The UK spouse visa application is emotionally and financially stressful for the parties. The recent rise in visa fees and financial requirements has made it very challenging for many families to navigate the UK immigration system. It is not just creating intense pressure on relationships but also on mental well-being.

The Financial Process of Obtaining a UK Spouse Visa

UK spouse visa costs have been a topic of controversy for many years. The actual cost of the visa itself has increased sharply during recent years, reaching its present height of £1,846 for those outside the UK and £1,048 for UK-based applicants. Apart from this, a candidate must pay the IHS, which currently is £1,035 per year and will rise to £1,625 by early 2024. As the spouse visa generally lasts for 2.5 years, the overall cost of an application and then to survive during that period would quickly add up to £5,000 or more.

These are mainly significant for most families, especially those on low incomes. Furthermore, starting in April 2024, the monetary requirement for UK citizens or settled persons to sponsor their spouses will rise from £18,600 to £29,000. The steep increase in the monetary requirement increases the monetary pressure on the applicants and can rule out many of them bringing their spouses to the UK.

Watch this video that talks about the financial requirements for the UK spouse visa application. 

Many applicants are charged for various additional services available, including expedited processing that can cost as much as an extra £800. The lawyers assisting the applicants in the UK quite often advise the applicants to prepare carefully, but even the most careful preparation does not lower the pressure related to economic reasoning. Because of such a climb in prices​, some families are left with no choice but to delay or cancel their reunification plans. 

Burden of Separation and Financial Barriers

The emotional cost of the UK spouse visa application is no less than the financial one, either. Families spend years apart not only because of the complexity involved in the visa application process but also because of the time it takes to amass the finances required to make the application. With the visa's processing time being 8 to 12 weeks, families could be separated for longer periods even after the decision is made.

It can be a huge strain on the relationships. Researches indicate that the psychological burden of such long-distance relationships, coupled with uncertainty about the visa process, has even thrown families into severe mental health disorders both in adults and children. In a 2023 report, families were separated. The following were the findings: mental health challenges of being separated were highly impacted by the visa cases 92% of the children whose families were not reunified due to visa issues witnessed serious emotional challenges with anxiety and depression.

Most children cannot understand why it is not possible for them to live with both parents, a reason that creates confusion, frustration and abandonment. The longer such emotional problems are left unattended, the more likely they become behavioural issues in the child and affect all of their development.

Discriminatory Effects and Long-Term Consequences

The other criticism of the UK spouse visa system is its disproportionate and biased nature. More often than not, these are women, young ones, and those living outside London and the South East who take the brunt because wages in these regions are lower, thereby adding another layer of complexity while trying to reach strict financial requirements. Single parents and low-income families are easily targeted by the emotional and financial distress that this system generates.

Not only that, even after your family has secured the visa, they continue incurring costs for visa renewals, IHS, and eventual applications for ILR or British citizenship. These are continuously spent accumulative expenses, and in combination with the psychological strain of living with the spectre of visa refusals or delays hanging over your head, long-term psychological damage and financial insecurity are born.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Spouse Visa Application

One significant error in a UK spouse visa application is failing to anticipate and prepare to deal with financial shortfalls, which can cause delays. Some applicants also fail to meet the growing financial requirements or neglect considerations for ongoing costs like paying the Immigration Health Surcharge, which may delay the outcome of a visa application and cause much pain. Planning and preparing for finances are essential steps that would avoid emotional and financial strain due to delayed approvals or rejections of applications.

Seeking Legal Assistance

It is, therefore, quite likely that going through the process of applying for a UK spouse visa could be quite a long and expensive affair. Hence, help from a professional is required at this stage. An immigration lawyer in the UK with some level of experience will be able to make the applicants fully aware of the requirements that have to be met and adequately prepare for the application. In fact, lawyers will be able to help families look into all fee waivers or other assistance in funds available, though this depends on very particular cases.

More broadly, lawyers can assist with the preparation for the renewal of the visa and guide applicants through the necessary steps to lead them eventually to the application for ILR or citizenship. Again, there is an additional cost from hiring a lawyer, but their profession may increase the likelihood of a successful application and avert the cost of an applicant's mistakes​.

Call for Assistance

The UK spouse visa system poses a gargantuan emotional and financial load that gives rise to an awful situation which forces such huge families to be overwhelmed. The hefty financial requirements and high charges for the visa application contribute much to a long wait period and also plenty of stress due to separation and insecurity. A system that was meant to control immigration became, over time, a serious impediment to family integration. We at A Y & J Solicitors are aware of the financial and emotional burdens that such a process puts on families, so we urge you to entrust your UK spouse visa application case to our competent immigration lawyers in the UK.

A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience in UK spouse visa application. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us at +44 20 7404 7933. We’re here to help!