Overview
Spouse visa refusals are usually evidence failures, not eligibility failures. The rules prescribe not only what you must prove but the exact form the proof must take, and a missing employer letter line or an out-of-date document can cost a genuine couple their application fee and months together. This checklist covers what the Home Office asks for. Checking a completed bundle against the format rules is one of the most valuable things we do for clients.
Have your documents checked before you apply
Identity And History: Every Applicant
- Current passport or other valid travel document
- Copies of the photo page and any visas or entry stamps in previous passports
- Details of every previous immigration application
- Details of any criminal convictions
- National insurance number, if you have one
- Your parents' dates of birth and nationality, if applying from outside the UK
- Tuberculosis test results if applying from a listed country
- Certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh
- An email address for the online application
In-Country Applicants: Proof Of Current Status
Either a share code generated from your eVisa, or your biometric residence permit. A BRP can be used for 24 months after its printed expiry or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.
Relationship Evidence
Documents should come from official sources, confirm the fact relied on and be less than 4 years old:
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate
- Tenancy agreements, utility bills and Council Tax bills at the same address
- Joint bank statements or statements showing the same address
- Doctor's or dentist's letters confirming a shared address
- Alternatives where needed: one-off bills, electoral register letters, student finance paperwork
- For couples living apart: evidence of communication, financial support, shared childcare and time together
- Evidence that any previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended, for both of you
Strategy and presentation: see the Relationship Requirement guide.
Financial Evidence
The requirement and thresholds are explained in the Financial Requirement guide. The core evidence for salaried employment:
- 6 months of payslips counting back from the application date
- Bank statements showing the salary arriving
- An employer letter, dated and on headed paper, confirming the employment, job title, length of employment, contract type, gross salary, how long the current salary has been paid, and that the payslips are genuine
Additional or different evidence applies for self-employment and director income (Self Assessment based), savings above £16,000.00, pension and non-work income, maternity or paternity periods, and combined sources. The prescriptive detail sits in Appendix FM-SE and the minimum income guidance; this is where most refusals originate and where we check hardest.
English Language Evidence
One of: a SELT certificate at the required level from an approved provider, a UK degree certificate, an Ecctis confirmation for a non-UK degree taught in English, or exemption evidence such as nationality or age. If you proved English in a previous successful application you may not need to prove it again.
Partner And Family Details
The form asks for your partner's identity, status and history, details of anyone either of you was previously married to or had children with, and details of all children on both sides, whether or not they are applying, including living and contact arrangements. It also asks about your life outside the UK, countries lived in and visited, and family in your country of origin. Inconsistency between these answers and your documents is a refusal generator; we cross-check every answer against the bundle.
Sponsorship Form
Some applications call for a sponsorship undertaking or form from the UK family member (form SU07 territory). Whether it is needed depends on the circumstances; we advise case by case.
Format Rules That Catch People
- Dates count back from the application date, not the decision date
- Statements and payslips must cover the full required period with no gaps
- Documents must be from the prescribed source; screenshots and unofficial printouts invite refusal
- Names and addresses must match across documents, or the difference must be explained
- Translations must be certified
FAQs
Do I need to send originals?
Applications are digital and documents are uploaded, with biometrics enrolled at an appointment. You will be told exactly how to provide documents when you apply. Keep originals available.
My payslips are electronic. Are they acceptable?
Commonly yes with appropriate authentication, and the employer letter confirming the payslips are genuine matters here.
How recent must bank statements be?
The required financial evidence runs to the date of application, with prescribed periods depending on income category. Recency rules also apply to relationship documents, which should be under 4 years old.
Can you just check documents we have prepared ourselves?
Yes. A document check against the format rules is available as a standalone service.