UK settlement visa services are offered by regulated immigration advisers and solicitors who prepare, check or submit family visa applications for a fee. They can be worth the money when your case is complicated. They are not compulsory, they cannot speed up a Home Office decision beyond the official priority services, and nobody can honestly guarantee that a spouse visa will be granted.
This guide explains what professional help includes, what it typically costs, how to check that an adviser is legally allowed to act for you, and when you can reasonably apply on your own. It also sets out the main spouse and partner visa rules in force at the time of writing. It is general information, not legal advice, and it does not name or rank firms.
What is a UK “settlement visa” for a spouse or partner?
People often say “settlement visa” when they mean the family visa that allows a husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner to join a British citizen or settled person in the UK. It does not give settlement immediately. It starts a five-year route that ends with indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
| Stage | Length | Main requirements | English level |
|---|---|---|---|
| First visa, applied for outside the UK | 33 months | Genuine relationship, minimum income of £29,000 or savings, adequate accommodation | A1 speaking and listening |
| Extension inside the UK | 30 months | Same requirements, shown again with current evidence | A2 |
| Indefinite leave to remain | After 5 years on the route | Continuing relationship, financial requirement, Life in the UK test | B1 |
| British citizenship (optional) | Spouses of British citizens can usually apply once they hold ILR | Residence, good character, Life in the UK test already passed | B1 |
The £29,000 income rule
The sponsoring partner must normally show gross annual income of at least £29,000. Unlike the older rules, there is no extra amount for children. The income can come from salaried employment, self-employment, pensions, property rental and some other sources, and each has its own evidence rules.
Cash savings can be used instead of, or combined with, income. Savings alone must be at least £88,500, held for six months. If the sponsor receives certain disability or carer’s benefits, a different test of “adequate maintenance” applies. Couples who first applied before April 2024 generally continue under the earlier, lower threshold when they extend.
The government has been reviewing both the family income rules and the path to settlement. Proposals for “earned settlement” would lengthen the standard qualifying period on many routes, and the treatment of partners of British citizens should be confirmed on GOV.UK before you rely on any timeline, including the one in this article.
What do regulated advisers and solicitors actually do?
A good adviser does not have special influence with the Home Office. What you are paying for is knowledge of the Immigration Rules and care with evidence, since most refusals result from missing or incorrectly formatted documents.
- Eligibility assessment: checking the relationship, financial, accommodation and English requirements against your facts before you pay a government fee
- Evidence planning: specifying exactly which payslips, bank statements, employer letters, tax documents and relationship evidence are needed, for which dates
- Form completion: preparing the online application and checking it for inconsistencies with earlier visa applications
- Legal representations: a covering letter explaining how the rules are met, which is especially useful in unusual cases
- Submission and follow-up: booking biometrics, uploading documents and responding to Home Office requests
- Refusals: advising on appeal, administrative review or a fresh application
How much do spouse visa services cost?
Professional fees are not regulated, so they vary by region, by the adviser’s seniority and by the difficulty of the case. The ranges below are typical of the market at the time of writing. Ask for a fixed fee in writing and whether VAT is included.
| Service | Typical professional fee | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| One-off consultation | About £75–£300 | People applying themselves who have specific questions |
| Document checking service | About £300–£800 | Straightforward cases where you complete the form yourself |
| Full application service | About £900–£2,500 | Most couples who want full representation |
| Complex cases | About £2,500–£5,000 or more | Self-employed sponsors, previous refusals, adverse immigration history |
| Appeals | Often £2,000–£6,000 or more, plus barrister fees in some cases | Refusals with a right of appeal |
Government costs you pay whatever you decide
Adviser fees come on top of official charges, which are often the larger part of the bill:
- The visa application fee, which at the time of writing is roughly £1,900 from outside the UK and roughly £1,300 from inside
- The Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 a year, paid upfront for the whole period of the visa
- An approved English language test and, in some countries, a tuberculosis test
- Biometric appointment charges and optional priority processing
- Certified translations of documents not in English or Welsh
- Later, the ILR application fee of around £3,000 and the Life in the UK test fee
Fees normally rise each year, so check the current Home Office fee table on GOV.UK. Over the full five years, official costs for one adult commonly exceed £10,000. If you borrow to pay them, compare the total cost of credit, and if you pay from abroad, compare international money transfer providers on exchange rate as well as fee.
How do you check that an adviser is regulated?
In the UK it is a criminal offence to give immigration advice as a business unless you are regulated. There are two main groups.
Immigration Advice Authority advisers
The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), formerly the OISC, registers advisers at three levels. Level 1 covers straightforward applications, Level 2 covers more complex casework, and Level 3 covers appeals and advocacy. Search the adviser finder on GOV.UK for the organisation’s name and check that its level matches the work you need.
Solicitors, barristers and legal executives
Solicitors in England and Wales are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and you can look them up on the SRA’s Solicitors Register. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own Law Societies. Barristers and CILEX practitioners are regulated by their own bodies.
Questions to ask before you pay
- What is your IAA registration number or SRA number, and who will handle my file?
- Is the fee fixed, what does it include, and what would cost extra?
- Will I receive a client care letter setting out the work and the complaints procedure?
- What are the weaknesses in my case?
- What happens, and what do I pay, if the application is refused?
An adviser who identifies risks is more useful than one who only reassures you.
When is it fine to apply yourself?
Many couples apply successfully without representation. The online form is long but written in plain English, and the evidence rules are published in the Immigration Rules, Appendix FM and Appendix FM-SE. A do-it-yourself application is reasonable when all of these are true:
- The sponsor has been with the same employer for at least six months and earns £29,000 or more
- You are married or in a civil partnership and have clear evidence of the relationship
- Neither of you has visa refusals, overstaying or criminal convictions
- You have passed an approved English test or hold an accepted degree
- You have suitable accommodation that will not be overcrowded
If you are still looking for a home, our guide to cheap UK housing for immigrants covers tenancy documents, which also serve as accommodation evidence.
When professional help is worth paying for
- The sponsor is self-employed or a director of their own limited company
- You are combining income sources, or income with savings
- The sponsor changed jobs recently or has been working abroad
- You are unmarried partners and need to prove a durable relationship
- There is a previous refusal, overstay, deception allegation or conviction
- A child from a previous relationship is applying
- You cannot meet a requirement and need to argue exceptional circumstances
How does the application work, step by step?
- Check eligibility. Work through the relationship, financial, accommodation and English requirements.
- Take the tests. Book the approved English test, and a TB test if your country requires one.
- Collect evidence. Financial documents must cover the exact periods in the rules, and payslips must match bank statements.
- Complete the online form on GOV.UK. Pay the fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
- Attend biometrics. Give fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre, and upload documents.
- Wait for the decision. The published standard is about 12 weeks for applications from outside the UK, with faster paid services in some locations.
- Travel and set up. After arrival, check your eVisa, register with a GP and apply for a National Insurance number.
A partner visa allows you to work in almost any job. If you were previously a student, our guide to jobs for international students in the UK explains the different rules for that visa, and the overview of visa sponsorship jobs in Scotland covers the separate work route.
What are the warning signs of a bad adviser?
- A promise of guaranteed approval or a “100% success rate”
- No registration number, or a number that does not appear on the IAA or SRA register
- Claims of contacts inside the Home Office
- Requests for cash only, with no receipt or client care letter
- Suggestions to alter payslips, borrow money temporarily to inflate savings, or hide facts
- Offers to arrange a job, a sponsor or a marriage for a fee
False documents lead to refusal and can bring a ten-year ban, and you carry the consequences even if the adviser prepared the file. Genuine employers do not charge for job offers or sponsorship, and genuine advisers do not sell outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my partner’s income count towards the £29,000?
For a first application from outside the UK, generally only the UK sponsor’s income counts, together with savings held by either partner. Once the applicant is in the UK with permission to work, their income can be counted at the extension and settlement stages.
What is the Life in the UK test?
It is a computer-based test on British history, traditions and everyday life, taken at an approved centre before you apply for indefinite leave to remain. You prepare from the official handbook, and a pass does not expire.
What if we cannot meet the income requirement?
Look first at savings, other permitted income sources, and whether the sponsor qualifies under the adequate maintenance test. In limited cases involving exceptional circumstances, a visa may be granted on a longer ten-year route to settlement. This is an area where regulated advice is strongly recommended.
Can I get free immigration advice?
Possibly. Legal aid for family visa applications is very limited, but law centres, Citizens Advice offices and some charities offer free advice from regulated advisers. Demand is high, so contact them early.
Bottom line
Professional help with a family or spouse visa is a service, not a shortcut. Straightforward cases with a salaried sponsor earning £29,000 or more can often be handled yourself, while complicated finances or immigration history justify paying a regulated adviser. Check the IAA or SRA register, get the fee in writing, and confirm the current rules and fees on GOV.UK before you apply.