What To Do If You Can’t Pay the Spouse Visa Fee

Overview of the Spouse Visa Fee

The UK Spouse and Partner visas typically cost £1,846 to apply for from outside the UK, or £1,258 if applying from within the UK.

This is a reasonably high fee that not all applicants may be able to apply for.

However, the Home Office has provisions in place to ensure that certain groups of people who cannot afford the fee can still apply.

This is known as a fee waiver, and removes the need for certain vulnerable groups of people to have to pay the application fee for a Spouse visa.

However, there are some strict requirements that individuals must meet to be eligible for a fee waiver, and a fee waiver can only be granted in certain exceptional circumstances.

Who Is Eligible for a Spouse Visa Fee Waiver?

Your eligibility for a Spouse visa fee waiver will be based on your own financial circumstances when applying for a visa.

In short, you must prove to the Home Office that you are incapable of paying the fee for the visa because the cost of the fee is beyond your means or paying it would place you under undue financial hardship.

For example, this may apply in one or more of the following situations:

• You have very low, or no income and you struggle to pay for things such as food and housing
• You are in receipt of state benefits or welfare
• You have a child or children and paying the fee would result in undue hardship for them

There may also be other circumstances that also make you eligible for a fee waiver.

How Will the Home Office Assess Your Application for a Spouse Visa Fee Waiver?

When submitting an application for a fee waiver, the Home Office will carefully assess the application and the evidence you have provided. They will also take into account your sponsor for the visa as well and their financial situation.

They will consider things such as the following:

• If you have an urgent need to travel to the UK, and if not, whether you or your sponsor could be reasonably expected to save up for the application fee.
• If you cannot afford the fee even if you, your sponsor and any children’s accommodation and essential living needs are being met, such as if you’re being supported by family and friends, a charity or NGO, or through your country’s government.
• If you or your sponsor have any savings or have made reasonable efforts to save for the application fee over the past 6 months.
• If you and your sponsor have spend more money than you have absolutely had to prior to the application

The Home Office will need comprehensive evidence in order to approve you for a fee waiver, so you must ensure that you send as much evidence as possible to help support your case.

How Do I Apply for a Spouse Visa Fee Waiver?

You must apply for a Spouse visa fee waiver online through the gov.uk website.

You must also apply for a fee waiver before you make an application for a Spouse or Partner visa.

When applying for a fee waiver, you will be asked to give information about you, your sponsor, any dependents and anyone else in your household, including anyone who helps you with money, accommodation, or essential living needs.

You will also have to upload a range of supporting documents to help support your case.

After you apply, the Home Office will consider your case and let you know the result of your application by email or letter.

If your application is approved, you will receive a personalised code that you can use in your Spouse visa application.

It is free to apply for a fee waiver.

What Documents Should I Send for a Spouse Visa Fee Waiver Application?

There is no definite list of documents you should send for a fee waiver application as all individual cases will vary in terms of what evidence needs to be provided.

However, you may typically have to send in things such as the following:

• You and your sponsor’s bank statements from all of our accounts from the previous 6 months of the date of application
• A full monthly breakdown of you and your sponsor’s spending and income
• Evidence that you or your sponsor are being supported by a charity or local authority, and evidence if this support is no longer continuing
• Any other relevant evidence

Home Office guidance states that caseworkers can exercise “evidential flexibility” when assessing cases, which means that they can use their own discretion to decide on a case even with missing evidence.

However, there still must be a clear and compelling case to be made for the fee waiver to be approved.

If you have not provided sufficient evidence with your application, the Home Office may contact you to request further documents or information.

Why Might A Spouse Visa Fee Waiver Application Be Rejected?

The Home Office may reject your application for a fee waiver for various reasons.

These may include (but not be limited to) the following:

• You haven’t provided enough reliable information about your circumstances
• You have intentionally disposed of funds
• You’ve been purchasing non-essential items with your income or you’ve been spending money excessively
• You do have sufficient savings or income to pay for the application fee in excess of your essential spending
• You haven’t taken reasonable steps to ensure you have sufficient funds to pay for the application fee

How Can IAS Help?

It can be a stressful if you wish to apply for a Spouse visa and don’t meet all of the requirements, or are unable to pay for the application fee.

If you’re looking to come to the UK on a Spouse or Partner visa and are unsure of what your options are, or how to proceed, IAS can help.

We are a team of expert and compassionate immigration lawyers who can work with you to explore all of your options to enable you to reunite with your partner in the UK. We can help advise and assist you to navigate the UK immigration rules to help reunite you and your partner in the UK, or help with any other immigration issue you may have.

We can also provide expert advice if you or your partner do not meet the Spouse visa financial requirements, providing a complete assessment of your situation and offering tailored advice to help your case.

To arrange an advice session with one of our advisers, reach out to us on +44 (0)333 414 9244 or contact us via our online form.