Spouse and family visas

UK family visas, explained

UK family visas let eligible foreign nationals join their family members in the UK for stays of six months or longer. We handle the full range of family applications, from a first application to a complex, heavily evidenced case.

If you are joining family in the UK and you are from a non-EU or EFTA country, you may be able to apply as the spouse, fiance, civil or unmarried partner of a qualifying sponsor, as the parent of a child under 18, as a child under 18 yourself, or as an adult relative who needs to be cared for by a family member here.

Family cases turn on two things above all: proving the relationship is genuine, and meeting the financial requirement. We build both into the application from the start so it stands up to scrutiny.

The main family routes

Which route you use depends on your relationship to your sponsor and your circumstances.

• Spouse Visa. For joining a British or settled partner, where you both intend to live together permanently in the UK and the sponsor meets the minimum income requirement.
• Fiance Visa. For partners coming to the UK to marry within six months, before switching to a Spouse Visa.
• Unmarried Partner Visa. For couples who have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years.
• Child Visa. To bring a child under 18 to a parent who is British or settled, with evidence of parental responsibility.
• Adult Dependent Relative. For an older parent or relative who needs long-term care that can only be provided by family in the UK.
• UK Ancestry Visa. For Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent, allowing work here for up to five years.
• EU Settlement Family Permit. For non-EEA family members of an EU or Swiss citizen where the relationship began before 31 December 2020.

How Cromwell Wilkes helps you apply

Our team gives clear, reliable advice to family members who want to join their loved ones in the UK, across every family-based route. We prepare the documentation, help you meet the financial and relationship requirements, and advise on any complication before it becomes a refusal.