UK Spouse Visa Refusal Reasons: Why Applications Fail and What to Do Next

What are the most common spouse visa refusal reasons?

Most UK spouse visa refusals fall into six groups: the financial requirement or its specified evidence, the genuineness of the relationship, the English language requirement, accommodation, missing or incorrect documents, and suitability issues such as previous immigration breaches or deception. Financial evidence problems are the most frequent, often where the income is enough but the documents do not prove it in the required format.

Why are spouse visas refused on financial grounds?

Financial refusals happen when the income or savings fall short of the threshold, or more often when the evidence does not follow Appendix FM-SE. For salaried income that means 6 months of payslips, matching personal bank statements showing the salary paid in, and an employer letter confirming the salary, length of employment, pay period and type of employment.

• Using the old £18,600 figure for a new application, where £29,000 applies.
• Payslips that do not match the deposits on the bank statements.
• An employer letter that leaves out one of the four points Appendix FM-SE requires.
• Savings that dipped below the required amount during the 6 months, or with no declaration of their source.
• Counting income the rules do not allow for your category.

See the spouse visa financial requirements guide and the document checklist before you reapply.

Refusals because the relationship is not accepted as genuine

The caseworker must be satisfied that your relationship is genuine and subsisting and that you intend to live together permanently in the UK. Refusals often cite too little evidence of time spent together, inconsistent answers about how you met, or a lack of contact while apart. Unmarried partners can also be refused if they cannot prove 2 years of living together.

• Provide evidence across the whole relationship, not just around the wedding.
• Make sure both partners' accounts of the relationship are consistent.
• Include travel records, photographs over time, and a sample of messages or calls.
• For cohabitation, several documents per year addressed to both of you at the same address.

Refusals because of the English test

English refusals usually come from booking the wrong test. Only Home Office approved tests at approved centres count, and for a first partner visa the test must be at A1 or above in speaking and listening, taken no more than 2 years before the application. Standard IELTS Academic or General Training does not meet the requirement.

The fix is simple and quick: book an approved test such as IELTS Life Skills A1. Our A1 English test guide lists the five approved tests and how to pass.

Accommodation, document and suitability refusals

Accommodation

You must show you will have suitable accommodation without relying on additional public funds. Refusals happen when there is no tenancy or ownership evidence, no letter from the owner when you will live with family, or when the home would be overcrowded.

Missing or incorrect documents

Partner applications are decided on the evidence submitted, so a missing translation, an uncertified copy or a bank statement on the wrong stationery can lead to refusal even when you meet the requirement in reality.

Suitability and immigration history

Previous overstaying, breaches of visa conditions, deception in an earlier application, criminal convictions or unpaid NHS charges can lead to refusal on suitability grounds. These cases are more complex, and you should get advice from a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor before reapplying.

What does a spouse visa refusal letter tell you?

1. 1

   List every reason given

   The letter sets out each requirement the caseworker decided you did not meet. Write them down one by one.

2. 2

   Find the evidence each reason refers to

   Compare each reason with the documents you sent: is it missing, wrong, or a disagreement about the facts?

3. 3

   Check your options and deadline

   The letter says whether you can appeal or ask for administrative review, and the deadline.

4. 4

   Decide: appeal, review or reapply

   Choose based on whether the decision was wrong on the evidence you sent, or the evidence itself needs fixing.

What happens if your spouse visa is refused?

If your spouse visa is refused, your application fee is not refunded, but GOV.UK says the immigration health surcharge is refunded in full. You then have three main options: appeal to the First-tier Tribunal if your letter gives you a right of appeal, ask for administrative review if your letter says you can, or make a fresh application that fixes the problems.

How to appeal a spouse visa refusal

You appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), online or by post. The deadline is 14 days from receiving the decision if you are in the UK, or 28 days if you are outside the UK. It costs £80 for a decision without a hearing or £140 with a hearing, and you may not have to pay if you are on certain benefits or a low income.

• Appeal online if you can; GOV.UK says it is quicker than post or email.
• If you miss the deadline, you must explain why, and the tribunal decides whether to hear the appeal.
• The tribunal is independent of the Home Office.
• Making a new application while an administrative review is pending withdraws the review.

Spouse visa extension refusal reasons

Extensions are refused for the same core reasons, plus a few specific to this stage: relying on an A1 certificate when A2 is needed, gaps in evidence of living together since the last visa, using the wrong financial threshold (transitional £18,600 versus £29,000), or applying after your current visa expired. Applying before your visa expires matters, because you can usually stay in the UK while the application is decided.

How to reduce your chances of a spouse visa refusal

1. Work out which financial threshold applies before you collect any evidence.
2. Follow Appendix FM-SE for every income source, document by document.
3. Take an approved English test at the right level, within 2 years of applying.
4. Show your relationship across its whole length, with consistent accounts from both partners.
5. Prove your accommodation with ownership or tenancy evidence and the owner's permission.
6. Translate and certify every document not in English or Welsh.
7. Disclose your full immigration and criminal history honestly.