Bringing a foreign partner to the UK: family visa

Your passport gets you through the e-gates; your husband, wife or partner needs a visa. Plan the money test before you plan the leaving do, because it's the part that trips up most couples coming home.

The short version

A non-British partner usually needs a family visa as a partner. You both have to be 18 or over and intend to live together permanently in the UK [1].
The minimum income requirement is £29,000 a year for new applications, in force since 11 April 2024 [2][3]. It doesn't go up for children [3].
If you're both abroad now, you can count overseas earnings if you have a confirmed UK job starting within three months of your return [3].
Savings can replace income: amounts above £16,000 count, divided by 2.5 for entry and extensions [3].
English goes A1, then A2, then the settlement level. The first visa lasts up to 2 years 9 months, and settlement is usually possible after 5 years [1][4].
The Migration Advisory Committee's 2025 review suggested a lower range, but the government has not changed the £29,000 figure [5].

Who the visa is for

The partner route covers a spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner you've lived with in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years. Fiancé(e)s have a separate six-month visa to come and marry first. Your partner applies; you are the "sponsor" [1].

Applications from outside the UK go through the online system and a visa application centre for fingerprints and a photo. Expect to pay the application fee and the immigration health surcharge for the length of the visa. Both have risen in recent years, so check the current amounts on GOV.UK before you budget; for a couple, the total for the first visa easily runs into thousands of pounds. Fee waivers exist for people who genuinely can't pay [1].

The minimum income requirement

The number

For new partner applications, you need a gross annual income of at least £29,000 between you, unless you're exempt [2]. The Home Office raised it from £18,600 to £29,000 on 11 April 2024 [3]. Planned further rises, towards roughly £38,700, were paused and never brought in.

If your partner was already on the route before 11 April 2024 and stays with the same sponsor, older rules can still apply at extension. Check the transitional provisions in the Home Office guidance [3].

The 2025 review: proposed, not in force

In June 2025 the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published its review of the financial requirement. It didn't recommend a single figure, but suggested measures based on the sponsor's own ability to support a family fell between £19,000 and £28,000, with a narrower band of £23,000 to £25,000 coming out of several approaches [5]. As of November 2026, the government has not changed the threshold, and £29,000 is what's on GOV.UK [2].

Whose income counts

Employment and self-employment income can be in your name, your partner's name, or both, but your partner's income only counts if they're already in the UK with permission to work [3]. Income from other family members in the household doesn't count [3].

If you're both still abroad: Category A and B

This is the part written for people like you. The Home Office has rules for a sponsor returning to the UK with their partner [3]:

Route	What you need
Category A	Employed abroad for at least the last 6 months at a salary that meets the threshold, plus a confirmed UK job offer starting within 3 months of your return
Category B	Not necessarily employed now, but earned at least the threshold abroad in the last 12 months, plus a confirmed UK job offer starting within 3 months of your return

The guidance also sets conditions on the UK job offer itself, so read the returning-sponsor section in full before you resign from anything. Remote work for a foreign employer, freelance work and self-employment have their own evidence rules, so check the guidance carefully, and keep payslips and bank statements that match each other.

Using savings instead

Cash savings held for at least six months can fill a gap. Only the amount above £16,000 counts, and for the first visa and extensions it's divided by 2.5 [3]. To meet the whole requirement from savings alone, that works out at £88,500 (£16,000 plus 2.5 times £29,000). Smaller savings can top up a lower salary.

Exemptions

You don't need to meet the £29,000 figure if you, as sponsor, receive certain disability or carer's benefits, including Personal Independence Payment and Carer's Allowance. Instead, you must show you can support and house your family adequately without extra public funds [2].

The English language requirement

Your partner must show English at set levels at each stage [4]:

First visa: at least CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening, from an approved provider.
Extension after about 2.5 years: at least A2, unless they already passed A2 or higher.
Settlement after 5 years: the settlement level. A B1 or higher pass can be reused if it's still approved.

Nationals of majority English-speaking countries are exempt, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, Jamaica, and several Caribbean countries [4]. So is someone with a degree taught in English (a UK degree, or an overseas one confirmed by Ecctis), anyone over 65, and people with a physical or mental condition that prevents them meeting it [4].

The settlement level is rising. On 5 March 2026 the Home Office laid rules raising the settlement English standard for most applicants to an A-level-equivalent standard (B2), taking effect in March 2027 [6]. Check which level applies to your partner's route when they apply.

The route to settlement

The first visa from outside the UK lasts up to 2 years and 9 months. Extensions give up to 2 years and 6 months more. After 5 continuous years as a partner, your partner can usually apply for indefinite leave to remain, then British citizenship [1].

On 2 November 2026 the Home Secretary set out the "earned settlement" model, which makes 10 years the standard wait for most migrants. The announcement says family members of British citizens "will keep their current pathways" [7]. The detailed rules haven't been published and there's no start date yet, so treat anything beyond today's five-year route as announced, not in force.

If your partner is American, our sister site ExpatStateside covers indefinite leave to remain and British citizenship for Americans.

Planning the move

Line up the UK job first. For Category A or B, the offer has to be confirmed and start within three months of your return [3].
Gather evidence early. Six months of payslips and matching bank statements, a marriage or civil partnership certificate, or proof of two years living together.
Book the English test, unless your partner is exempt [4].
Find somewhere to live. You need adequate accommodation without overcrowding. A tenancy, a family member's letter or your own place all work with the right paperwork.
Budget for fees and the health surcharge, checked on GOV.UK the week you apply [1].
Apply from abroad, then travel together once the visa is granted.

It's admin-heavy, and nobody enjoys photocopying three years of WhatsApp messages, but couples do get through it every week. Our community groups for Brits abroad have members who've been through it recently.

Bringing a non-British partner to the UK later: the family visa explained