Spouse Visa Refusal

A Spouse Visa refusal can be a devastating result, but sadly is all too common. The UK Spouse Visa is notorious for high refusal rates as UKVI assesses each application with a fine-tooth comb.

Indeed, there is little room for error in this type of visa application yet applicants continue to fall victim to tedious and preventable mistakes which cause their Spouse Visa to be rejected.

The key to success starts with identifying the common reasons Spousal Visas are refused. Learn how you can avoid the same fate by avoiding the following mistakes.

An inadequate portfolio of documents

The Spouse Visa rules contain a lengthy list of eligibility criteria and requirements. As such, applicants must prove that they can meet each and every requirement by submitting a bundle of documents for proof.

This includes evidence of meeting the Spouse Visa requirements, such as the English language requirement, minimum income requirement and genuine relationship requirement. In addition, you also need to provide proof of both yours and your partners’ identity and where you plan on living together in the UK.

There is by no means an exhaustive list of what you can include in the Spouse Visa application. However, it is important to note that there is a fine line between what constitutes as too much evidence as well as too little. Either way, any gaps or excessive and irrelevant information in your portfolio can cause significant delays with your visa.

The minimum financial requirement is not met

Another common reason your UK Spouse Visa has been refused could be because you have failed to meet the minimum income requirement, or you did not provide sufficient evidence of your finances.

To be eligible for a Spouse Visa, the ordinarily resident partner of the UK must earn at least £18,600 per annum. This is vital in order to ‘sponsor’ your husband, wife or civil partner from overseas. The income threshold then rises to an additional £3,800 for the first child dependent and £2,400 for each child thereafter, if applicable.

Fortunately, there are alternative ways you can meet the financial requirement of the Spouse Visa aside from the traditional route of employment. Get in touch with our expert team of immigration specialists to learn how you can pass the financial requirement if you earn below the threshold.

UKVI does not believe your relationship is genuine or subsisting

Finally, a main reason why the UK Married Partner Visa is refused boils down to insufficient evidence of having a genuine and subsisting relationship.

UKVI assesses the legitimacy of your relationship with close scrutiny. Any gaps in your relationship timeline or insufficient evidence of your cohabitation is likely to result in a Letter of Refusal.

You will need to supply evidence of your relationship which starts from the day you met. Your marriage certificate is not enough to prove that you are genuinely together – you need to provide personal documents like photographs together, holidays taken together, travel tickets of visiting one another, evidence of prior accommodation that you shared and any other information like text messages and receipts of gifts bought for one another.

Your document bundle must point to prove that you are in a genuine and subsisting relationship, which is arguably the hardest part of the entire Spouse Visa application.