A lot of people tend to get confused about the process of migration if their partner is a UK citizen. The whole procedure may seem a bit daunting when one visits the government immigration website and reads through the requirements, and documents needed.

That is why we have decided to write this article, and include all the fresh information one needs to know when migrating on this type of visa. Read it through, and gain clarity on what to expect.

What is This Type of Visa?

This type of visa is actually a part of the family visa scheme. It provides those who are planning to get married, or start a civil partnership with a person from the UK. Depending on one’s status, there are a couple of options to choose from: fiancé, proposed civil partner, or engagement visa. A person, however, needs to be at least 18 years old, to be able to apply.

There are, of course, certain eligibility criteria to meet, if one wishes to pursue a life with their significant other in the UK.

But, let’s take a look at what conditions you need to meet once you obtain a marriage visa in UK.

The first one would be to get married in a period of six months. The civil partnership would also work if you cannot marry within this period of time. But, once you do, the next step is to apply for a spouse visa. It will allow you to stay longer – approximately 33 months, with the possibility of extending your stay for an additional 30. Once this period passes, you’ll automatically be eligible for an indefinite type of stay. In other words, you will no longer be treated as an immigrant.

Requirements

Those who want to file their application successfully need to be aware of certain criteria. Find them below.

• As mentioned earlier, both partners need to be over 18 years of age
• Marriage needs to be done within six months of the arrival
• One of the partners needs to have valid UK citizenship. There’s an exception when it comes to Turkish citizens, as they can have a worker visa, a refugee status, or a business person visa.
• Once married, both partners are to live together
• Proof of income has to be shown. A combined one will work, and must not be under 18000 British pounds. This is to prove you are able to financially sustain your household.
• A suitable accommodation is required
• The knowledge of English must be proven with a valid certificate.

Proving Your Relationship is Genuine

One of the most awkward things two people have to go through on their fiancé visa journey is proving their relationship is real. However, this is mandatory due to the rising number of so-called sham relationships. Besides getting married within the first 6 months of your arrival, you’ll also be subjected to different questions to prove the relationship is not false.

Financial Conditions

We’ve mentioned earlier the approximate amount of money needed for two people. It refers to gross annual income. The amount changes if there are children involved, so we highly advise you to check the amount of money needed as per how many children you want to migrate with. For example, to migrate with two dependents, you can expect the sum to rise up to 25.000 pounds.

Here we come to the point of the source of your income, for this type of visa. The following are eligible:

• Pension, both yours and your partner’s
• Employment income
• Different allowances, such as maternity
• Any other source, for example, savings

Not Everyone Has to Meet the Financial Requirements, Though

Certain categories are exempted from meeting these requirements. In cases when a sponsor has income from certain sources like disability living allowance, police injury pension, or similar, these categories are exempted.

What does this mean?

It means that the embassy will not require the above-mentioned categories the proof of funds. However, the applicant will still be required to prove they are able to finance their living in the UK.

What Else Can You Expect?

Filling out the form can take time. You need about 2 hours to fill it. You give your personal information, in such detail, and what particularly can be existing is entering all the countries you have been to in the past 10 years with all the dates you were there.

You schedule a visa interview after filling out the form on the website. Scheduling has a standard fee unless you want the conversation to take place in a non-standard time when you pay about 4 times more. Under normal circumstances, the first available appointment is in 3 working days, so keep that in mind if you are in a hurry.

On the plane to the UK, you will be given a form to fill in with information about your stay, which you can take and fill in when you land. In the form, you fill in the items who you are, what you are, why you are coming, where you are staying, etc.

At passport control, it may happen that you will be asked all this again. And more than once.

Electronic travel authorization should be fully implemented by the end of this year. Anyone who decides to visit the country will soon be required to register in advance and pay an entry fee.

Later this year, the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) system is due to come into effect. The system will require all visa-free foreign travelers, including those from the US, to check in online before arrival.

The introduction of ETA is part of the country’s efforts to fully digitize its borders by 2025. How will this all affect people migrating here, and will there be any additional requirements regarding migration, it is yet to be seen.