Spouse Visa Extension After 2.5 years

Extend Your Spouse Visa in UK After 2.5 Years

The Spouse Visa extension is designed for foreign residents who have been living in the UK under a Spouse Visa.

If you wish to stay in the UK when your initial Spouse Visa expires, you can apply for a Spouse Visa renewal or extension. The Spouse Visa extension lasts for 60 months, or 2 years and 6 months. When the extension expires, you may be eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain status, which can eventually lead to British citizenship.

The requirements for the extension are similar to the original Spouse Visa and include being able to prove that you have been in a genuine relationship with your spouse/partner and that you still meet all the other conditions that applied when you first applied for your visa.

You must apply to extend your visa before your current permission expires.

Requirements for Spouse Visa extension after 2.5 years in UK

Successfully being granted a Spouse visa extension is reliant on you still meeting all of the necessary eligibility criteria for this visa. This includes:

• Still being in a genuine relationship with your sponsor who you applied for your initial permission with
• Still being in the UK with them and intending to be so in the future
• Still meeting the minimum income requirements that were in force when you first applied for your visa
• Not having not breached any law or immigration conditions
• Being able to speak English at at least A2 level
• Still meeting character suitability conditions

What do I need to know about the relationship requirement for a Spouse Visa Extension?

When you apply to extend your Spouse Visa, you will need to prove that you are still in a genuine relationship with your original sponsor.

You will also need to provide evidence to prove that you have been living with your partner for the duration of your residency in the UK.

If you provide correspondence addressed to the spouse and the applicant at the same address, this can be used as evidence of the relationship.

The Home Office may wish to see information such as council tax bills, utility bills and bank statements. Any evidence which you provide needs to be in its original form, dated and on headed paper.

Ultimately, you need to be able to demonstrate that you have been living with your partner during your UK residency and that you intend to carry on living with your partner in the UK throughout the period of the extension and, potentially, beyond.

What is the financial requirement for Spouse visa extension?

In the vast majority of cases, Spouse visa holders looking to renew their visas will need to provide information on their financial situation and that of their partner.

To prove you meet the financial requirements for a Partner Visa in the UK, you will need to ensure:

Your sponsoring UK spouse has an income of at least £29,000

As a general rule, the minimum threshold you will have to meet when extending your Spouse visa will be identical to the one you had to meet when you first applied for your visa.

What are the character suitability requirements for the extension after 2.5 years?

Spouse Visa extension applicants will need to meet character suitability conditions, otherwise known as the good character requirement. The Home Office will consider your immigration history and conduct while in the UK.

If you have broken the law or fallen foul of any conditions placed on your UK residency, you will not meet the character suitability requirement. The Home Office will also take into account whether you owe money to the NHS or owe a litigation debt of some kind.

If you have lived lawfully in the UK and have behaved responsibly, generally speaking, you should meet the character suitability requirement.

English test requirement for Spouse Visa extension

Spouse Visa applicants usually need to provide evidence of an A2 level of English in speaking and listening as set out by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

If, when you first applied for your Spouse visa, you passed an English test at level A1, you will need to take another test to pass at A2 level to be eligible for an extension.

You will not have to take another test for your extension if:

• You originally passed an English language test at level A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2 and your pass certificate is still valid, or
• You qualified for an exception when first applying for your Spouse visa, such as if you:
  • Are a citizen of an exempt country
  • Have a relevant UK academic qualification
  • Have a degree from a course that was mostly taught in English and is verified by ECCTIS
  • Are over 65
  • Have a mental or physical condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement

Which documents are required for a Spouse visa extension?

As alluded to, you will need to provide a number of documents which demonstrate that you are eligible for a Spouse Visa extension.

You need to provide the documents in their original form, though some leniency is granted with financial documentation.

Depending on your circumstances, some of the information which you will need to provide includes:

• Personal details. You will be required to provide your current passport or other valid travel ID. If you have any previous passports, you’ll be expected to provide a copy of the photo page together with copies of any pages that include a visa stamp. You will also need to provide documents relating to your partner and any children you are applying on behalf of
• Financial documents. Bank statements and payslips will need to be provided. It is acceptable to provide electronic financial documents if they come accompanied with a letter from the issuing authority
• Certified English language test certificate (unless exempt)
• Details and proof of relationship
• Proof that you have been living in the UK with your spouse for the duration of your visa so far

Spouse Visa extension fees and processing times

The fee for Spouse visa extension applications is £1,321. However, other fees may need to be considered.

If any of your documents or information are written in any language other than English or Welsh, they will need to be professionally translated. Also, if you are required to sit the English language test, this is another cost to take into consideration.

You will also need to continue paying the immigration healthcare surcharge, which is £1035  per year for adults.

It will normally take up to 8 or 12 weeks to process your spouse visa extension application, depending on how well you fit the eligibility.

What is the Spouse visa renewal application process?

Once you have gathered all your evidence and documents together and completed the FLR (M) form, your application needs to be sent to the Home Office.

It is essential that you make the full payment once the application is complete and ready to send. If you fail to make the payment in full, your application will be automatically rejected,

Standard UK spouse visa renewal applications should take no longer than eight weeks to process. However, a much quicker decision can be obtained through the super priority service available for most UK visas. This service will process the renewal application within one working day and costs an additional £1000.

What are the next steps after a Spouse Visa extension?

If your spouse visa extension application has been accepted, you will be permitted to stay in the UK for a further 30 months. This will mean that once the extension has expired, you will have lived in the UK for a total of five years.

If you intend to settle permanently in the UK, the next step is to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain status. This is a form of permanent residence that enables a person to live and work in the UK without restrictions.

Once someone has been living in the UK under Indefinite Leave to Remain for 12 months, they will be eligible to apply for naturalisation and to become a British citizen. They will also become eligible to apply for a British passport.

Can IAS Help Me Extend My Spouse Visa?

Yes. At Immigration Advice Service, we provide expert guidance and support to those who want to extend their spouse visa after 2.5 years. Our goal is to ensure you can remain in the UK with your partner, and if you desire, obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain after living in the UK for five years.

We provide advice, document collation support, application support, and more to give you the highest chances of success. Call us today at +44 (0)333 414 9244 for immediate assistance.