a citizen of an English-speaking country or have a degree taught in English, you will usually need to prove your English proficiency when applying for your visa extension. The standard level for extension is the CEFR level A2.
No, you cannot travel outside the UK after submitting your application for a Spouse Visa Extension. If you do so, your application will be considered withdrawn. You must remain in the UK until the Home Office has decided on your application.
No, you cannot travel outside the UK after submitting your application for a Spouse Visa Extension. If you do so, your application will be considered withdrawn. You must remain in the UK until the Home Office has decided on your application.
Yes, as of date, you may apply to settle in the UK after completing five years of continuous residence on a UK Spouse Visa (including the extension period) in the UK. However, the government has proposed, in its White Paper released on 12 May 2025, increasing the residence period for settlement through most UK visas from five years to ten years.
Usually, the Home Office takes up to 8 weeks to process an application for extension made from within the UK. However, it may take longer depending on your circumstances.
Yes, if you want a faster decision on your application, you may be able to pay an additional amount of £1,000 or £500 to use the priority service. The super-priority service will get you a decision by the end of the next working day, while the priority service will get you a decision within 5 working days.
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