Spouse Visa Extensions (FLR(M))

Overview

If you are in the UK on a spouse or partner visa, your permission is time limited. Before it expires you will need to apply to extend your stay using form FLR(M). A successful extension keeps you on the five-year route to settlement, protects your right to work, and keeps your journey towards indefinite leave to remain and British citizenship on track.

The extension is not a formality. The Home Office looks again at your relationship, your finances and your immigration history. Problems that were not an issue at the entry clearance stage, such as a change of job, a drop in income or extended time spent outside the UK, can put an extension at risk. Preparing the application properly matters, because a refusal can take you off the five-year route and add years to your journey to settlement.

We prepare and check spouse visa extension applications for couples across the UK from our offices in Leeds, Sheffield and London.

Book a free initial consultation

When To Apply

You can apply to extend at any time before your current permission expires. If you are extending to stay with the same partner, up to 28 days left on your current permission is added to your new grant, so applying a few weeks early does not cost you time.

You must not let your permission expire before applying. If your visa is close to expiry, contact us urgently and we will advise you the same day where possible.

What The Home Office Looks At

An FLR(M) extension application is assessed under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. In summary, you will need to show:

Your relationship is genuine and subsisting. You must still be in a genuine relationship with your partner and intend to live together permanently in the UK. Evidence of cohabitation since your last grant, such as joint bills, tenancy agreements or correspondence to the same address, carries significant weight.

The financial requirement. Most couples must show a combined gross annual income of at least £29,000.00. A different position applies if you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending with the same partner. In that case the minimum income is £18,600.00, with an additional £3,800.00 for the first non-exempt child and £2,400.00 for each further child, capped so that you never need to show more than £29,000.00. If your partner receives certain disability or carer's benefits, the minimum income requirement does not apply and you instead need to show adequate maintenance and accommodation. Read our detailed guide to the spouse visa financial requirement.

English language. If you passed a level A1 test for your first visa, you will normally need to pass at least level A2 in speaking and listening for your extension. If you already passed A2 or higher, you can rely on the same test result provided the certificate has not been withdrawn. Degree-level qualifications taught in English and certain nationalities are exempt, as are applicants over 65 or those with a physical or mental condition preventing them from meeting the requirement.

Adequate accommodation. You must have adequate accommodation for your household without relying on public funds.

Immigration history and conduct. The suitability requirements apply to every application. Previous overstaying, criminality or deception issues need to be addressed head on, not ignored.

The Evidence

The evidence for an extension is different from a first application. The Home Office expects to see the life you have actually built together since your visa was granted. We advise on and check:

• Identity and status documents for you and your partner
• Cohabitation evidence covering the period since your last grant
• Financial evidence in the strict format Appendix FM-SE requires, which depends on whether income comes from employment, self-employment, savings, pension or a combination
• Your English language evidence or exemption
• Evidence for any children included in the application
• Explanations for anything unusual, such as gaps in cohabitation or changes in employment

The format rules for financial evidence are strict and are the single most common reason genuine applications are refused. Read our documents and evidence guide.

Fees And Costs

Our own fees are set out on our fees page , and we will always give you a clear written quote before you instruct us.

What You Get If You Succeed

A successful extension grants you a further 2 years and 6 months in the UK. You will receive an eVisa, a digital record of your status. You can continue to work and study. You remain subject to the no recourse to public funds condition unless it has been lifted.

Your decision letter will also state whether you have a standard or non-standard endorsement. A non-standard endorsement means you were granted permission without meeting every requirement, and it can affect when you become eligible for settlement. If your letter shows a non-standard endorsement, take advice before planning your settlement application.

The Road Ahead: Settlement And Citizenship

The extension is the middle stage of a journey. After five years on the partner route you can normally apply for indefinite leave to remain using form SET(M) , and twelve months after settlement most people become eligible to apply for British citizenship. If you cannot meet a requirement at extension stage, you may still be able to remain on the ten-year route, but settlement then takes considerably longer. Getting the extension right protects the shorter route.

If Your Extension Is Refused

A refusal is serious but rarely the end. Depending on the reasons you may have a right of appeal or be able to reapply with stronger evidence. Time limits are short. See spouse visa refusals and complex cases or contact us urgently.

How We Help

We assess your position honestly before anything is submitted, prepare and check every document against the current Rules, and deal with the Home Office on your behalf from first advice to decision. Offices in Leeds, Sheffield and London, with clients across the UK and worldwide.

FAQs