FOR ALL YOUR IMMIGRATION MATTERS

Spouse Visa Solicitors London

Applying for a UK spouse visa can feel demanding when your family’s future depends on getting the details right. Our experienced immigration team provides clear, practical support with initial applications, extensions and complex cases, helping you understand the rules and prepare the evidence required by the Home Office.

Garth Coates Solicitors will assess your circumstances, identify potential weaknesses and organise your application carefully. We can advise on financial evidence, relationship documents, English language requirements, accommodation and previous immigration issues. With spouse visa solicitors in London managing your case, you receive focused legal guidance from the first review through to submission and the Home Office decision, and updates throughout the process.

  • Spouse Visa Support
  • Relationship Evidence Help
  • Financial Requirement Advice
  • Accommodation Document Checks
  • Extension Application Support
Contact us for a Spouse Visa UK consultation

(Typical response time 2 business hours)

6,500 +

Successful Applications and Still Counting

31

Years of Experience in the UK Immigration Law

18

British Lawyers and Supporting Staff

25k +

Consultancy Services Provided and Still Counting
Established in 2008, Garth Coates Solicitors is a leading Law Firm in Immigration who can provide professional legal advice to ensure that your Application satisfies the strict requirements of the Immigration Rules. Our team of legal professionals offer comprehensive and considered advice to enable our clients to make informed choices. We strongly believe that our clients deserve the best; we take our responsibilities very seriously to ensure that client satisfaction is achieved by providing a professional yet friendly legal service.

We aim to resolve all immigration matters brought to us by working diligently and together with the client, keeping them informed of the progress of their case at all stages. Our outstanding success rate is maintained thanks to the high standard of our work.

If you would like us to assist you with your Immigration Matter, kindly click here to leave us an Enquiry. Alternatively, we can be reached via telephone at (00 44) (0)20 7799 1600 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (UTC+00.00 London) every Monday to Friday.
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FAQs

A UK spouse visa is a family visa. It allows an eligible husband, wife or civil partner to join or remain with their partner in the UK. Both partners must normally be aged 18 or over, and the relationship must be genuine.

The sponsor may be a British or Irish citizen, someone settled in the UK, or a person with another qualifying status, including certain people with pre-settled or protection status. The marriage or civil partnership must be legally recognised, and both partners must intend to live together permanently in Britain.

The correct route depends on the applicant’s location and immigration status. A fiancé visa may be more suitable where the couple plans to marry after arrival.

The Home Office considers several requirements, not only the marriage certificate. You will usually need to show that your relationship is genuine and subsisting, previous relationships have ended permanently, and you intend to live together in the UK.

Most applicants must also meet the financial requirement, prove their knowledge of English and show that suitable accommodation is available. The application must be valid, supported by the correct documents and free from suitability issues.

Previous overstaying, visa refusals, criminal convictions, inaccurate information or allegations of deception may affect the outcome. These matters should be addressed carefully. A legal review can identify which requirements apply, highlight weaknesses and determine whether additional evidence or written representations are needed.

For many new partner applications, the couple must usually show combined annual income of at least £29,000. Different rules apply to some applicants who entered the partner route before 11 April 2024. An alternative test may apply where the sponsor receives certain disability or carer’s benefits.

The evidence depends on the source of funds. Employment income may require payslips, matching bank statements and an employer letter. Self-employment, company-director income, pensions, property income and cash savings are assessed under separate rules. Some sources can be combined.

Meeting the figure is not enough if the evidence does not follow the rules. We can identify the correct category, check the calculation and provide a tailored document list.

A marriage or civil partnership certificate proves the legal relationship, but it does not by itself show that the relationship is genuine and continuing. The Home Office considers how the relationship developed and how you share your lives.

Useful evidence may include tenancy agreements, Council Tax records, utility bills, joint bank statements, travel records, photographs, correspondence and proof of shared responsibilities. Couples living apart may need to explain why and provide evidence of communication, visits, financial support and future plans.

Quality and consistency matter more than excessive material. Dates, addresses and personal details should agree across the form and documents. We can organise the evidence, explain periods of separation and present the relationship history clearly.

Most applications require identity documents, evidence of the sponsor’s UK status, a recognised marriage or civil partnership certificate, financial records, accommodation evidence and proof of English language ability. Documents not written in English or Welsh usually require a certified translation.

Applicants may also need previous passports, divorce certificates, details of earlier immigration applications, tuberculosis test results where required, and information about children or previous partners. Financial evidence may include payslips, bank statements, tax returns, company accounts or savings records.

Every document should cover the correct period and match the online form. Missing pages, unexplained transactions or inconsistent addresses can create avoidable problems. Our team provides a case-specific checklist and reviews the complete application bundle before submission.

Some applicants can switch from inside the UK, but this depends on their current permission. A person who entered on a fiancé visa can normally apply after the marriage. Someone with permission granted for more than six months may also be able to switch if all requirements are met.

Visitors and most people with permission lasting six months or less are generally expected to leave the UK and apply from overseas. Limited exceptions may arise where children, human rights or compelling circumstances are involved.

Using the wrong route can cause refusal, delay and extra expense. We can review your immigration history, visa conditions and family circumstances before confirming the appropriate strategy for your individual circumstances.

GOV.UK states that an overseas partner application will receive a decision within 12 weeks. An application made inside the UK will take eight weeks where the financial and English language requirements are met. Complex cases can take considerably longer.

An initial spouse visa granted from outside the UK normally lasts two years and nine months. An in-country grant or extension is usually for two years and six months. The applicant must apply again before their permission expires and continue meeting the requirements.

A person may normally apply for indefinite leave to remain after completing five years on the qualifying partner route. Time spent as a fiancé or on another visa does not usually count.

Applications can become difficult where income comes from several sources, the couple has lived apart, documents are overseas, a previous application was refused or the applicant has an adverse immigration history. Early advice can clarify the rules before fees are paid.

Garth Coates Solicitors can assess eligibility, identify risks, explain the financial calculation and prepare a checklist. We can complete or review the form, check supporting evidence and draft representations showing how the requirements are met. We also assist with extensions and cases involving children.

Where an application has been refused, we can examine the decision and advise whether a fresh application or appeal may be appropriate, taking account of the reasons, evidence and deadlines.

Garth Coates, Immigration Law Firm
Garth Coates

Principal Partner

A Message from Our Principal

At Garth Coates Solicitors, we provide expert legal advice and unwavering support across the full spectrum of UK immigration matters. Before qualifying as a solicitor, I worked within the UK Home Office (UKVI) as an Immigration Officer — a role that gave me valuable insight into the inner workings of the immigration system. Since then, I have gone on to represent clients at several of the UK’s most prominent immigration law firms, and later established this firm to deliver a more focused and client-centred approach.

Together with my senior legal team, we bring over 30 years of combined experience in the UK immigration sector. This depth of expertise enables us to successfully handle even the most complex and challenging cases — from visa refusals and judicial review proceedings to corporate sponsorships, family reunifications, and permanent settlement applications.

We are proud of our high success rate, earned through strategic thinking, meticulous preparation, and a commitment to delivering results. Our multilingual team of solicitors, caseworkers, and support professionals is well-equipped to serve a global clientele with care, professionalism, and cultural understanding.

At Garth Coates Solicitors, we fight for our clients’ rights and treat each case with the attention and seriousness it deserves. Whether you’re applying for the first time, facing an appeal, or unsure of your options, we are here to guide you with clarity and confidence.

Warm regards,

Contact us for a Spouse Visa UK consultation

(Typical response time 2 business hours)