A UK spouse visa is refused where the Home Office is not satisfied, on the documents submitted, that every requirement of the route is met. Couples who meet the requirements in fact can still be refused, because the decision is made on the evidence in the application. The result is more time apart and a new application fee, and a fresh application that repeats the same gap may be refused again. This post provides an overview of the refusal grounds, and how each one is corrected, for a UK spouse visa application.
Key overviews
- A UK spouse visa is refused on an eligibility ground (the partner’s status, the relationship, the finances, the accommodation or English language) or on a suitability ground under Part Suitability.
- The Home Office decides the application on the documents submitted with it, and is not obliged to ask for a missing document before refusing.
- Several refusals follow a gap in the evidence rather than in eligibility. Payslips that do not match bank statements, a missing English certificate or no evidence of an intention to live together are examples.
- The refusal letter cites the paragraph, or paragraphs, relied on, and that paragraph is the starting point for a fresh application.
- A previous refusal is not itself a ground for refusal, but it must be disclosed on every later application.
Contents
- How many UK spouse visa applications are refused?
- Why is a spouse visa refused when the couple meet the requirements?
- Does the Home Office ask for missing documents before refusing?
- Refused on the financial requirement
- Can a spouse visa be refused if the payslips are doubted?
- Refused on the relationship requirement
- Can a spouse visa be refused if the couple have not lived together?
- Can the sponsor’s status or the applicant’s current visa cause a refusal?
- Can the marriage itself cause a refusal?
- Refused on the English language requirement
- Refused on the accommodation requirement
- Refused on suitability grounds
- How to read a UK spouse visa refusal letter
- Does a previous refusal affect a new spouse visa application?
- What can be done after a UK spouse visa is refused?
- Refusal grounds in practice
- Frequently asked questions
How many UK spouse visa applications are refused?
Most partner visa applications are granted. In the year to June 2026, the Home Office refused 3,081 of 42,262 partner visa applications made from outside the UK. That is a refusal rate of 7.3%. Applications made inside the UK to extend a partner visa were refused less frequently, at 1,852 of 77,353 decisions on main applicants, or 2.4%.
These figures come from the Home Office’s immigration system statistics data tables (tables Vis_D02 and Exe_D01). The refusal rate for applications from outside the UK has risen from 4.1% in 2022 to 7.3% in the latest year. The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of partner refusals by the ground relied on.
A refusal rate describes all applications together and says nothing about a specific case. An individual application is decided on whether each requirement is evidenced in the form the Rules specify.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can review an application against each requirement before it is submitted.
Why is a spouse visa refused when the couple meet the requirements?
A UK spouse visa is decided on the documents in the application. It is not decided on facts the couple know to be true. A requirement that is met in fact, but not shown in the form the Rules specify, is treated as not met.
The Home Office decision-maker applies Appendix FM-SE, which sets out the specified evidence for each requirement. Paragraph D(a) of Appendix FM-SE states that the decision-maker “will consider documents that have been submitted with the application”. A common misunderstanding is that meeting a requirement is enough on its own. The requirement has to be evidenced as well.
A bank statement in the wrong format is one example of this kind of gap. An employer letter that omits a detail Appendix FM-SE requires is another. Where the gap is evidential, the fresh application replaces or corrects the defective document, since eligibility was never in question.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can check a set of evidence against the specified requirements before it is submitted.
Does the Home Office ask for missing documents before refusing?
Not always. The Home Office decision-maker has a discretion, not a duty, to ask for a missing or defective document.
Paragraph D(b) of Appendix FM-SE covers a document that is missing from a sequence, in the wrong format or short of specified information. In those cases the decision-maker “may contact the applicant” and request it. Paragraph D(c) adds that no request is made where the application would be refused for other reasons anyway. A request for further documents cannot be relied on. The application is best submitted complete, with every specified document in the form Appendix FM-SE requires.
Refused on the financial requirement
The financial requirement is that the sponsor, or the sponsor and applicant together, meet the minimum income requirement using specified evidence. It sits at paragraph E-ECP.3.1 of Appendix FM for entry clearance, and E-LTRP.3.1 for an application made inside the UK.
The underlying income can clear the threshold and the application still be refused on the evidence. Three patterns recur in refusals on this ground:
- Salaried income assessed under the wrong category. Appendix FM-SE paragraph 13(a) applies where the sponsor has worked for the current employer for at least six months at the salary relied on. Paragraph 13(b) applies where they have worked there for less than six months.
- Self-employment income relied on from the wrong period. Appendix FM-SE assesses self-employed income over the last full financial year, or an average of the last two.
- Payslips that do not correspond to the bank statements for the same period, or an employer letter that omits the gross annual salary, the period of payment or the type of employment. These details are required by Appendix FM-SE paragraph 2(b).
Each income category carries its own specified evidence, set out on the UK spouse visa financial requirement guide. Where income varies month to month or a job is new, the Category B spouse visa financial requirement guide covers how the calculation works.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can check the income category and the financial evidence before an application is submitted.
Can a spouse visa be refused if the payslips are doubted?
Yes. Where the Home Office decision-maker is not satisfied that a document is genuine, the application may be refused under Part Suitability.
Paragraph SUI 10.1 of Part Suitability allows a refusal where false representations were made or false documents provided “whether or not to the applicant’s knowledge”. A refusal on this basis can follow a payroll error the applicant never knew about. Payslips issued under the wrong National Insurance number are one example. Where evidence is lacking or unclear, the Home Office may also ask the applicant for further documents before deciding. Paragraph SUI 9.1 is stricter: an application must be refused where the decision-maker is satisfied the applicant used deception.
A refusal of this kind needs the underlying record corrected before a fresh application is made. Where the cause is a payroll error, the employer corrects its payroll records and provides a letter confirming the correction and the reason for it. A finding under either paragraph forms part of the immigration history and must be disclosed on later applications.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can review a refusal that questions the authenticity of financial documents and advise on the evidence a fresh application needs.
Refused on the relationship requirement
The relationship requirement is that the couple have met in person and are in a genuine and subsisting relationship. They must also intend to live together permanently in the UK. For entry clearance it sits at paragraphs E-ECP.2.5, E-ECP.2.6 and E-ECP.2.10 of Appendix FM. For an application made inside the UK, the equivalents are E-LTRP.1.6, E-LTRP.1.7 and E-LTRP.1.10.
Photographs and message screenshots help to evidence the relationship, but they are not enough on their own. A refusal on this ground can cite thin evidence of contact during periods apart, or a relationship history that differs between the two partners’ statements. Where the Home Office holds an interview, it can also cite answers that differ from each other.
A relationship supported by evidence from several independent sources gives the decision-maker a fuller picture. Travel records, evidence of visits, call logs over time, correspondence from family and a consistent account from both partners are examples. A relationship of a shorter duration is not itself a ground for refusal.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can review relationship evidence before an application is submitted and identify any gaps.
Can a spouse visa be refused if the couple have not lived together?
A spouse visa is not refused only because a married couple have not lived together. There is no requirement for spouses to have cohabited before applying. The couple must, however, show that they intend to live together permanently in the UK, under E-ECP.2.10 or E-LTRP.1.10 of Appendix FM.
Refusals on this point arise where the couple have lived apart and the application does not explain why. Religious, cultural or work reasons for living apart are all circumstances a couple can evidence. A letter explaining the reason supports the intention. So do plans for a shared home, such as a tenancy in both names, and evidence of time spent together. The position for married couples is covered in more detail in do you need to live together for a UK spouse visa.
An unmarried partner application is different. GEN.1.2(iv) of Appendix FM requires “a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years before the date of application”. The test is explained in relationship akin to marriage.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can advise on how to evidence an intention to live together where a couple have not yet shared a home.
Can the sponsor’s status or the applicant’s current visa cause a refusal?
Yes. The sponsor must hold one of the statuses the Rules list. For an application inside the UK, the applicant must also hold a type of permission that allows a switch.
Paragraph E-ECP.2.1 of Appendix FM lists the qualifying statuses. They include a British citizen in the UK and a person present and settled in the UK. Protection status and limited leave under Appendix EU also qualify. A sponsor on a work or study visa does not appear on that list. A partner in that position looks to the dependant provisions of the sponsor’s own route instead, where that route allows dependants. Where the sponsor’s status is not self-evident from the passport, the application also needs evidence of it.
Paragraph E-LTRP.2.1 bars an application inside the UK by an applicant who is in the UK as a visitor. It also bars one by an applicant with permission of six months or less, unless that permission is as a fiancé(e). An applicant in the UK as a visitor applies from outside the UK instead. The routes that do allow a switch are set out in switching to a spouse visa in the UK.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can confirm whether a sponsor’s status and the applicant’s current permission fit the spouse route before an application is made.
Can the marriage itself cause a refusal?
Yes. Where the couple rely on a marriage, E-ECP.2.7 of Appendix FM requires it to be “a valid marriage or civil partnership, as specified”. E-ECP.2.9 requires any previous relationship of either partner to have broken down permanently.
A marriage whose validity or recognition is in doubt can lead to a refusal on this ground. So can a marriage certificate the Home Office could not verify. It can also follow a divorce from a previous partner that was not finalised at the date of application. Where the certificate is not in English or Welsh, Appendix FM-SE paragraph 1(j) requires a full, dated translation that can be independently verified.
A fresh application needs the specific point resolved first. That might mean a verifiable certificate, a final divorce order, or a fiancé(e) application where the marriage is to take place in the UK.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can advise on the documents that evidence a marriage and the end of any previous relationship.
Refused on the English language requirement
The English language requirement is that the applicant provides specified evidence of their English, unless an exemption applies. It sits at paragraph E-ECP.4.1 of Appendix FM for entry clearance, and E-LTRP.4.1 for an application made inside the UK.
A certificate that was not uploaded can lead to a refusal on this ground. So can a test from a provider that is not approved, or one that does not cover speaking and listening. In each case the applicant’s English ability was not the issue. The extension stage has its own level. Under E-LTRP.4.1A, an applicant who met the requirement at A1 must show at least A2 when applying for further leave after 30 months. An exemption must itself be evidenced.
The approved tests and exemptions are listed on the English language requirement guide.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can confirm whether a specific certificate or exemption meets the requirement for the stage being applied for.
Refused on the accommodation requirement
The accommodation requirement is that the family will have adequate accommodation in the UK, without recourse to public funds, which they own or occupy exclusively. It sits at paragraph E-ECP.3.4 of Appendix FM for entry clearance, and E-LTRP.3.4 for an application made inside the UK. Accommodation is not regarded as adequate where it is, or will become, overcrowded, or where it contravenes public health regulations.
A room count that falls short once every occupant is counted can lead to a refusal on this ground. So can a shared household where no letter confirms the rooms the couple will occupy exclusively. Couples moving into a family home are covered in living with parents for a UK spouse visa. The room-count method is set out in the accommodation requirement guide.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can check whether a specific property meets the accommodation requirement.
Refused on suitability grounds
An application that meets every eligibility requirement can still be refused on a suitability ground. Suitability looks at the applicant’s conduct and immigration history rather than whether they qualify for the route.
Since 11 November 2025, S-EC.1.1 and S-LTR.1.1 of Appendix FM provide that the applicant “must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability”. Part Suitability is the general framework now used across most routes. Its grounds include criminality, deception, false representations, previous breach of immigration law, and involvement in a sham marriage (SUI 8.1). The mandatory and discretionary grounds are covered on the UK spouse visa suitability guide.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can assess whether an immigration history point raises a suitability issue before an application is submitted.
How to read a UK spouse visa refusal letter
A spouse visa refusal letter names the paragraph of Appendix FM, Appendix FM-SE or Part Suitability that the decision-maker found was not met. That paragraph identifies the ground.
An E-ECP.2 or E-LTRP.1 paragraph points to the partner’s status, the relationship or the marriage. An E-ECP.3 or E-LTRP.3 paragraph points to the financial or accommodation requirement, and an E-ECP.4 or E-LTRP.4 paragraph points to English language. A paragraph of Appendix FM-SE points to a document that was missing, incomplete or in the wrong format. A suitability refusal cites S-EC.1.1 or S-LTR.1.1 alongside the specific SUI paragraph relied on.
Refusal letters can cite more than one ground. One evidential gap can also affect more than one requirement, since the financial paragraphs require specified evidence as well as the income itself. Every paragraph cited needs addressing, because any one of them left unresolved remains a basis for refusal.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can review a refusal letter and confirm what each cited paragraph requires to fix.
Does a previous refusal affect a new spouse visa application?
A previous refusal is not in itself a ground for refusing a spouse visa. Part Suitability does not list a previous refusal among its grounds. A fresh application is assessed against the requirements at the new date of application.
The reason for the earlier refusal carries forward where it was a suitability finding. A refusal for deception or false representations forms part of the immigration history in a way a refusal for a missing document does not. Every previous refusal, including a visitor visa refusal, must be disclosed on the application form. Leaving one out risks a fresh refusal for not disclosing relevant facts under SUI 9.1(b) or SUI 10.1(b).
Whytecroft Ford’s team can advise on how a previous refusal is disclosed and addressed in a new spouse visa application.
What can be done after a UK spouse visa is refused?
A fresh application that corrects the specific ground is the usual way forward. Whether an appeal or administrative review is available depends on the visa category and what the refusal letter specifies. Where neither applies, or reapplying offers the stronger option, the fresh application is the route back.
An applicant inside the UK whose in-time application was refused has a 14-day window. Under SUI 13.1(b) of Part Suitability, a further application made within 14 days of the refusal is not treated as overstaying. A longer gap can bring the previous breach grounds into play. The approach to a fresh application is set out in reapplying for a UK visa after a refusal.
Whytecroft Ford’s team advises on reapplying in the same category, or in a different one where the facts support it.
Refusal grounds in practice
Each of these examples shows how a specific ground, once identified from the refusal letter, leads to a workable fix.
A spouse visa refused for no evidence of an intention to live together
A couple in a civil partnership have not yet lived together, because their religious ceremony is still to take place. The application states this but includes no evidence of plans for a shared home. The application is refused under E-LTRP.1.10. A fresh application addresses the gap with a letter explaining the reason, the ceremony date and a tenancy in both names from that date.
A spouse visa refused because the sponsor’s status does not fit the route
A sponsor holds a Skilled Worker visa and applies for the partner to join them under Appendix FM. The application is refused under E-ECP.2.1, since the sponsor’s status is not one the paragraph lists. The partner applies instead as a dependant under the Skilled Worker route, where the sponsor’s status qualifies.
A spouse visa refused on the financial requirement under the wrong category
A sponsor has worked for a new employer for four months. The application relies on six months of payslips across two jobs, as if Category A applied. The application is refused on the financial requirement. A fresh application under Category B resolves it. That application evidences the current salary under paragraph 13(b) of Appendix FM-SE. It also evidences the gross income earned in the prior 12 months under paragraph 15.
An unmarried partner visa refused on the English language requirement
An applicant with fluent English applies without uploading a test certificate. The application is refused under E-ECP.4.1, even though the applicant’s English is not in question. A fresh application with a certificate from an approved provider, covering speaking and listening at the required level, resolves it.
A spouse visa refused because payroll records did not match
A sponsor’s employer has issued several months of payslips carrying an incorrect National Insurance number. The application is refused on the financial requirement and under SUI 10.1, as the decision-maker was not satisfied the payslips were genuine. The employer corrects its payroll records and provides a letter confirming the error. Both documents go into the fresh application, which also discloses the earlier refusal.
Whytecroft Ford’s team can map a specific refusal letter onto these same patterns and identify the fix it needs.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if a UK spouse visa is refused?
The Home Office issues a refusal letter setting out the ground it relied on. The letter also confirms whether an appeal or administrative review is available for that decision. An applicant outside the UK can make a fresh application once the ground is corrected. An applicant inside the UK whose in-time application was refused has a short window to reapply without being treated as an overstayer.
Is the Immigration Health Surcharge refunded if a spouse visa is refused?
Yes. GOV.UK confirms a full IHS refund where a visa application is refused. The IHS is paid again with any fresh application.
Can I reapply for a spouse visa straight away after a refusal?
Yes. There is no waiting period after a refusal on an eligibility ground. A fresh application can be made once the ground in the refusal letter is corrected. The evidence must be dated for the new application date.
Do I have to declare a previous spouse visa refusal?
Yes. Every previous refusal, including a visitor visa refusal, must be disclosed, with the reasons given. Leaving one out risks a refusal for not disclosing relevant facts under Part Suitability.
Is there a list of the most common spouse visa refusal reasons?
No. The Home Office publishes how many partner applications are refused, but not which ground each refusal relied on. Refusals trace to an eligibility ground, a suitability ground, or evidence that does not take the form Appendix FM-SE specifies.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
A spouse visa refusal can rest on any one of several separate grounds, from the financial and relationship requirements to a suitability finding. Each ground needs a different fix. Refusals can also follow an evidential detail rather than a problem with eligibility. The ground in the refusal letter has to be identified before anything else.
Whytecroft Ford’s IAA-regulated immigration team reviews refusal letters and prepares fresh applications under Appendix FM every day. The team works from the specific paragraph the refusal relies on and builds the new application around that finding.
To discuss your application with our team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Disclaimer: The material in this article is provided for guidance and general information only and is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice upon which you should rely. In particular, the information should not be used as a substitute for a full and proper consultation with a suitably qualified professional. UK Immigration Rules are subject to change. Please do contact the Whytecroft Ford team if you require further advice.
