You can rely on following useful online sources to find an answer to your question about extension of spouse visa 5 years route:

Apply Online For Renewal Of Spouse Visa

The Home Office UKVI website gives you access to the online application form FLR (M) to apply for renewal of spouse visa under 5 years route.

Appendix FM: Immigration Rules

Appendix FM to the UK Immigration Rules sets out the requirements an applicant for renewal of spouse visa under 5 years route.

Appendix FM SE: Immigration Rules

Appendix FM SE to the Immigration Rules sets out the specified documents to meet the financial requirement for renewal of spouse visa.

Appendix FM Financial Requirement: Home Office Guidance

The Home Office UKVI guidance on meeting the financial requirement is a useful source of information and guidance on how to meet the financial requirement for extension/renewal of spouse visa.

Approved English Language Tests

The Home Office UKVI page Applying for a UK visa: approved English language tests is a useful source of information about approved English language test centres in the UK and around the world for spouse visa application.

Partner, Divorce & Dissolution Guidance UKVI

The Home Office UKVI guidance: Partner, Divorce & Dissolution Guidance UKVI is a useful source of information and guidance about the validity of marriage, divorce, civil partnership or dissolution of civil partnership.

If your spouse visa renewal application is unsuccessful, you may have one of the two options available to you:

Option to re-apply within 14 days

You can re-apply for spouse visa renewal within 14 days of the deadline for filing an appeal against the refusal has expired. Our expert team of spouse visa solicitors can provide the required legal help and assistance for re-applying for spouse visa renewal after refusal.

Option to file an appeal against the refusal

You can file an appeal against the refusal of your spouse visa renewal within 14 days of the refusal decision. Our specialist appeal lawyers can provide expert legal help and assistance with your appeal to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) to challenge the refusal of  your spouse visa renewal.

You should take appropriate legal advice before choosing the right option for you in your given circumstances.

The most common reasons for refusal of spouse visa renewal under 5 years route include the following:

• not meeting the financial requirement;
• not meeting the English language requirement;
• Home Office UKVI not satisfied that the relationship with the British or settled spouse is still subsisting;
• general grounds for refusal such as allegation by the Home Office UKVI of applicant using proxy for TOEIC test previously, making false representations, etc.

Yes, it is very common for the Home Office UKVI to grant leave to remain under 10 years route where the applicant allegedly does not meet the requirements for grant of leave under the 5 years route.

In the event of Home Office granting leave under 10 years route, the applicant will not be given appeal right to challenge the refusal in the First Tier Tribunal. Such decision of the Home Office UKVI can only be challenged by way of Judicial Review in the Upper Tribunal.

Our expert team of Judicial Review solicitors can help you with your Judicial Review against the Home Office UKVI decision to grant you leave under 10 years route instead of 5 years route if you believe that the decision not to grant under 5 years route is wrong and unlawful.

The processing time for renewal of spouse visa (5 years route) is dependent on the type of service you use to apply for extension of your spouse visa. The processing times for renewal of spouse visa (5 years route) are as follows:

Standard Service

An application for spouse visa renewal under standard service is likely to be decided by the Home Office UKVI within 3 to 6 months.

Priority Service

An application for extension of spouse visa under priority service is likely to be decided within 5 working days.

Super Priority Service

An application for spouse visa renewal under the Super Priority Service is likely to be decided within 24 hours.

The Home Office UKVI fees for renewal of spouse visa 5 years route are as follows:

• Application fee: £1033
• Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £1,000
• Biometrics Enrolment Fee: £19.20
• Super Priority Service for decision within 24 hours (Optional): £800

In addition to the Home Office UKVI fees for renewal of spouse visa under 5 years route, you will also have to pay the solicitors legal costs if you are getting legal help and assistance of a solicitor for renewal of spouse visa under 5 years route. Click here to check our fixed fees for spouse visa renewal under 5 years route.

You will need to pass the Home Office UKVI approved English test known as IELTS Life Skills at level A2 (listening and speaking only) for the renewal of your spouse visa under 5 years route.

You can apply for spouse visa renewal any time within 28 days before completing 30 months residence in the UK on spouse visa OR before your spouse visa expires.

Under the UK immigration Rules, there is no specified residence requirement for renewal of spouse visa. However, as the spouse visa category is a settlement category, it is expected that the applicant has intention to live permanently in the UK with the UK sponsor in order to settle in the UK. Long absences from the UK may raise a question mark on the applicant's intention to live permanently in the UK with the UK sponsor.

The documents to be submitted in support of the spouse visa renewal will vary depending on the personal circumstances of the applicant and the UK sponsor. Generally spaking, you may need to provide various documents in support of your spouse visa renewal under 5 years which may include the following:

• your current and previous passports
• your biometric residence permit
• your spouse's immigration status documents e.g. British passport or ILR BRP card
• evidence of relationship with your spouse including marriage certificate and evidence of cohabitation with your spouse
• evidence to show how you meet the financial requirement of earning £18,600 or mroe e.g. pay slips, bank statements and other relevant documents as per your circumstances
• evidence of your accommodation in the UK
• evidence of meeting English language requirement e.g. English test certificate or degree certificate etc
• if either the applicant or the UK sponsor was previously married, the divorce certificate of the applicant or the sponsor, as the case may be

It is pertinent to note that the supporting document to meet the financial requirement will vary from case to case depending on how the financial requirement is being met. Our expert team of solicitors for spouse visa renewal can assess your personal circumstances fully and give you a complete list of all the documents required to be submitted in your application as per your personal circumstances.

No, you do not have to meet the English language requirement and financial requirement for extension of spouse visa under 10 years route.

You should use application form FLR (FP) to apply for renewal of spouse visa under 10 years route.

Yes, you can apply for renewal of your spouse visa under 10 years route through Super Priority Service so that your application is decided by the Home Office UKVI within 24 hours.

You will get in-country right of appeal against the refusal of your spouse visa renewal under 10 years route unless the Home Office UKVI certifies your human rights claim to be manifestly unfounded.

An application for spouse visa renewal under 10 years route made through standard service is normally decided by the Home Office UKVI within 3 to 6 months.

There are many differences in spouse visa 10 years route and sposue visa 5 years route. The main differences include the following:

Qualifying period for ILR

Under spouse visa 10 years route, applicant can apply for ILR upon completion of 10 years with leave to remain as a spouse. Under spouse visa 5 years route, applicant can apply for ILR after 5 years with leave to remain as a spouse.

Application Form

An application for leave to remain under spouse visa 10 years route is made using application form FLR (FP). An application for leave to remain under spouse visa 5 years route is made using application form FLR (M).

English language requiremet

An application for leave to remain under 10 years route does not require the applicant to meet the Englis language requirement. However, an application for leave to remain under 5 years route requires the applicant to meet the English language requirement.

Financial requirement

An application for leave to remain under 10 years route does not require the applicant to meet the financial requirement. However, an application for leave to remain under 5 years route requires the applicant to meet the financial requirement.

EX1 to Appendix FM

An applicant applying for leave to remain as a spouse under 10 years is required to meet the requirements of EX1 to Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules; but an applicant applying for leave to remain as a spouse under 5 years route is not required to meet the requirements of EX1 to Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.

You can normally apply for extension of your Tier 2 General visa 28 days before the expiry of your current Tier 2 General visa. Exceptionally, you can also apply for Tier 2 General visa renewal up to 3 months before the expiry of your current Tier 2 General visa.

In case of change of employment, you can apply for Tier 2 General visa extension at any time during the validity of your current Tier 2 General visa but within 3 months of the date your CoS has been assigned to you by your new Tier 2 sponsor.

There is no limit on the number of times you can apply for extension of your Tier 2 General visa. You can extend your Tier 2 General visa either before it expires or when you change Tier 2 sponsor (change of employment application). There is no limit on number of times you can change your Tier 2 sponsor. However, you cannot be in the UK for more than 6 years in total under Tier 2 General visa category.

It is very common for applicants to apply for initial Tier 2 General visa for either 5 years in one go or initial application for 3 years followed by an extension for 2 or 3 years.

By virtue of paragraph 39E of the Immigration Rules, an applicant can apply for Tier 2 General visa extension within 14 days of the expiry of his Tier 2 General leave or within 14 days of Section 3C leave expiring. The applicant must give good reasons as to why he could not apply for extension before the expiry of his Tier 2 General leave.

Subject to meeting the requirements of paragraph 39E of the Immigration Rules, you can re-apply for Tier 2 General visa extension within 14 days of the refusal of your Tier 2 General extension application or within 14 days of the Administrative Review (AR) refusal decision of your Tier 2 General visa extension application.

An application for Tier 2 General visa extension is made online. You will need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned to you by your Tier 2 sponsor for you to be able to complete and submit your online Tier 2 General extension application.

Once the Tier 2 General extension application has been completed and submitted online, you can pay the Home Office UKVI fee for Tier 2 General visa extenson online and book the biometrics appointment online with the UKVCAS biometrics centre. You must upload all your supporting documents online before you attend the UKVCAS biometrics centre.

The processing time of Tier 2 General visa extension application depends on the type of service you use to submit your Tier 2 General visa extension application. The service standards for Tier 2 General visa extension application processing are as follows:

Standard Service

A Tier 2 General extension application submitted through standard service is normally decided within 8 weeks.

Priority Service

A Tier 2 General extension application submitted through priority service is normally decided within 5 working days.

Super Priority Service

A Tier 2 General extension application submitted through super priority service is normally decided within 24 hours.

It is recommended that you do not start work for your sponsor until you have received your biometric residence permit (BRP). However, on the basis of your approval letter, if you and your sponsor agree you can start work before you have your BRP, both you and your sponsor carry the risk of having no statutory excuse against a civil penalty if the BRP card is incorrect or withdrawn by the Home Office UKVI. You can continue working for your previous sponsor until the start date on your new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), provided your previous leave has not expired.

You cannot apply for an extension if you are applying from outside the UK.

A Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) is not required for extension applications if you are continuing with the same Tier 2 sponsor under the same job role.

You can continue working while we are considering your extension application, provided you submitted the application before your previous leave expired.

For extension of Tier 2 General visa, the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned by your Tier 2 General sponsor must confirm that:

• the job is at RQF level 6 as stated in the codes of practice; or,
• the job is in a creative sector occupation, skilled to RQF level 4 as listed in Appendix A; or
• the job is an exception as shown in table 2A to Appendix J; or
• the job appears on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL).

The shortage occupation list is an official list of occupations as given in Appendix K of the Immigration Rules for which there are not enough resident workers to fill job vacancies. The shortage occupation lists are recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) and are revised periodically.

You will be awarded 30 points if your job was on a shortage occupation list at the time your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) was assigned by your Tier 2 General sponsor.

There is one list for the whole of the UK and a further additional list for Scotland. If you want to be awarded points for a job on the shortage occupation list in Scotland, you must be undertaking that job in Scotland.

You should confirm with your Tier 2 General sponsor that they have indicated that your job is a shortage occupation in the relevant field on the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). You should also confirm with your Tier 2 General sponsor that the SOC code and job description on the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) show that the job is one of those included on the shortage occupation list.

In general, if a role is on the shortage occupation list, your sponsor is not required to advertise the position.

If you are changing employment and your new prospective employer does not have the Tier 2 General sponsor licence to sponsor you for extension of your Tier 2 General visa, our expert team of sponsor licence solicitors can help your new employer to apply for Tier 2 General sponsor licence so that your employer is able to sponsor you for change of employment and extension of your Tier 2 General visa.

You can apply to extend your Tier 2 General visa for up to another 5 years, as long as your total stay under Tier 2 General visa category is not more than 6 years.

If you are already in the UK with an overseas media representative visa, you can apply for extension/renewal of your overseas media representative visa by completing online application form FLR (IR).

No, you cannot use Super Priority Service for renewal of your overseas media representative visa as Super Priority Service is not available for overseas media representative visa extension application. You can only use standard service for extension of your overseas media representative visa.

As a result of a successful application for renewal of your overseas media representative visa, you will be granted further leave to remain for 2 years as a representative of an overseas media organisation.

Yes, you will need a certification letter from your employer to support your application for renewal of your overseas media representative visa.

To succeed in your application for overseas media representative visa extension application, you must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

• You must be in the UK as a representative an overseas business and working in the UK as an overseas media representative;
• You must still be working for the same employer as when you were issued your previous overseas media representative visa for UK. You must show that you are in receipt of a salary from your employer by evidence of the salary paid in the previous 12 months and confirmation of how that salary was paid - for example, whether it was paid as basic or commission and the numbers of hours paid;
• You are still required by your employer for the same job and this is certified by your employer way of a letter issued by your employer;
• You only intend to work for the same employer in the same job as your entry clearance was granted for;
• Your employer's principal place of business is still outside the UK;
• You can maintain and accommodate yourself and your dependants adequately without recourse to public funds;
• You must not be in breach of immigration laws, except that any periods of overstaying allowed by the Immigration Rules which will be disregarded.

If your application for renewal of overseas media representative visa is refused by the Home Office UKVI, you can file an Administrative Review (AR) of the Home Office refusal decision within 14 days of the refusal decision date. The Home Office UKVI will consider and decide your Administrative Review (AR) within 28 days of receiving the Administrative Review (AR).

You can re-apply for extension of your overseas media representative visa after the refusal of your renewal application within 14 days of either the refusal of your application or within 14 days of the Administrative Review (AR) decision against the refusal of your application. Our expert team of immigration solicitors can help you prepare and file a fresh application for overseas media representative visa extension after the refusal of your visa renewal application.

According to the Home Office UKVI website, a decision on your overseas media representative visa extension application will be made within 8 weeks.

You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example:

• if your supporting documents need to be verified
• if you need to attend an interview
• because of your personal circumstances (for example if you have a criminal conviction)
  
  

If you are already in the UK with sole representative visa, you can apply for extension/renewal of your sole representative visa by completing online application form FLR (IR).

No, you cannot use Super Priority Service for renewal of your sole representative visa as Super Priority Service is not available for sole representative visa extension application. You can only use standard service for extension of your sole representative visa .

As a result of a successful application for renewal of your sole representative visa, you will be granted further leave to remain for 2 years as a sole representative.

Yes, you will need a certification letter from your employer to support your application for renewal of your sole representative visa.

To succeed in your application for sole representative visa extension application, you must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

• You must be in the UK with sole representative visa as a representative of an overseas business;
• You must still be working for the same employer in the UK branch or subsidiary of the overseas parent company;
• You must only intend to work for the same employer full time and in the same job as a representative of an overseas business;
• You must show that you have been in receipt of salary from your employer by providing evidence of the salary paid in the previous 12 months and confirmation of how that salary was paid: for example, whether basic or commission, and the number of hours paid;
• You should provide confirmation from your employer that you are still required for your job as a sole representative;
• Your employer's principal place of business and business head quarter is still outside the UK;
• You must show that you have established and are in charge of a branch or subsidiary in the same type of activity as the parent company;
• You must provide evidence that you have generated business, principally with firms in the UK, on behalf of your employer since entry to the UK or your last extension of stay: the evidence must be in the form of accounts, copies of invoices or letters from firms who you have done business with, including indications of the value of transactions;
• You must provide a Companies House certificate of registration as a UK establishment (for a branch) OR a certificate of incorporation (for a subsidiary) with either a copy of the share register or a letter from the company’s accountants confirming that all shares are held by the parent company;
• You must be able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds;
• You must not be in breach of immigration laws, except that any period of overstaying allowed under the Immigration Rules will be disregarded.

If your application for renewal of sole representative visa is refused by the Home Office UKVI, you can file an Administrative Review (AR) of the Home Office refusal decision within 14 days of the refusal decision date. The Home Office UKVI will consider and decide your Administrative Review (AR) within 28 days of receiving the Administrative Review (AR).

You can re-apply for extension of your sole representative visa after the refusal of your renewal application within 14 days of either the refusal of your application or within 14 days of the Administrative Review (AR) decision against the refusal of your application. Our expert team of immigration solicitors can help you prepare and file a fresh application for sole representative visa extension after the refusal of your visa renewal application.

According to the Home Office UKVI website, a decision on your sole representative visa extension application will be made within 8 weeks.

You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example:

• if your supporting documents need to be verified
• if you need to attend an interview
• because of your personal circumstances (for example if you have a criminal conviction)
  
  

Following are the useful online sources of information relating to Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa extension:

Home Office UKVI Guidance On Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Extension

The Home Office UKVI guidance on application for Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa extension is a useful source of information for applicants who are considering to apply for UK Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa extension.

245DD. Requirements For Leave To Remain

Paragraph 245DD in part 6A of the Immigration Rules lays down the requirements an applicant has to meet for extension of Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa.

OANDA Currency Coverter

OANDA Currency Coverter is the Home Officer UKVI approved currency converter to convert foreign currency to Great Britain Pounds (GBP).

Yes, you can apply for extension/renewal of your Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa from outside the UK by making an application for entry clearance. An application for extension of Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa from outside the UK can be made using Priority Service which can be decided by the Home Office UKVI within 5 working days.

Standard Service

An application for Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa extension made from inside the UK using standard service is normally granted within 8 weeks. If your application is complicated, it may take longer.

Priority Service

If you apply for extension of your application from outside the UK through an entry clearance application, you may be able to use the Priority Service. If the Prioirty Service is available in the country you’re applying from you can choose the ‘priority service’ when you apply. There will be an additional cost for this service. A decision will be made within 5 working days of your appointment at the visa application centre.

Check with your visa application centre to see if the priority visa service is available in the country you’re applying from. The priority visa service is available in most countries.

You might wait longer for a decision if your application is not straightforward and more information is required before a decision is made. If your application is delayed, you will be informed by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) within the standard timescales for your visa.

You can apply to extend or renew your Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa if you:

• registered as a director or as self-employed no more than 6 months after the date you were given permission to stay in the UK under a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa
• can prove you’ve been self-employed, a member of a partnership or working as a director of a business 3 months before you apply
• created at least 2 full time jobs that have existed for at least 12 months
• can continue to support yourself

You must also have invested into 1 or more UK businesses either:

• £200,000 in cash
• £50,000 in cash

The amount of investment depends on the level of funds your initial application was based on.

Existing Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) migrants can submit applications to extend their stay before 6 April 2023. If you switched from Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) to Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa, you can extend your Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa before 6 July 2025.

If you have dependants in the UK on Tier 1 Entrepreneur dependant visa, you can include your dependants in your extension application so that you and your dependants are granted extension of stay at same time.

Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa is a Points Based visa category and points can be awarded for the Attributes Section, English language and funds for maintenance. A Tier 1 Entrepreneur migrant should score 95 points in total to qualify for extension of Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa. The breakdown of the required points for Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa extension is given in the table below:

To succeed in an application for Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa extension, the applicant must show that he has created at least 2 new jobs. If the applicant established a new business or businesses or invested in an existing business, they must have created the equivalent of 2 extra full-time paid jobs for at least 2 people who are settled in the UK. Each job must have existed for at least 12 months. Both team members of an entrepreneurial team can use the same evidence for creating employment.

A single job need not consist of 12 consecutive months (for example it could exist for 6 months in one year and 6 months the following year), providing it is the same job (different jobs that have existed for less than 12 months cannot be combined together to make up a 12 month period). The jobs need not exist at the date of application, provided they have existed for 12 months.

The jobs must comply with the UK regulations, including the working time directive. The Home Office defines full-time as a 30-hour working week.

“The equivalent of” a full time job means two or more part time jobs which add up to 30 hours a week will count as one full time job, if both jobs exist for at least 12 months. However, one full time job of more than 30 hours work a week will not count as more than one full time job.

You can apply for extension of your TIer 1 Entrepreneur visa online. When you apply, you’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo).

You’ll also need to submit your supporting documents. You can:

• upload them into the online service
• have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment

If you’re outside the UK, you must apply online to extend a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa.

Migrants making an extension application are subject to a genuine entrepreneur test.

To meet the requirements of genuine Entrepreneur test, Home Office UKVI must be satisfied that the migrant:

• has established, taken over or become a director of one or more genuine businesses in the UK, and has genuinely operated that business
• has genuinely invested the required investment funds into one or more genuine businesses in the UK
• intends to continue operating one or more businesses in the UK
• does not intend to take employment other than under the terms of paragraph 245DE

For genuine Entrepreneur test, the Home Office UKVI will take into account the following:

• the evidence submitted by the applicant;
• the viability and credibility of the source of funds for investment;
• the credibility of the financial accounts of the applicant's business or businesses;
• the credibility of the applicant's business activity in the UK;
• the credibility of the job creation for which the applicant is claiming points if the nature of the business requires mandatory accreditation, registration and/or insurance, whether that accreditation, registration and/or insurance has been obtained;
• any other relevant information.

The Home Office UKVI may ask you to attend an interview in relation to your Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa extension application. The purpose of the interview is for the Home Office UKVI to be fully satisfied with the genuineness of your buinsess in the UK as a Tier 1 Entrepreneur including genuineness of job creation and genuineness of investment of funds in the UK business.

The Home Office UKVI may refuse your Tier 1 Entrepreneur extension application if you do not comply with any request for you to attend an interview, unless a reasonable explanation is provided as to why you cannot comply.

A business will only be considered a “new” business if you established it no earlier than 12 months (or 24 months if you were previously granted leave as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) migrant) before the date of the application which led to your first grant of leave as a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) migrant.

A full time job is one involving at least 30 hours of paid work a week. "The equivalent of” a full time job means two or more part time jobs which add up to 30 hours a week will count as one full time job, if both jobs exist for at least 12 months. However, one full time job of more than 30 hours work a week will not count as more than one full time job.