A spouse visa extension, or spouse visa renewal, refers to a procedure that enables an applicant, who is already staying in the UK and who qualifies under spouse or partner categories of the visas, to extend their stay beyond the initial period originally granted on the primary visa. In official terms, it is an application for additional leave to remain in the UK. Throughout the application process, there are requirements that you need to fulfill to justify that you are still in a genuine relationship, can financially support yourself, speak and understand English adequately, and abide by immigration rules.

If the application for a spouse visa renewal is successful, the applicant will be granted an additional extension to live in the UK for 30 months (2.5 years). This, together with the initial period of 30 months (or 33 months if applying from outside the UK), should be enough for you to complete the requirements of residing for 5 years to be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Then, if for any reason you do not qualify for ILR or wish not to apply for it, you can continue to indefinitely renew your UK Spouse Visa extension.

Requirements for UK Spouse Visa Extension

The process for extending your spouse visa is quite similar to that of the first application for the Spouse visa. Therefore, you will be required to meet criteria related to your relationship, earnings, English language, and character. If you have fulfilled these areas, your Spouse visa renewal application will likely be successful. 

The requirements to apply for a UK spouse visa extension are as follows:

Relationship Requirement – You must still be in a subsisting and genuine relationship with your spouse, a settled person, a British citizen, or an individual with humanitarian/refugee protection status in the UK. 

Financial Requirement – You and your partner are required to meet the financial requirement of a combined income of £18,600 for initial spouse visa applications before 11 April 2024. This figure will increase if you are supporting dependent children together. To apply for an extension on or after 11 April 2024, you must show a combined income of £29,000. Income can be from self-employment, savings, employment, or any combination of the three. For further clarification of the financial requirement, you can visit the official Immigration site of the UK government.  

English language requirement – You will have to show a minimum requirement of English, passing a UK-approved English language test at level A1 or above. Otherwise, you must have a degree taught in English, or you are a citizen of a majority English-speaking country. 

Accommodation Requirement – You will need to show that you have appropriate accommodation for you, your spouse, and any dependents and that it is not overcrowded and adequate.

Character Requirement – You will need to show you are of good character and prove that you have not broken any immigration rules or any criminal laws while in the UK.

Processing Time of UK Spouse Visa Extension Applications 

In spouse visa extensions, the time frames change during the year depending on demand. In most cases, applicants usually need to wait for 8 to 12 weeks for a decision under a standard application. The processing duration counts from the date of your biometric appointment and not the date when you filled out the online form. You can use your pending application for a spouse visa extension as permission to continue living, working, and studying in the United Kingdom, even if your current visa has expired. However, the applicant cannot travel overseas despite having his passport.

If you need a faster decision about your application for work, travel, or personal reasons, we advise you to use the priority services of UKVI. They give a decision within 5 working days or even 1 working day depending on the payment of the additional fee. Costs for a fast UK Spouse Visa application can be seen in the costs section below. 

Cost of UK Spouse Visa Extension Applications 

The three distinct costs are involved in extending your spouse’s visa in the UK. An application form fee, sometimes called a government fee, is the first one. Currently, to have your Spouse visa extended, it costs £1,048. The next cost is of Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is £1035 a year per adult and £776 plummeting down to age 18 in the case of children. You also need to know that you are to pay the IHS fee entirely upfront at application time for a 2.5-year Spouse extension visa.

The third cost in connection with the extension of a spouse visa is booking your biometric appointment. These appointments can cost anywhere from free (no cost appointments) to as much as £250 if you try to book it on short notice. Cost is determined mainly by availability as well as the urgency of the appointment. The only potential additional amount to consider will come from applying under a priority application service, which speeds up the decision regarding your application. The price for these priority services is presently an additional £500 for a decision in five days or £1,000 for a decision on the next working day. Costs for these appointments will also likely increase imminently.

Conclusion 

Not the simplest of processes, but when done correctly it can help you get the ILR status after a total of 5 years. Also, it is necessary to prepare in advance when applying for the extension of a UK spouse visa. You must make your application before the expiration of your current Spouse visa. If you allow the visa to expire, you will need to return to your home country and apply again from outside the UK. This will also restart the eligibility clock from when you first entered the UK from outside it. If you are feeling overwhelmed with all the rules and regulations, hiring an immigration solicitor London can help you apply stress-free.