Spouse Visa Changes: What Is New This Year

Income Requirement: Where Things Stand

The last change to the income requirement took effect on 11 April 2024, when it rose from £18,600 to £29,000 for new applications. It has been £29,000 since.

The December 2023 announcement set out a path beyond that: £34,500, and then £38,700. Neither stage was written into the Immigration Rules, so neither took effect. The question was referred to the Migration Advisory Committee, the independent body that advises the government on immigration, which published its review of the family financial requirements on 10 June 2025. No government response has been published. GOV.UK gives one figure for new applications and no date for any change to it.

Two groups are assessed differently: people who first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending that visa, who are assessed against £18,600 plus amounts for children; and sponsors receiving certain disability or carer benefits, for whom no income figure applies. Our guides cover the £29,000 requirement, the transitional arrangements, and the history of the £38,700 figure.

Immigration Status Has Moved Online

Biometric residence permits — the plastic cards that used to evidence permission to stay — stopped being issued at the end of 2024. Immigration status is now held online in a UKVI account, and proved with a share code. GOV.UK says an existing card can still be used for 24 months after the expiry date printed on it, or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.

What this means for spouse visa holders:

• Your immigration status is now evidenced digitally rather than by a physical card
• You need a UKVI account to access and share your status
• Employers, landlords, and others can verify your status online
• Your rights have not changed — only the way your status is recorded

See our eVisa and BRP guide for the full details of the transition. The GOV.UK eVisa page explains how to set up your account.

English Language Levels

The levels GOV.UK sets out for the family route today are these, measured on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):

• First application: A1
• Extending after 2.5 years: A2 in speaking and listening, for someone who passed A1 for the first visa
• Settlement: B1

A change to the Immigration Rules made on 5 March 2026 raises the level for settlement from B1 to B2, described by the Home Office as covering most people applying to settle, from 26 March 2027. That is an enacted change with a future start date, not a proposal. GOV.UK still sets out B1 for settlement today, and its family visa pages do not yet name the March 2027 level, so the routes it covers are worth checking on GOV.UK rather than assumed. Our guide to the B2 level covers what the higher level involves.

Someone who passes B1 or higher for a first visa can reuse that result at settlement, provided the certificate has not been withdrawn by the test provider.

Processing Times

The Home Office publishes a service standard for each route. For a partner or spouse application it is:

• From outside the UK: 12 weeks
• From inside the UK: 8 weeks
• Priority service: £500, with a standard of 30 working days for family applications rather than the 5 working days that applies to other routes. The super priority service costs £1,000 and is available for applications made inside the UK

See the processing time guide for the latest figures.

Fees and Costs

Visa fees and the immigration health surcharge are reviewed periodically. The health surcharge is £1,035 a year for an adult. The family visa application fee is £2,064 for each person applying from outside the UK and £1,407 for each person applying inside it. See the 2026 cost guide for the complete breakdown.

Check the GOV.UK fee schedule before applying, as fees can change at relatively short notice.

What Has Not Changed

The core structure of the spouse visa remains the same:

• The relationship must be genuine and subsisting
• The accommodation requirement applies
• The 5-year route and 10-year route to settlement remain the same
• Appeal rights on human rights grounds continue to apply
• The no recourse to public funds condition still applies

Where the Next Change Would Appear

A change to any of this appears first in a statement of changes to the Immigration Rules, which is laid before Parliament and names the date it takes effect, and then on the relevant GOV.UK guide pages. An announcement that has not reached either is not yet a rule — which is what happened to the £34,500 and £38,700 income stages.

Related guides:

• Spouse Visa UK: Complete Guide
• £29,000 Income Requirement
• eVisa and BRP Transition
• B2 English Proposal
• Costs 2026

Questions and answers