Behind all UK family visa applications is a couple deciding to build their life in the UK. Appendix FM is the part of the Immigration Rules that governs that decision for partners, spouses, fiancés, civil partners and unmarried partners of British and settled people. It sets out who qualifies, the requirements each application must meet, and the form in which those requirements must be evidenced. An application that does not meet a requirement of Appendix FM, or does not evidence it in the form prescribed, may be refused. This post provides an overview of Appendix FM for a UK Partner and Child Dependant visas.
What is Appendix FM?
Appendix FM is the family route of the Immigration Rules, governing applications made on the basis of family life with a person in the UK. It covers partners, children, and certain other family members of British citizens, settled persons and those with status under the EU Settlement Scheme. GOV.UK publishes the rule in full as Appendix FM: family members.
The partner provisions of Appendix FM are the foundation of the Spouse Visa, the Fiancé Visa, the Unmarried Partner Visa and the Civil Partner Visa. Each of these is a single legal route expressed through the same set of requirements. The route taken depends on the nature of the relationship rather than on a different body of rules.
Who can apply under Appendix FM?
An applicant can apply under the partner route of Appendix FM where the applicant is the partner of a person who is British, settled in the UK, or in the UK with limited leave under the EU Settlement Scheme. The sponsor’s status is the starting point for eligibility. The applicant must be the spouse, civil partner, fiancé, proposed civil partner or unmarried partner of that sponsor.
The relationship category determines which conditions attach to the application. A spouse or civil partner relies on a valid marriage or civil partnership recognised in the UK. An unmarried partner must show a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership, the meaning of which is examined in the guide on a relationship akin to marriage. A fiancé or proposed civil partner applies to enter the UK in order to marry or form a civil partnership, and then switches into the route as a spouse or civil partner. The distinction between the married and unmarried routes is set out in the comparison of the Spouse Visa and the Unmarried Partner Visa.
What are the suitability requirements under Appendix FM?
The suitability requirements are a set of character and conduct grounds that an applicant must not fall foul of. They are assessed before the relationship and other eligibility requirements and can result in refusal on their own. Appendix FM no longer sets out its own suitability grounds. It reaches the general framework by cross-reference: EC-P.1.1(c) requires that an applicant for entry clearance as a partner must not fall for refusal under Section S-EC, and S-EC.1.1 in turn requires that they must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability. S-LTR.1.1 states the same for an application made from inside the UK.
This changed on 11 November 2025. The statement of changes HC 1333 deleted the suitability paragraphs that were bespoke to the family routes, everything from S-EC.1.2 to S-EC.3.2 and from S-LTR.1.2 to S-LTR.4.5, and applied the common Part Suitability framework to Appendix FM, Appendix Private Life, Appendix Adult Dependant Relative and Appendix Settlement Family Life. Guidance written against the deleted paragraphs, or against the former Part 9 grounds for refusal, no longer states the operative rule (as of July 2026).
Suitability addresses matters such as criminal convictions, a previous breach of immigration conditions, deception in a current or previous application, and certain debts owed to the NHS. The grounds are framed so that some lead to mandatory refusal and others to refusal on a discretionary basis. An application that raises a suitability issue is fact-sensitive, and the effect of a particular matter depends on its nature and its seriousness. Time elapsed does not always help. A custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more, imposed in the UK or overseas, is a mandatory refusal under SUI 5.1 however long ago it was served, because that ground carries no time qualifier.
How is the relationship requirement met under Appendix FM?
The relationship requirement is met where the couple are in a genuine and subsisting relationship and intend to live together permanently in the UK. Both parties must be aged 18 or over. Any previous marriage, civil partnership or similar relationship must have permanently broken down, and the parties must not be so closely related that the relationship is prohibited.
For an unmarried partner, the relationship must be akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years before the application. For a fiancé or proposed civil partner, the couple must intend to marry or form a civil partnership within a defined period after entry. Whatever the category, the relationship is evidenced rather than asserted, and the documents that establish a genuine and subsisting relationship are addressed in the guide on proof of relationship documents.
How is the financial requirement met under Appendix FM?
The financial requirement is the minimum income or savings threshold that an applicant and sponsor must demonstrate, known as the minimum income requirement (MIR). It can be met through income from salaried or non-salaried employment, self-employment, income from a specified limited company, non-employment income, pension income, qualifying cash savings, or a permitted combination of these. Each income sources is categorised and the requirement is set out in Appendix FM, and the evidence rules sit in Appendix FM-SE.
Currently, the financial requirement is £29,000 per annum and the manner each income source is calculated can be found in the UK Spouse and Partner Visa Financial Requirement Guide. Where the sponsor is in salaried employment, the income is assessed under Category A or Category B depending on how long the sponsor has held the job. Where income is variable or non-salaried, a distinct method of calculation applies, examined in the guide on variable and non-salaried employment income. Self-employment and director income are assessed differently again, as set out in the guide on self-employment and director income.
How is the English language requirement met under Appendix FM?
The English language requirement requires the applicant to demonstrate a specified level of English unless an exemption applies. The level required rises at each stage of the route, from entry clearance, to extension, to settlement. It can be met by passing an approved Secure English Language Test, by holding a degree taught in English, or by being a national of a majority English-speaking country.
Exemptions apply in defined circumstances, including age and certain physical or mental conditions that prevent a person from meeting the requirement. The levels by stage and the approved ways of meeting them are set out in the guide on the English language requirement for a partner visa.
What is the accommodation and maintenance requirement?
Appendix FM requires that the couple will be adequately accommodated and maintained in the UK without recourse to public funds. Adequate accommodation means accommodation that the family will occupy legally and exclusively and that is not, and will not become, overcrowded or in breach of public health regulations. The accommodation need not be owned by the couple.
The requirement can be met where the couple will live in property they own or rent, or in accommodation provided by a family member, provided the space is adequate for the household. The way adequacy is assessed, and the role of an independent property inspection report, are addressed in the guide on accommodation requirements. The maintenance element concerns the couple’s ability to support themselves, which on the partner route is met through the financial requirement above.
What is Appendix FM-SE and why does it matter?
Appendix FM-SE is the companion appendix that specifies the evidence required to prove the financial requirement, and certain other requirements, under Appendix FM. It prescribes which documents are acceptable, the period each must cover, and the format in which each must be provided. GOV.UK publishes it as Appendix FM-SE: family members specified evidence.
The significance of Appendix FM-SE is that the financial requirement is met not only by earning or holding enough, but by evidencing it in exactly the prescribed form. A sponsor may comfortably exceed the income threshold yet still face refusal where, for example, payslips and bank statements do not correspond, or a document specified by the appendix is missing. Applications that do not present income in the form prescribed by Appendix FM-SE may be refused. The appendix does provide an evidential flexibility provision in limited circumstances, which allows the decision-maker to request a missing or defective document in certain defined situations.
What are the five-year and ten-year routes under Appendix FM?
Appendix FM contains two partner routes to settlement: a five-year route and a ten-year route. The five-year route applies where the applicant meets all of the eligibility requirements, including the financial and English language requirements, in full. An applicant on the five-year route can ordinarily apply for settlement after five years of continuous leave on that route.
The ten-year route applies where the applicant cannot meet one or more of the eligibility requirements but the refusal of the application would breach the right to family life. This typically engages the exception in Appendix FM known as EX.1, which applies where there are insurmountable obstacles to family life continuing outside the UK, or, in the case of a child, where it would not be reasonable to expect the child to leave. An applicant on the ten-year route can ordinarily apply for settlement after ten years of continuous leave on that route.
How does Appendix FM lead to settlement?
Appendix FM leads to settlement through indefinite leave to remain once the applicable qualifying period on the relevant route is complete and the requirements at that stage are met. On the five-year route, this means completing five years of continuous leave as a partner, meeting the financial and English language requirements, and passing the Life in the UK Test. Settlement as a partner is examined in the guide on indefinite leave to remain as a spouse.
A grant of indefinite leave to remain ends the conditions attached to limited leave, including the restriction on recourse to public funds. After settlement, a partner may in due course be eligible to apply for British citizenship, subject to the separate requirements of the British Nationality Act 1981. Where an application under Appendix FM is refused, the appropriate course is usually to address the reason for refusal and make a fresh application, rather than to assume the route is closed.
Frequently asked questions
Appendix FM is the part of the Immigration Rules under which a Spouse Visa is granted. The Spouse Visa, Fiancé Visa, Unmarried Partner Visa and Civil Partner Visa are all applications made under the partner provisions of Appendix FM. The name of the visa reflects the relationship, while Appendix FM is the legal framework that all of them share.
Yes. Appendix FM applies both to entry clearance applications made from outside the UK and to applications for leave to remain and settlement made from inside the UK. The requirements are broadly consistent across these stages, though the English language level and certain evidence rules differ by stage.
The five-year route is for applicants who meet all of the eligibility requirements, including the financial and English language requirements. The ten-year route is for applicants who cannot meet one of those requirements but who qualify under the family life exception, EX.1. The ten-year route requires twice as long before settlement can be applied for.
It can. The financial requirement must be evidenced in the precise form set out in Appendix FM-SE. An application supported by income that is genuine but not documented as the appendix requires may be refused. Aligning the evidence with Appendix FM-SE is as important as meeting the threshold itself.
For a spouse or civil partner, prior cohabitation is not a formal requirement, though evidence of the relationship is needed. For an unmarried partner, the couple must ordinarily demonstrate that they have been in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years before applying.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
Appendix FM brings together suitability, relationship, financial, English language and accommodation requirements, each with its own evidence rules under Appendix FM-SE. The friction in most applications lies less in meeting the requirements than in documenting them in the exact form the appendix prescribes. A small mismatch between specified documents can place an otherwise strong application at risk of refusal.
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team advises partners and sponsors across the family visa routes, from first entry clearance applications through to extension and settlement. The team works through each requirement of Appendix FM against the evidence the couple can provide, and identifies the income category and document set that fit the sponsor’s circumstances. This is particularly valuable for the couple meeting the financial requirement through a combination of sources, where the evidence rules are most exacting. To discuss your application with our team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Sources
- Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members – GOV.UK
- Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE: family members specified evidence – GOV.UK
Written and reviewed by the Whytecroft Ford immigration team. IAA Accredited. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including the Immigration Rules, Home Office caseworker guidance and GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a rule change. Last reviewed: 10 June 2026.
