From spouse visa to settlement

The 5-Year Timeline

The Spouse visa route to settlement follows a fixed timeline, as outlined on the GOV.UK family visa page, with three main application points. Understanding this timeline helps you plan ahead and avoid surprises.

• Year 0 — Initial Application: You apply for the initial Spouse visa, which grants 2 years and 9 months of leave (known as "2.5 years" informally, though the actual grant is slightly longer to allow processing time for the extension).
• Year 2.5 — Extension (Further Leave to Remain): Before your initial visa expires, you apply for a 2.5-year extension. You must meet all the requirements again, including the financial threshold and English language.
• Year 5 — ILR Application: After completing 5 years on the Spouse route, you apply for ILR. This is the final stage, and the requirements are the most stringent.

After receiving ILR, you can apply for British citizenship after a further 12 months.

Financial Requirement at Each Stage

The minimum income requirement must be met at every stage of the Spouse visa route. In 2026, the threshold is £29,000 per year.

Initial Application

The sponsor (the British citizen or settled person in the UK) must meet the income threshold. Income can come from employment (Category A or Category B), self-employment (self-employment route), cash savings (savings route), or a combination.

Extension

At the extension stage, both the sponsor and the applicant's income can be counted. If the applicant has been working in the UK, their income can contribute to meeting the threshold. The evidence requirements are the same as for the initial application.

ILR Application

The financial requirement must be met again at the ILR stage. Again, both partners' income can count. The evidence period and formatting requirements are the same. See our financial documents guide for exactly what to provide.

English Language at Each Stage

The English language requirement increases at each stage of the Spouse visa route:

• Initial application: CEFR A1 (beginner). This is a basic level requiring only simple phrases and expressions.
• Extension: CEFR A2 (elementary). Slightly higher than A1, requiring the ability to communicate in routine tasks.
• ILR: CEFR B1 (intermediate). This requires the ability to deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling and to produce simple connected text on familiar topics.

All tests must be from a Home Office approved SELT provider (see the approved test list on GOV.UK). If you pass at a higher level than required, you can use the same result at the next stage (provided it has not expired). For example, passing B1 at the initial stage covers you for the extension and ILR.

Continuous Residence Requirements

Paragraph E-ILRP.1.3 of Appendix FM requires "a period of continuous residence in the UK of at least 5 years (60 months)" with permission as a partner. The application must also show that the couple has lived together in the UK, or that there was good reason, consistent with an intention to live together permanently in the UK, for any period when they did not (paragraph E-LTRP.1.10).

What the partner route does not have:

• The 180-days-in-any-12-months limit belongs to Appendix Continuous Residence, which applies to routes such as Skilled Worker and UK Ancestry. Appendix FM is not on its list.
• GOV.UK's family settlement page states no day limit on absences.

The 10-year partner route is different: it is governed by Appendix Settlement Family Life, which does apply the 180-day limit, with an exception for absences while family life in the UK is maintained. Our spouse settlement guide sets out both.

The settlement application asks for the dates of trips outside the UK during the qualifying period.

The Extension Application (Year 2.5)

The extension application is essentially a repeat of the initial application, with a few differences:

• Both incomes count: If the applicant has been working in the UK, their income can now contribute to the financial requirement alongside the sponsor's income.
• Relationship evidence continues: You still need to provide evidence that your relationship is genuine and subsisting. The evidence should cover the period since your last application.
• English at A2: You need to provide a new test result at A2 level (unless your previous test was at A2 or above and is still valid).
• Application fee and IHS: You must pay the application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge again. Check our visa fees guide for current costs.

The extension application must be made before the current visa expires.

The ILR Application (Year 5)

The ILR application is the final stage. It has the highest requirements:

• Financial requirement: Must be met at £29,000 with full documentary evidence.
• English at B1: You need a SELT at CEFR B1 level or above.
• Life in the UK test: You must have passed the Life in the UK test (book on GOV.UK).
• Continuous residence: 5 years (60 months) of continuous residence in the UK with permission as a partner (E-ILRP.1.3). GOV.UK publishes no day limit on absences for this route.
• Relationship still subsisting: Evidence that you are still in a genuine relationship with your partner.
• No IHS required: Unlike the visa stages, there is no Immigration Health Surcharge for ILR.

For the full list of documents, see our ILR documents checklist.

Common Challenges on the 5-Year Route

Relationship Breakdown

If your relationship breaks down, you lose the basis for the Spouse visa. However:

• Domestic violence: If you are a victim of domestic violence or abuse, you can apply for ILR immediately under the Destitution Domestic Violence Concession (DDVC), regardless of how long you have been on the Spouse visa.
• Children in the UK: If you have dependent children in the UK, you may be able to apply to remain on a different route (Parent route).
• Bereavement: If your partner dies during the 5-year route, you can apply for ILR immediately.

Job Loss or Income Drop

If the sponsor loses their job or their income drops below the threshold before the next application, you need to plan. Options include: finding new employment that meets the threshold, combining with savings, or timing the application for when income is sufficient.

Extended Absence

The partner route has no published day limit, but a long absence can still bear on whether residence was continuous and whether the couple lived together in the UK. The rules accept periods apart where there was good reason, consistent with an intention to live together permanently in the UK (E-LTRP.1.10).

Earned Settlement: Announced on 2 November 2026

On 2 November 2026 the government announced its decision on earned settlement, which makes 10 years the standard wait for settlement. It is not yet in the Immigration Rules: the Home Secretary told Parliament the changes will begin to be laid from the December 2026 rules and will be brought in during 2027. Until then, the rules on this page apply. For partners, the government's response to the consultation (CP 1707) sets out:

• Partners of British citizens keep a 5-year path. The response says a recognised British connection "will include eligible partners, parents and children of British citizens" (page 14).
• Partners of people who are settled but not British are not named as a British connection. The government's forecast includes about 223,000 people on family routes sponsored by a British citizen, who keep a 5-year path, and about 39,000 on family routes sponsored by someone who is not a British citizen, who move to a longer path (Annex A, page 46). The response does not say which path applies to them.
• The 10-year partner route. Permission on the Family and Private Life routes "will not qualify a person for the three or five-year settlement pathways" (pages 19 to 20).
• New minimum requirements for everyone, including B2 English, no criminal record in the UK, no outstanding government debt and the Life in the UK test (pages 4 to 8), and no specified public funds in the 5 years before applying, or a 20-year path instead (page 14).
• A couple's income. The response lists sustained contribution, earnings of £12,571 a year, among the minimum requirements. Couples can combine earnings to reach a household figure of £25,142 (page 13). This is separate from the partner route's own financial requirement.

Our guide to partners and children under earned settlement covers this in full, and our earned settlement guide covers the whole framework.

After ILR: The Path to Citizenship

Once you have ILR, you can apply for British citizenship after holding ILR for at least 12 months. As the spouse of a British citizen, you qualify for the shorter 3-year citizenship route rather than the standard 5-year route. See our ILR to citizenship timeline for the full picture.

If you are considering whether to apply for citizenship or remain with ILR, see our ILR vs citizenship comparison.

Total Costs Over the 5-Year Route

The Spouse visa route is expensive. Budget for the following cumulative costs (approximate 2026 figures):

• Initial visa application fee: £2,064
• IHS (initial, 2.5 years): £2,587.50. A first visa granted from outside the UK runs for 33 months, and the surcharge for it is £3,105
• Extension application fee: £1,407
• IHS (extension, 2.5 years): £2,587.50
• ILR application fee: £3,226 per person
• English language tests (up to 3): £450-£600
• Life in the UK test: £50

The total for one applicant is approximately £12,400 to £13,000 over 5 years. If you have dependent children applying with you, add the application fee and IHS for each child. See our visa fees guide for exact current figures.

Questions and answers