UK Spouse Visa Solicitors — Fixed Fee From £1,200
KQ Solicitors prepares spouse visa applications for people in Luton, across the UK and internationally who cannot afford to get the evidence wrong.
Many spouse visa refusals are not because the couple is not genuine. They happen because the evidence does not prove the case clearly enough. A missing payslip, expired bank statement, weak landlord letter or employer letter printed on plain paper can be enough to cause refusal.
UKVI does not normally ask you to correct a weak spouse visa bundle before deciding the application. If something important is missing or inconsistent, the application can be refused and the application fee is usually not refunded once the application has been processed or decided.
Quick Answer
The UK spouse visa lets your husband, wife, or civil partner live with you in the UK. It also covers unmarried partners in a durable relationship of at least two years and fiancés intending to marry in the UK within six months.
KQ Solicitors handles the full application for you — from eligibility assessment and document checking through to preparation and uploading. We tell you what is missing before UKVI does.
If your case is straightforward, our fixed fee is £1,200. If your income is from self-employment or your case is complex, we will tell you the exact fee after your free consultation.
Not sure where your case stands?
Book a free consultation. We will assess your case and tell you honestly what it involves before you pay any Home Office fees.
What is the UK Spouse Visa?
The spouse visa sits under Appendix FM — the Home Office's family migration rules. It gives permission for a non-UK national to live with their British or settled partner in the United Kingdom.
The route leads to settlement after five years: initial visa, extension, Indefinite Leave to Remain and then British citizenship. At every stage, UKVI asks the same question: is this relationship real, and do you plan to live together permanently in the UK?
For a full explanation of every legal requirement, read our complete UK spouse visa guide.
Who can apply?
The sponsor must be:
- A British or Irish citizen, or settled in the UK — ILR, EU Settled Status, or permanent residence.
- Aged 18 or over.
- Earning at least £29,000 gross per year, or meeting the adequate maintenance test if certain disability or carer benefits apply.
The applicant must:
- Be aged 18 or over and have met the sponsor in person.
- Be in a genuine, subsisting relationship intended to continue permanently in the UK.
- Pass an A1 English language test with a UKVI-approved provider at initial application, and A2 at extension stage.
- Obtain a TB test certificate if applying from a listed country.
- Have no previous marriages or civil partnerships unless permanently ended.
Unmarried partners: The route also covers unmarried partners in a durable relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years. Living together helps, but it is not always the only way to prove the relationship. What matters is the strength and consistency of the evidence.
You cannot use this route if your partner is in the UK on a Skilled Worker or Student visa — use the dependant route instead. You also cannot switch from a visitor visa inside the UK. Attempting to switch from a visitor visa is one of the most common refusal reasons.
We can help if...
- Your financial evidence is not straightforward — self-employed income, director salary, mixed sources, or a gap between income and the £29,000 threshold.
- You have a previous refusal on any immigration application.
- Your landlord is refusing to write the permission letter, or your tenancy has a no-additional-occupants clause.
- You are close to a visa expiry deadline and cannot afford a gap in status.
- Your relationship evidence is limited or you have not been able to cohabit.
- Your overseas marriage certificate needs certified translation or its legal validity needs confirming.
- You are from a TB-test country and need to coordinate timing with your application.
- Your sponsor receives certain disability or carer benefits and you need to calculate the adequate maintenance test instead of meeting the £29,000 threshold.
- You want a solicitor to review the full bundle before submission — not after a refusal.
Let us check the risk before UKVI does
A pre-submission review is usually cheaper than correcting a refusal after the application fee has already been lost.
Key requirements — what UKVI assesses
UKVI assesses four things: finances, relationship, accommodation, and English language. Every element must be evidenced correctly. A caseworker will not usually contact you to request missing or corrected documents.
Financial requirement
New applications from 11 April 2024 require the sponsor to earn at least £29,000 gross per year. The £18,600 transitional threshold only applies if all three conditions are met simultaneously: your first application was before 11 April 2024, you have held continuous leave as a partner since with no gaps or route changes, and you are extending with the same partner. Switching from any other visa route after 11 April 2024 permanently removes access to the transitional threshold.
Caseworker Insight: If you rely on cash savings, UKVI looks at whether the required level of savings was held consistently throughout the relevant six-month period. A short dip below the required level can be enough to fail the financial requirement.
| Annual Income | Shortfall vs £29,000 | Savings Required |
|---|---|---|
| £0 — savings only | £29,000 | £88,500 |
| £20,000 | £9,000 | £38,500 |
| £25,000 | £4,000 | £26,000 |
| £29,000+ | None | Not required |
This table is only a basic illustration. For full financial rules, categories, exceptions and document requirements, read our complete UK spouse visa guide.
Adequate maintenance — benefits exemption
If the UK sponsor receives certain disability or carer benefits — including PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, or Armed Forces Independence Payment — the £29,000 minimum income requirement does not apply. Instead, UKVI applies an adequate maintenance test: does the family's net income after housing costs meet or exceed the Income Support level? This calculation requires careful preparation because Universal Credit, rent and household income all affect the result.
Relationship evidence
Official evidence carries high weight — joint tenancy, joint bank account, utility bills in both names, correspondence to the same address. Photos and messages are supporting only. They do not carry an application on their own.
Caseworker Insight: UKVI checks that dates for first meeting, start of relationship, cohabitation, and marriage are consistent across the application form, both personal statements, and supporting documents. A minor date discrepancy can raise a credibility concern across the entire application.
Accommodation
If you are renting, you need a landlord permission letter containing the required elements. A letter that says "no objection" is not the same as explicit permission. UKVI can refuse on accommodation grounds even where the property is suitable if the letter is missing an important clause.
English language
A1 is required at initial application from a UKVI-approved SELT provider only. A2 is required at extension stage. Non-approved test results cannot be accepted.
Spouse visa fees and costs — updated April 2026
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| KQ Solicitors fee — standard salaried case | £1,200 |
| KQ Solicitors fee — self-employed income | £1,500 |
| KQ Solicitors fee — adequate maintenance route | £1,500 |
| KQ Solicitors fee — complex cases | £2,000 |
| Home Office fee — outside UK entry clearance | £2,064 |
| Home Office fee — in-country FLR(M) application | £1,407 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge — 33 months | £3,105 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge — 30 months extension | £2,587.50 |
| Priority service — optional | +£500 |
| Super priority — optional, not always available | +£1,000 |
| Estimated total — standard case, outside UK | ~£6,369 |
| Estimated total — standard case, inside UK | ~£5,712 |
Each dependent child pays a separate application fee and separate IHS. The IHS is refunded in most cases if your application is refused. The application fee is usually not refunded once the application has been processed or decided.
Home Office fees and IHS charges can change. Always verify the current fee on GOV.UK before submitting.
Check which KQ fee may apply
Select the closest situation. This is only a guide; we confirm the exact fee after reviewing your case.
What our spouse visa service includes
For every case, regardless of fee tier:
- Initial assessment of your circumstances — we confirm which route and financial threshold apply, identify risks, and tell you honestly whether your case is straightforward or complex before you commit to anything.
- Document checking — we review every document in your bundle against the required elements before submission. Nothing goes to UKVI unchecked.
- Application draft preparation — we prepare the full application on your behalf, covering every section correctly and drafting any cover letter needed.
- Document uploading — we upload the finalised bundle to UKVI so nothing is missed, mis-uploaded, or submitted in the wrong format.
No hidden costs. No hourly billing. Home Office fees and IHS are paid separately by you directly to UKVI.
How we work — your process with KQ Solicitors
You explain your situation. We tell you honestly which route applies, which financial threshold applies, and what your case involves.
We confirm the fee tier for your case and identify any issues before you pay any Home Office fees.
You receive a list of exactly what we need from you, specific to your income type and circumstances.
We check every item against the required standard, flag gaps, and tell you what needs correcting before we prepare the application.
We draft the full application, prepare any cover letter, and finalise the complete bundle.
We upload everything to UKVI and confirm receipt. After approval, most applicants now receive an eVisa and access their immigration status through a UKVI online account.
Mini pre-submission checklist
This checklist is saved only in your browser. It is a practical aid, not legal advice.
Spouse visa processing times — 2026
| Service | Target Time |
|---|---|
| Standard — outside UK | ~12 weeks |
| Standard — inside UK, meeting financial and English requirements | ~8 weeks |
| Standard — inside UK, not meeting financial or English requirements | ~12 months |
| Priority — outside UK | Usually 30 working days |
| Priority — inside UK | Usually 5 working days |
| Super priority | Next working day, not always available |
Processing times are targets, not guarantees. Complex cases, cases requiring additional checks, or cases involving previous immigration history take longer. If your application has been pending 6 months or more, your sponsor's MP can submit a parliamentary enquiry — one of the most effective tools for long delays.
Common mistakes that cause refusals
| Mistake | Why It Causes Problems | How We Help |
|---|---|---|
| Bank statements outside the 28-day window | UKVI will not accept statements dated more than 28 days before submission. | We check every date before uploading. |
| Employer letter on plain paper | Must be on company letterhead confirming salary, employment type, and start date. | We provide the exact format required. |
| Landlord letter missing required clauses | Generic "no objection" is not explicit permission. | We review against the required elements before submission. |
| Attempting to switch from a visitor visa inside the UK | Not permitted — one of the most common refusal reasons. | We confirm switching eligibility before you apply. |
| Overseas marriage certificate without certified translation | Untranslated documents cannot be assessed. | We advise on translation requirements upfront. |
| Inconsistent dates across documents | Discrepancies between application form, personal statement, and evidence raise credibility concerns. | We cross-check documents for consistency. |
| Non-approved English test provider | UKVI cannot accept results from non-approved providers. | We confirm approved providers before you book. |
| Large unexplained deposits in savings | Funds without a clear audit trail may be excluded. | We advise on source of funds evidence before submission. |
When should you speak to a solicitor?
Not every spouse visa application needs a solicitor. If your sponsor has clear salaried income well above £29,000, you have a legal marriage with no complications, and your evidence is complete and consistent, a carefully self-prepared application is possible. But if you are not sure whether your case is straightforward, a free consultation costs nothing and a refused application costs £2,064.
Speak to us before applying if any of these apply:
- Income from self-employment, a directorship, or mixed sources.
- A previous refusal on any immigration application.
- A landlord refusing to cooperate or a tenancy with restrictions on additional occupants.
- Applying close to a visa expiry deadline.
- Limited relationship evidence or a couple who have not been able to cohabit.
- Any question about the legal validity of your overseas marriage.
- Any previous overstay, criminal matter, or deception finding on your immigration history.
When this service may not be right for you
If your application is genuinely straightforward — clear salaried income above £29,000, a legal marriage, no previous immigration complications, and complete consistent evidence — you may not need legal representation at all. GOV.UK guidance and your sponsor's employer can provide most of what you need.
We would rather tell you that than charge you for work you do not need. If after your free consultation we think you can handle it yourself, we will tell you.
Ready to apply? Talk to KQ Solicitors
The rules are not the obstacle. The evidence is. Get the evidence right and your application is straightforward. Get it wrong and no amount of relationship history will save it.
From £1,200 fixed fee. Initial assessment, document checking, application preparation, and uploading. No hidden costs. No hourly billing.
Book a free spouse visa consultation
We will confirm the route, fee tier and evidence risks before you commit to the application.
Frequently asked questions
Not always. If your income clearly meets the £29,000 threshold, your marriage is straightforward, and your evidence is complete, you can self-prepare. If your income is complex, you have a previous refusal, or you are close to a deadline, legal help before submission is considerably cheaper than fixing a refused application.
From £1,200 for a standard salaried case. Self-employed income cases are £1,500. Adequate maintenance route cases are £1,500. Complex cases are £2,000. Home Office fees — £2,064 outside UK or £1,407 for an in-country FLR(M) application — are paid separately to UKVI.
Yes. Document checking is included in our fixed fee. We review every document against the required standard before anything is uploaded to UKVI.
£29,000 gross per year for new applications from 11 April 2024. The £18,600 transitional threshold applies only if your first application was before that date, you have held continuous leave as a partner since with no gaps or route changes, and you are extending with the same partner.
Yes. Only savings above £16,000 count toward the threshold. They must be held consistently for six continuous months. The formula is £16,000 plus the income shortfall multiplied by 2.5. With no income at all, you need £88,500 in savings.
The right next step depends on the refusal reason and the type of decision. Many partner-route refusals carry a right of appeal on human rights grounds, while some cases are better handled by a fresh application with stronger evidence. We review the refusal letter and advise whether appeal, reapplication, or another remedy is the strongest route forward.
Yes. Our service covers initial assessment, document checking, application preparation, and uploading. You attend the biometrics appointment — we handle everything else.
Yes. A spouse visa gives full unrestricted right to work from day one. There are no limits on sector, occupation, or hours. You prove your right to work using a share code from your UKVI online account.