Entry Clearance As A Partner Of A Member Of HM Forces

You can apply for entry clearance for UK visa as a partner of a member of HM Forces who is a foreign or Commonwealth citizen.

Requirements For Entry Clearance

According to paragraph 23 of the Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules, an entry clearance and leave to enter as the partner of a member of HM Forces will be granted to an applicant who:

• is outside the United Kingdom;
• has made a valid application for entry clearance and leave to enter as the partner of a member of HM Forces;
• does not fall to be refused on the grounds of suitability under paragraph 8 or 9 of Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules;
• meets the general eligibility requirements in paragraph 20 of Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules;
• meets the English language requirement in Part 11 of Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules; and
• meets the financial requirements in Part 12 of Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules.

General Eligibility Criteria

According to paragraph 20 of the Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules, the general eligibility requirements to be met by the partner (P) of a member of HM Forces are that on the date the application is made:

• P’s sponsor is a member of HM Forces (as defined in paragraph 2(d) of Appendix Armed Forces) who:
  • is exempt from immigration control; or
  • has leave to enter or remain under paragraphs 13-19 of Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules or paragraphs 276E-QA of the Immigration Rules or under the concession which existed outside these Rules whereby the Secretary of State exercised her discretion to grant leave to enter or remain to a member of HM Forces who has been medically discharged; or
  • is being granted leave to enter or remain under paragraphs 13-19 of Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules or paragraphs 276E-QA of the Immigration Rules at the same time as P; or
  • is a British Citizen;
• P and P’s sponsor:
  • are both aged 18 or over;
  • must not be within a prohibited degree of relationship;
  • must intend to live together permanently; and
  • must have met in person;
• the relationship between P and P’s sponsor is genuine and subsisting; and
• any previous relationship of P or P’s sponsor must have broken down permanently, unless it is a relationship which falls within paragraph 278(i) of the Immigration Rules.

According to paragraph 20A of the Appendix Armed Forces, a reference to a member of HM Forces includes a former member of HM Forces who was discharged more than 2 yeas ago if that member of HM Forces:

• is a British citizen; or
• was granted leave under Appendix Armed Forces; and
• the applicant had leave under these Rules as the partner or child of a member of HM Forces prior to the sponsor’s discharge.

If P and P’s sponsor are married or in a civil partnership, it must be a valid marriage or civil partnership as specified in Appendix FM-SE. If P is the fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner of P’s sponsor, P must be seeking entry to the UK to enable their marriage or civil partnership to take place.

The entry clearance as a partner of member of HM Forces will normally be:

• for whichever is the shortest period of:
  • 5 years;
  • the remaining duration of the applicant’s partner’s enlistment;
  • the remaining duration of the applicant’s partner’s extant leave under paragraph 276KA or 276QA of the Immigration Rules or paragraph 15 or 19 of Appendix Armed Forces or under the concession which existed outside these Rules whereby the Secretary of State exercised her discretion to grant leave to enter or remain to a member of HM Forces who has been medically discharged; or
  • in the case of a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, a period not exceeding 6 months; and
• subject to the following conditions:
  • no recourse to public funds; and
  • in the case of a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, a prohibition on employment.

How Can We Help?

Our expert team of immigration solicitors specialise in entry clearance applications for partners of members of HM Forces who are foreign or Commonwealth citizens. If instructed to represent you regarding your application for UK visa as a partner of a member of HM Forces who is a foreign or Commonwealth citizen, we will carry out all the work on your application until a decision is made by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) on your clearance application. The immigration casework to be carried out by our expert team of immigration solicitors will include the following:

• Assessing your eligibility for UK visa as a partner by considering all your personal circumstances;
• Advising you on the weaknesses and strengths of your partner visa entry clearance application;
• Advising you on the relevant documents to be submitted in support of your partner visa entry clearance application;
• Assessing your documents to ensure that the documentary evidence is as per requirements of the Home Office UKVI immigration Rules;
• Completing and submitting the online application form to apply for partner visa entry clearance by gathering all the relevant information from you and your sponsor;
• Helping you with paying the partner visa application fee;
• Where necessary, preparing detailed witness statement of the applicant and/or the sponsor explaining the background of their relationship and other relevant factors pertaining to the partner visa entry clearance application;
• Preparing a detailed cover letter to introduce and support your partner visa entry clearance application;
• Uploading online all the relevant supporting documents and scheduling an appointment for submission of passport and enrolment of your biometrics;
• Liaising with the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) for a timely decision on your partner visa entry clearance application.

How Much We Charge?

Unless your matter is extremely complicated, our fixed fees for partner visa entry clearance application from outside the UK are given in the fee table below:

The agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of the entry clearance application and the volume of casework involved in the application. In addition to our fixed fee for entry clearance application, the applicant also have to pay the Home office UKVI fees for the entry clearance application.