Civil Partner Visa UK

Recent and Upcoming Changes

• From 11 April 2024, the minimum income requirement (MIR) for applicants new to the partner route rose to £29,000.
• Applicants who were already on the route before that date keep transitional protection, and may continue to rely on the previous £18,600 threshold when renewing with the same partner.
• The separate child element of the MIR has been removed for applicants on the £29,000 figure. The threshold no longer rises with the number of children included in the application.
• English language progression runs through the route: A1 in speaking and listening at entry, A2 at extension under paragraph E-LTRP.4.1A, and B1 across all four skills at ILR, paired with a Life in the UK test pass.
• The May 2025 Immigration White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, proposes doubling the qualifying period for settlement from five to ten years under an “earned settlement” framework. It also signals higher English language thresholds at each stage, and closer scrutiny of family route applications.
• These measures are currently proposals. Where enacted, and subject to the relevant Statement of Changes, they would materially extend time on the partner route before ILR becomes available. We will update this page as each measure is laid before Parliament.

Who Can Apply

You can apply if you are in a valid civil partnership with a qualifying UK sponsor and you both intend to live together in the UK.

You must be:

• aged 18 or over on the date of application
• in a civil partnership registered under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, or an overseas equivalent recognised under Schedule 20
• free of any prior marriage or civil partnership

Your sponsor must be one of the following:

• a British or Irish citizen
• a person with ILR or Indefinite Leave to Enter
• a person with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, and in limited cases pre-settled status where the relationship qualifies under Appendix EU or Appendix FM

You can apply from outside the UK for entry clearance, or from inside the UK for leave to remain if your current status allows you to switch into the partner route.

UK Civil Partner Visa Requirements

You must meet every requirement under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, as stated below. 

• A civil partnership registered in the UK under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, or an overseas equivalent recognised under Schedule 20 of that Act.
• Both parties aged 18 or over on the date of application.
• A genuine and subsisting relationship, with a settled intention to live together permanently in the UK.
• Both parties free to form the civil partnership, evidenced by decree absolute, dissolution order, annulment order or death certificate for any prior marriage or civil partnership.
• A gross income of at least £29,000 a year or a qualifying mix of income and savings.
• English language at CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening, or a recognised exemption.
• Adequate accommodation in the UK which the household can occupy exclusively, without overcrowding under Part X of the Housing Act 1985.
• You have not broken any laws
• A Tuberculosis test certificate where you apply from a country on the Home Office TB screening list.

The Relationship Requirement

You must show your civil partnership is valid, that the relationship is genuine and subsisting at the date of application, and that you both intend to live together permanently in the UK.

What the Home Office UKVI looks for:

• a valid civil partnership certificate, with apostille, legalisation or certified translation where needed
• evidence that covers the full history of the relationship, not just the application date
• a settled intention to cohabit as civil partners in the UK, rather than a short or temporary arrangement

Useful evidence includes:

• a joint tenancy, mortgage or shared household bills
• joint bank accounts or regular money transfers between you
• correspondence to both parties at the same address
• photographs across different points in the relationship, with context on where and when they were taken
• messages, call logs or travel records that show sustained contact before and during any period apart
• statements from family and friends speaking to the relationship

If your civil partnership was registered overseas, check Schedule 20 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 against the jurisdiction. Where the partnership falls outside that list, take advice before you apply, because the Home Office will treat recognition as a threshold question. Where you and your sponsor have spent time apart, build your evidence to cover that period so that genuineness and subsistence are not open to challenge on the papers.

The Financial Requirement

You must show a combined gross income of at least £29,000 a year, or the equivalent in qualifying savings, or a qualifying combination of the two.

The rules sit at paragraphs E-ECP.3.1 and E-LTRP.3.1 of Appendix FM, applied through the evidence rules in Appendix FM-SE. Applicants who were already on the partner route before 11 April 2024 may still rely on the £18,600 transitional threshold when renewing with the same partner.

You can meet the threshold using one or more of these categories:

• Category A: salaried or non-salaried employment, same employer for at least six months.
• Category B: current employment plus total income over the preceding 12 months, where Category A is not met on current salary alone.
• Category C: non-employment income, such as rental or dividend income, held for at least 12 months before the application.
• Category D: qualifying cash savings.
• Category E: pension income in payment for at least 28 days.
• Categories F and G: self-employment or income as a director or employee of a specified limited company, evidenced from the last full financial year (F) or averaged across the last two (G).

Cash Savings route:

• £88,500 or more, held for six consecutive months in a qualifying account
• under the control of the applicant, sponsor, or both
• the figure comes from paragraph 11A of Appendix FM-SE: £16,000 plus 2.5 times the £29,000 threshold
• savings below £88,500 may still help when combined with income under a qualifying hybrid calculation

Practical points:

• the evidential requirements in Appendix FM-SE are prescriptive; missing payslips, bank statements or employer letters are a common reason for refusal
• self-employed sponsors should plan the application around their financial year end
• at the five year point, you will need to meet the same financial test again when you apply for ILR under paragraph R-ILRP on form SET(M)

The English Language Requirement

You must prove English at CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening for a first application.

The rules sit at paragraph E-ECP.4.1 of Appendix FM, with evidence at Appendix English Language.

You can meet the requirement in one of three ways:

• pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT) in speaking and listening at a Home Office approved centre
• hold an academic qualification taught in English and confirmed by UK ENIC as equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree or above
• be a national of a majority English speaking country listed in Appendix FM and Appendix KoLL

You are exempt if:

• you are aged 65 or over on the date of application
• you have a long term physical or mental condition that prevents you meeting the requirement, evidenced by a letter from a qualified practitioner.

Path to Settlement

Indefinite Leave to Remain (Settlement)  as a civil partner is applied for on application form SET(M) under paragraph R-ILRP of Appendix FM after five continuous years on the route, made up of the initial 33 month grant (or 30 months from inside the UK) and a 30 month extension under paragraph R-LTRP.

At the ILR stage you must still be in a genuine and subsisting civil partnership with the same sponsor, meet the financial requirement, and pass the B1 English and Life in the UK tests. Once ILR is granted, civil partners of British citizens may apply for naturalisation under section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 as soon as they hold ILR, subject to three years of lawful residence and good character. Civil partners of settled persons apply under section 6(1) and must generally have held ILR for 12 months before applying.

If the White Paper proposals are enacted, the qualifying period to ILR may extend to ten years for new applicants.

How Whytecroft Ford Can Help

The Civil Partner Visa is document heavy and unforgiving. The refusals we see most often turn on weak financial evidence, thin relationship proof, overseas certificates that have not been properly explained, and SELT results from non-approved centres. Each of these is avoidable with careful preparation, and an unsuccessful application is expensive to reverse in fees and in separation time for the couple.

We help with:

• eligibility checks and route comparison, including whether the Civil Partner Visa, Proposed Civil Partner Visa or Spouse Visa is the right fit for your facts
• document audits tailored to the Appendix FM-SE financial category that fits your sponsor
• drafting the application form, covering letter and document index, with a tailored approach where overseas recognition is in play
• extension and ILR planning across the five year route, including English and Life in the UK test timing
• refusal, administrative review and appeal strategy, and British citizenship planning once ILR is in hand

To discuss your application, call +44 (0)208 757 5751, email info@whytecroftford.com, or book a consultation.

Sources

• UK family visa: partner or spouse, GOV.UK
• Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members, GOV.UK
• Prove your English language abilities with a SELT, GOV.UK

Disclaimer

This guide is published by Whytecroft Ford Ltd for general information only. It is not legal advice and does not create a solicitor-client or adviser-client relationship. Immigration law changes often, and the rules and figures here reflect the position at the publication date.