Family5 min read
Joining a partner in the UK: an overview of the family visa
The four main areas of a UK partner application, relationship, money, accommodation and English, explained at a high level, with recent changes.
Your visa route, planned properly.
We are UK-based, regulated visa consultants. We work out which route fits your plans, then prepare and check every part of the application with you before it goes in.
Regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), reference F000000000 (placeholder).
Who we help
Most of our clients are making one of four journeys. Each has its own rules, and its own common mistakes.
Students
Choosing a course, proving your funds and timing the application so the visa arrives before term does.
Skilled workers
Checking the role, salary and sponsor before you resign from anything, then matching the application to the job offer.
Families and partners
Showing a genuine relationship and meeting the financial rules, with evidence organised the way caseworkers read it.
Visitors
Holidays, family visits and business trips, including after a refusal, when the next application has to answer the last one.
Five destinations, one way of working
Each country runs its own system, with its own evidence rules and interview style. Choose a line to see the routes we advise on.
United Kingdom
UK visa guidanceVisiting, studying, working or joining family in the UK. The rules are detailed and evidence-heavy, which is where most applications go wrong.
- Standard Visitor
- Student
- Skilled Worker
- Family and partner
Canada
Canada visa guidanceVisitor visas, study permits, work permits and permanent residence through Express Entry and provincial programmes.
- Visitor visa
- Study permit
- Work permit
- Express Entry
United States
USA visa guidanceVisitor, student and exchange visas, where the consular interview matters as much as the paperwork.
- B-1/B-2 visitor
- F-1 student
- J-1 exchange visitor
- Family-based visas
Australia
Australia visa guidanceVisitor, student, skilled and partner visas, each with its own subclass rules and evidence requirements.
- Visitor (subclass 600)
- Student (subclass 500)
- Skilled visas
- Partner visas
Schengen Area
Schengen visa guidanceShort-stay visas for 29 European countries: one application, up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- Tourist visa
- Business visa
- Family and friends visit
- Which country to apply to
From first question to finished application
Every case makes the same four stops. You always know which one you are at, and what comes next.
- 1
Tell us your plans
Fill in the short consultation form. It takes about two minutes, and there is no charge for it.
- 2
Speak to an adviser
We check your eligibility against the current rules and explain your options in plain language.
- 3
Get your document plan
A checklist and timeline written for your exact route and circumstances, not a generic list.
- 4
Review before you submit
We check the finished application line by line, so it goes in complete and consistent.
What we can do for you
Take one service at the stage you need it, or have us alongside you from the eligibility check to the decision.
Eligibility assessment
We check your situation against the current rules and tell you which routes are realistic before you pay any government fees.
Application preparation
A document checklist written for your case, help with the forms, and a timeline that works back from your travel date.
Document review
Already prepared your application? We review forms and evidence for gaps and inconsistencies before you submit.
Interview preparation
Practice sessions for consular and credibility interviews, so you can explain your plans clearly and honestly.
Refusals and reapplications
We go through a refusal letter with you, explain what it means, and plan the strongest next step.
Student visa support
From offer letter to visa decision: financial evidence, study plans and the timing of your application.
Straight answers, in writing
Immigration advice in the UK is regulated to protect you. Check an adviser's registration before you share documents or pay anything.
Regulated by
Immigration Advice Authority (IAA)
Registration reference
F000000000 (placeholder)
You can check any adviser on the regulator's public register before you share documents or pay.
We never guarantee a visa. Decisions are made by governments, and anyone promising otherwise is not being straight with you.
We never help anyone give false or misleading information.
We agree our fees with you in writing before any work starts.
We use your information only to handle your enquiry, and never sell it.
In their words
My first application was refused over my bank statements. They explained exactly what the officer needed to see, and the second one was approved.
“The checklist was specific to my course and my family's finances. I never felt I was guessing.”
“The interview practice made the difference. I knew how to answer questions about my plans without memorising a script.”
Questions people ask first
Short answers to what we are asked most often. If yours is not here, bring it to a consultation.
See all questionsCan you guarantee my visa will be approved?
No. Every decision is made by the government concerned, and nobody outside that process can promise the outcome.
What we can do is make sure your application is complete, consistent and matched to the right route. That removes the most common avoidable reasons for refusal. Be careful of anyone who offers a guarantee.
Are you regulated?
UK immigration advice must be given by advisers registered with the Immigration Advice Authority or by members of another designated professional body, such as solicitors.
Our registration details are shown in the footer of every page. You can check any adviser yourself using the Immigration Advice Authority's adviser finder on GOV.UK.
Do I need to live in the UK to use your service?
No. We work with clients worldwide by video call, phone and email.
You can send us copies of your documents securely, and we will arrange calls at a time that suits your time zone. If your case needs someone licensed in another country, for example an authorised representative for Canada, we will tell you.
How much does a consultation cost?
It depends on the route and how much help you need. We confirm our fees in writing before any work begins, so you know the cost in advance.
Government fees, health charges and test fees are separate. You always pay them directly to the government or organisation concerned, never through us.
What happens after I send the consultation form?
An adviser reviews your details and contacts you, usually within one working day, to arrange a time to talk.
If we need any documents before the call, we will tell you which ones. If your situation is not something we can help with, we will say so and, where we can, suggest where to go instead.
Guides and updates
Plain explanations of the rules that trip people up.
Refusals5 min readRefused a visa? Read the letter before you reapply
How to read a refusal letter, the difference between a review, an appeal and a fresh application, and why applying again straight away is rarely the answer.
Study6 min readUK Student visa: getting your financial evidence right
The 28-day rule, whose accounts count, official sponsors and the small details in bank statements that cause refusals.
Not sure which route is yours?
Tell us where you are going and why. An adviser will reply within one working day with the options we see.
Book a consultation
Or call +44 20 0000 0000Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:30 (UK time)