We recently have received some excellent news that our client (“the Applicant”) has been granted his spouse visa extension. The Applicant is a returning client and was happy to seek further support from our specialist immigration solicitors. We considered the Applicant’s current circumstance and guided him to a successful spouse visa extension. Please contact our immigration team in order to arrange a consultation to discuss your spouse visa extension case in more detail.
The case for Spouse Visa Extension Application
The Applicant was a national of Nepal and he had previously instructed us to prepare his fiancé visa and initial spouse visa applications. As his 30 month initial spouse visa was coming to an end, he instructed us once again in order to attain his spouse visa extension for a further 30 months to remain in the UK with his British spouse and their two British children. The Applicant met the financial requirements met through his and his wife’s combined salaried employment income which was above the minimum income requirement. He is on the five year route to settlement so may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in two and half years.
What is a spouse visa extension?
A spouse visa extension will allow you to carry on living in the UK as a spouse of a British citizen or settled person. If you arrived in the UK on a spouse visa you would have been granted leave to enter for 30 months and this will need to be renewed for a further 30 months before you will be eligible for indefinite leave to remain (if you are on the 5-year route to settlement). In order to apply for settlement on the spouse route, Applicants need to apply for at least one extension (this will be three extensions for Applicants on the 10-year route to settlement). It is also possible to switch into the spouse visa route from within the UK if the Applicant is currently in the UK under another eligible visa category (i.e. Skilled Worker or Student Visa). Fresh Home Office application fees and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fees need to be paid for each extension so it can be a costly procedure.
What are the main requirements for a spouse visa extension application?
There are a number of requirements that a spouse visa extension Applicant needs to meet before being granted their 30-month extension:
- The first requirement being the relationship requirements, this meaning that the relationship is still genuine and subsisting (demonstrated by a range of documentary evidence);
- The second requirement Applicants are required to demonstrate that they meet the financial threshold of £18,600 individually or jointly with their sponsor (this can be met through salaried employment income, self-employment income, cash savings or other sources of income such as pensions) – please see below for further information; and
- The third requirement is the English language requirement (the Home Office introduced a English Language requirement at Level A2 of the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) for spouse visa extension applications);
- It is also important for Applicants to demonstrate that they have met all of the Home Office requirements listed under immigration rules such as the immigration status requirement and that they do not fall under the general grounds for refusal.
How can I meet the financial requirement for a spouse visa extension application?
As previously mentioned, the financial requirement can be satisfied by a number of ways, as long as the Applicants is able to meet the £18,600 threshold. This can be using the Applicant’s income, the Sponsor’s income or a combination of both; unlike entry clearance spouse visa applications where only the Sponsor’s income may be used.
The most common way to meet the financial requirement is either through employment or self-employment income, although cash savings may be used on its own or in conjunction with salaried employment income (but not self-employment income). To rely solely on cash savings, the Applicant must demonstrate funds of at least £62,500 are readily available to the Applicant and or Sponsor and have been held continuously above that level for a period of 6 months.
How can our immigration solicitors in London assist with successful spouse visa extension applications?
Our team of solicitors and barristers are specialist immigration lawyers who act in your best interest. We offer a client-tailored approach from the outset. From the very first meeting, we will be able to advise you in respect of your immigration status and the merit of your Further Leave to Remain spouse visa application before your matter even reaches the Home Office UK Visa & Immigration department. We can assist you with the preparation and submission of your UK Visas and Immigration Application and ensure that you meet all the requirements of the relevant rules under Appendix FM and FM-SE.
Using our Immigration Solicitors in London submit a Spouse visa extension application
Legal representatives, such as our specialist immigration and visa law firm, are qualified to advise you on immigration law and your immigration matter. You can instruct one of our immigration and visa legal representatives to successfully assist you with a Spouse visa extension application. Our solicitors and Barristers will help you comply with the Home Office’s requirements and meet the Immigration Rules.
Caseworkers at the Home Office are trained to reject applications, which are improperly prepared, for example by failing to provide the correct supporting evidence. In order to ensure your application succeeds, our solicitors and barristers will ensure all specified documents must be provided.
The UK Immigration Rules are complex and a legal representative can help ensure that your application meets the Immigration Rules.
Successfully submit a Spouse visa extension application with our Immigration Solicitors in London
Our team of solicitors and barristers are specialist immigration lawyers who act in your best interest. We offer a client-tailored approach from the outset. From the very first meeting, we will be able to advise you in respect of your prospects of submitting a visa application before your application even reaches the Home Office UK Visa & Immigration department. We can assist you with the preparation and submission of a Spouse visa extension application and ensure that you meet all the requirements under the Immigration Rules.