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A UK family visa lets you live in the UK long-term with a close family member who is a British citizen or settled in the UK, most commonly a spouse, partner or fiance(e), and in some cases a parent or child. We help couples and families prepare clear, honest, well-documented applications.
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Minimum yearly income the UK sponsor must usually meet for new partner applications.
The family route usually leads to settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) after 5 years.
Usual decision time from outside the UK after biometrics.
A UK family visa (under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules) allows a non-British family member to join or remain with a relative who is a British citizen or has settled status in the UK. Unlike a visitor visa, it is a route to living in the UK long-term and, in most cases, to settlement.
The most common family visa is the partner (spouse) route. Other family routes cover parents of a child living in the UK, dependent children, and, in very limited circumstances, adult dependent relatives who need long-term care.
We do not promise visa approval. The family route is complex and highly personal; our role is to help you prepare a strong, honest application and, where a case is genuinely complex, to help you understand when specialist legal advice may be needed.
For a husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried partner of a British citizen or settled person. Unmarried partners usually need to show at least 2 years living together. Leads to settlement after 5 years.
For those coming to marry or enter a civil partnership within 6 months. It does not allow work; after marrying you switch to a partner visa from inside the UK.
For a parent of a British or settled child, where the parent is not in a relationship covered by the partner route. Specific rules apply about access to and responsibility for the child.
For a dependent child to join or accompany a parent who has, or is applying for, a UK family visa, subject to age and dependency rules.
A very limited route for an elderly parent, grandparent, or other adult relative who needs long-term personal care that can only be provided in the UK. Strict and evidence-heavy.
For most new partner applications, the UK-based sponsor must meet a minimum income requirement (MIR). This is usually the most challenging part of a family visa application.
For new partner applications made on or after 11 April 2024, the MIR is £29,000 gross per year, whether or not you bring children. For applications from outside the UK, the sponsor’s income is normally the qualifying source; the applicant’s overseas income usually cannot count.
Policy under review: £29,000 has been unchanged since April 2024. Planned increases towards £38,700 were paused and an independent review recommended against a further increase. Always confirm the current figure on GOV.UK.
If you first applied on the partner route before 11 April 2024 and are continuing with the same partner, you generally remain on the older £18,600 threshold (plus £3,800 for a first child and £2,400 for each additional child) for extension and settlement.
Savings alone: generally £88,500 held for the required period (normally at least 6 months). To top up income: (annual shortfall × 2.5) + £16,000.
Worked example: sponsor earns £19,000, shortfall £10,000. Required savings = (£10,000 × 2.5) + £16,000 = £41,000.
If the sponsor receives certain disability or carer-related benefits, the application may be assessed under the ‘adequate maintenance’ test instead, looking at whether household income after housing costs is enough to support the family.
The applicant must usually prove their knowledge of English at each stage of the route. You can meet this through an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), a qualifying English-taught degree, or an exemption in limited cases. We can help you confirm the correct option.
Evidence often includes your marriage or civil partnership certificate, proof of living together or ongoing contact, photographs, communication records, and shared finances or commitments.
Accommodation in the UK that you own or occupy exclusively, without overcrowding and without relying on public funds.
No serious immigration or criminal history that would lead to refusal.
The family partner route is normally a 5-year route to settlement. A partner visa granted from outside the UK is usually valid for 33 months, then extended for a further 30 months. After 5 years on the route, and meeting the English (B1) and Life in the UK test requirements, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Where an applicant cannot meet the standard requirements but refusal would breach their right to family life, a longer 10-year route may apply. It is more difficult and takes longer, and should be treated as a safety net rather than a first choice.
This is a general checklist. Your final list depends on your route and circumstances.
Applications are completed online, with biometrics given in person at the UK Visa Application Centre (VFS Global), Union Place, Colombo 02.
We understand your relationship, your sponsor’s financial position, and the correct route.
We check how you meet the minimum income requirement: income, savings, or both.
We map the relationship, financial, accommodation, and English evidence you need.
We check for gaps, inconsistencies, and evidence-format issues before submission.
We help with the GOV.UK application, the fee, and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Booking and attending your appointment at VFS Global in Colombo.
Support through the decision and guidance on your route to settlement.
Fees were last updated on 8 April 2026. General guidance only; always confirm on GOV.UK. A priority service (around 5 working days) may be available at extra cost. VFS Global charges are separate. All fees are non-refundable; because the health surcharge covers several years, budget the total cost carefully.
If your application was refused, review the reasons carefully before reapplying, and correct the specific issues with stronger, correctly-formatted evidence. The Visa Central can review previous refusal cases and, where a case is genuinely complex, help you understand when specialist legal advice is advisable.
No visa consultant in Sri Lanka, or anywhere else, can guarantee a visa. Any consultancy that promises guaranteed approval should be treated with caution. The final decision always rests with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
What we do promise is professional preparation, clear advice and honest guidance at every step.
Download our free UK Family Visa Checklist and understand the key documents generally required for Sri Lankan applicants.
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It is a visa that lets a non-British family member live in the UK long-term with a British citizen or settled relative, most commonly a spouse or partner, and in some cases a parent or child. It usually leads to settlement after 5 years.
No. A family visa is for living in the UK long-term with a relative. A family visit visa is for short trips of up to 6 months and is part of the Standard Visitor route.
For new partner applications since 11 April 2024, the minimum income requirement is £29,000 gross per year, met mainly through the UK sponsor’s income. Always confirm the current figure on GOV.UK, as this is under review.
As of 2026 it remains £29,000. Planned increases towards £38,700 were paused, and an independent review recommended against a further increase, but no change has yet been made.
No. For new partner applications, the £29,000 requirement applies whether or not children are included. You must still show suitable accommodation for your family.
Yes. To meet the £29,000 requirement through savings alone, you generally need £88,500 held for the required period. Savings can also top up income using the formula (annual shortfall × 2.5) + £16,000.
Usually not for an application from outside the UK. The sponsor’s income is the main qualifying source. Your own income can generally only count if you are already lawfully working in the UK.
If you first applied on the partner route before 11 April 2024 and are continuing with the same partner, you generally stay on the older £18,600 threshold (plus child additions) for your later applications.
It lets you come to the UK to marry or form a civil partnership within 6 months. It does not allow work, and you switch to a partner visa from inside the UK after marrying.
Usually A1 for the first partner visa, A2 for the extension, and B1 for settlement, met through an approved test or a qualifying exemption.
A partner visa granted from outside the UK is usually valid for 33 months, then extended for a further 30 months, reaching settlement after 5 years on the route.
After completing 5 years on the family route and meeting the English (B1) and Life in the UK test requirements, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
It is a longer route for those who cannot meet the standard requirements but where refusal would breach their right to family life. It is harder and takes longer than the 5-year route.
Evidence that your relationship is genuine and continuing, such as your marriage certificate, proof of living together or ongoing contact, photographs, communication records, and shared finances.
Yes. Applicants from Sri Lanka must provide a valid TB test certificate from an approved clinic for visas of more than 6 months, which includes family visas.
From 8 April 2026, the partner visa fee from outside the UK is £2,064, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year. Always confirm current figures on GOV.UK.
Applications from outside the UK are usually decided within around 12 weeks after biometrics, though this can vary. A priority service may be available at extra cost.
Only through the adult dependent relative route, which is very limited and applies where the relative needs long-term care that can only be provided in the UK. The evidence requirements are strict.
Review the refusal reasons carefully, correct the specific issues with stronger evidence, and consider specialist advice for complex cases before reapplying.
At the UK Visa Application Centre operated by VFS Global at Union Place, Colombo 02.
We provide professional guidance, document support, application assistance, and submission guidance based on the service package you select.
No. No consultancy can guarantee a visa. The final decision is made only by UK Visas and Immigration. Our role is to help you prepare a strong, honest, and complete application.
Speak with The Visa Central for professional guidance before you apply.