Spouse and Partner Visas Explained: Income Rules, Costs and Timelines

If you have made it here, you have already decided your family belongs together in one country. It is meant for couples who want the income rules, costs and timelines before they apply.

£29,000. That is the combined yearly income most couples must show before a foreign partner can join a British citizen in the UK. Couples who first applied before 11 April 2024 needed £18,600 (GOV.UK, 2026).

Your relationship can be real, loving and ten years long, and still be refused over a payslip. How long can you live in two time zones, waiting for a decision?

The short answer: Most countries let citizens and permanent residents bring a spouse or partner. Almost all of them test four things: a genuine relationship, enough income, suitable housing and, more and more, basic language. The money rules differ a lot. Canada sets no minimum income for sponsoring a spouse and charges CAD 1,260 (IRCC, 2026). The UK needs £29,000 a year plus fees and a health surcharge. Australia's partner visa costs from AUD 11,710 (Department of Home Affairs, 2026). Check the sponsor's status first, then the income test, then the evidence.

What is changing, and when

These are real dates from official sources. None of them is a reason to rush a weak application. All of them are reasons not to drift.

• Canada, 2027: places for spouses, partners and children fall from 69,000 in 2026 to 66,000 in 2027 and 2028 (IRCC, 2025).
• Australia, 1 July 2026: the main partner visa charge rose from AUD 9,365 to AUD 11,710, a jump of 25% (Department of Home Affairs, 2026). Couples who waited a year paid more.
• Netherlands, 1 January 2027: the partner income bar is reset every six months. It is €2,337 gross a month until 31 December 2026, up from €2,069.40 in early 2024 (IND, 2026).
• UK, date not set: the government's own advisers called £29,000 "high compared to other high-income countries" (GOV.UK, Migration Advisory Committee, 2025). No decision has been published. The UK has also consulted on raising the standard wait for settlement from 5 to 10 years for many migrants, and the outcome is still pending (GOV.UK, 2026).
• Germany, until 23 July 2027: family reunification for people with subsidiary protection is suspended (Federal Foreign Office, 2025).

Who family visas are for

Be precise about your category first. A spouse visa and a child visa use different tests.

• Spouse: you are legally married to a citizen or settled resident.
• Unmarried or de facto partner: you are in a committed relationship, usually with one to two years of living together.
• Civil or registered partner: a formal partnership that is not a marriage, including same-sex partnerships where recognised.
• Fiancé(e): you plan to marry within a fixed window after arrival, often six months.
• Dependent children: usually under 18, joining a citizen or resident parent.
• Dependent parents: the hardest category almost everywhere.

The person already in the country is the sponsor. Their status matters most. A citizen has the strongest rights, then a permanent resident. A sponsor on a temporary work or study visa can usually only add you as a dependant on their own visa. That is a weaker position, covered below.

The four things almost every country checks

1. A genuine and subsisting relationship

This is the heart of every partner application. Officers are there to filter out sham marriages. You must show the relationship is real, ongoing and not mainly about a visa.

Think of it like a photo album, not a selfie. One great picture proves you met. An album shows a life growing over time. Officers want the album.

What works:

• Proof you have met in person: photos across years and places, travel records, boarding passes.
• A short, curated sample of messages and calls, not ten thousand pages.
• Signs of a shared life: joint tenancy, joint bank account, bills and letters to the same address.
• Recognition by others: statements from family and friends, invitations to you as a couple.
• For married couples, the marriage certificate. On its own it proves a wedding, not a relationship.

The most common refusal in this area is thin evidence. Two dozen photos from one holiday plus a certificate is not enough. If you are not married, read how to prove an unmarried relationship.

2. The income requirement

Most countries want to know you can live without public money. This is where family visas quietly become hard. The bar is often higher than people expect.

An income test works like a bank checking a loan. The bank looks at your past payslips, not your promises. So do visa officers. Many countries want six or twelve months of income history before you apply.

The rules vary:

• A fixed yearly amount, like the UK's £29,000, which can be your combined income (GOV.UK, 2026).
• A link to the minimum wage, like the Netherlands' €2,337 a month for a partner (IND, 2026).
• A salary floor for the sponsor, like the UAE's AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation (UAE Government, 2026).
• Savings in place of income, above a set amount, in some countries.

If the income is below the bar, a loving relationship will not save the application. Plan around this early. Our proof of funds calculator and guide to the true cost of migrating abroad help you test the numbers.

3. Suitable housing

You usually need housing that fits your family without overcrowding, owned or legally rented. It is a lighter test than income, but a real one.

4. Language and integration

More countries, especially in Europe, want the incoming partner to show basic language skills. In the UK you need A1 English to start and usually A2 to extend after 2.5 years (GOV.UK, 2026). Germany usually asks for A1 German, but not if you are joining a skilled worker who holds a valid residence title (Make it in Germany, 2026). See Germany vs the Netherlands on spouse language rules and our IELTS tips for immigration.

How the major destinations compare

Rules change often. Confirm every figure on the official site before you rely on it. Figures are as of October 2026.

Canada is generous on money for spouses. Unlike its parent programme, spousal sponsorship has no minimum income. The focus is on whether the relationship is real. See settling in Canada: the first year and the Canada guide.

The UK is strict on money and expensive. Applying from outside the UK costs £2,064, plus a health surcharge of £3,105 for a 2 year 9 month visa (GOV.UK, 2026). Extending in the UK costs £1,407 plus £2,587.50. That is more than £9,000 per partner before the settlement fee. See the UK guide and UK arrival guide.

Australia uses two stages. You get a temporary partner visa first. The permanent visa usually follows about two years later, once the relationship is checked again. It works like a probation period at a new job: you are in, but you have to show it is still working. See the Australia guide and Australia arrival guide.

The Gulf offers sponsorship, not settlement. In the UAE, a resident can sponsor a spouse and children, but the visa is tied to the sponsor's residency. There is no automatic path to permanent residence or citizenship. See the UAE guide.

Married, unmarried or engaged: why it matters

Marriage is often not required. But the evidence you need changes.

Married. The certificate proves the legal tie. Your evidence then shows the relationship is real. Some countries need the marriage registered locally. A religious ceremony without civil registration may not count.

Unmarried or de facto. Most countries want proof of living together, often 12 months in Australia and New Zealand. The UK accepts two years of living together, or two years in a relationship if you cannot live together for work, study or cultural reasons (GOV.UK, 2026). If you have lived in different countries, you may not have enough shared address history yet.

Engaged. You enter for a short fixed period, often six months, and must marry within it. In the UK you cannot work or study during the engagement (GOV.UK, 2026). The trade-off is two applications and two sets of fees.

Choose the category that matches your strongest evidence, not the one that feels most romantic. A solid marriage certificate with three months of living together points to the spouse route.

Timelines: what to expect

The biggest cause of delay is an incomplete file that triggers requests for more evidence.

For the UK, a decision from outside the country usually takes 12 weeks (GOV.UK, 2026). Compare countries in our visa timelines tool.

Two rules matter more than exact numbers. First, apply from the right place. Some routes only allow applying from outside the country. Others allow switching inside. The UK, for example, usually makes visitors leave to apply (GOV.UK, 2026). Second, temporary status is not the finish line. In two-stage systems, keep your joint finances and shared address going, because you will prove it all again.

Costs: budget for more than the visa fee

• Application fee: from CAD 1,260 in Canada to AUD 11,710 in Australia.
• Health surcharge or insurance: the UK charges £1,035 a year per adult and £776 per child (GOV.UK, 2026). Others want private insurance.
• Biometrics and appointments.
• Documents: certified translations, apostilles and official copies, often from several countries.
• Medical exams where required.
• Language test fees.
• Adviser fees, if you use a regulated adviser. Many simple cases are done without one.

Do not let the health surcharge or translation costs surprise you at the last minute. Our visa costs tool adds up the government fees for your route.

The dependant trap

If your partner is a citizen or permanent resident, you usually apply for a real family visa, with its own path to settlement.

If your partner is on a temporary work or study visa, you usually do not get a family visa at all. You become a dependant on their visa. The UK states it plainly: you cannot apply for a family visa if your family member is in the UK on a work or student visa (GOV.UK, 2026).

A dependant visa is like a guest pass linked to a member's card. If the membership ends, the guest pass stops too. If your partner loses their job or their visa ends, your permission usually ends with it. Work rights may be limited, and the time may not count towards your own settlement.

So plan differently. Read can my spouse work on a dependant visa, which spouse should be the main applicant and our moving abroad with family checklist. Think about an independent route of your own in parallel.

Bringing children and other relatives

Children are usually the simplest dependants. A child under 18 joining a citizen or resident parent generally qualifies, with a birth certificate as proof. The common snag is consent. If one parent is not moving, a missing consent letter can stop the whole application. For the human side, read raising children abroad.

Parents and grandparents are the hardest category almost everywhere, because of healthcare and pension costs. Canada's Parents and Grandparents Program has a target of 15,000 admissions a year from 2026 to 2028 (IRCC, 2025). Other countries admit an older relative only if they are fully dependent and have no one else. Read what happens to aging parents when you migrate before you plan around it.

The most common reasons family visas are refused

1. Income below the bar, or the right income with the wrong documents.
2. Weak relationship evidence, over too short a period.
3. Gaps or mismatches in dates, addresses or histories across documents.
4. Wrong application type or place, like switching when you had to apply from abroad.
5. Untranslated or unlegalised documents.
6. Missing consent or custody papers for children.
7. Language requirement not met.

Almost all of these are paperwork failures, not relationship failures. The fix is unglamorous. Read the current official rules, build a checklist, and prove every point they ask for.

Scams and sham marriages

Avoid anyone offering a "marriage arrangement", a paid partner or a guaranteed visa. Sham marriage is a crime in most countries and leads to bans and deportation for both people. Genuine couples are also targeted by fake consultants who take fees and vanish. Read how to avoid immigration scams. No legitimate adviser can guarantee an outcome.

Your preparation checklist

• Confirm your category and the sponsor's status.
• Read the current official rules for that route.
• Check the income test, with the right documents for the right period.
• Gather evidence that covers the whole relationship, not one trip.
• Book any language test early.
• Translate and legalise every foreign document.
• Confirm whether you apply from inside or outside the country.
• Budget for the full cost, including health surcharge and extensions.

Still choosing a country? Use our compare tool and see documents needed to migrate abroad.

Frequently asked questions

Do we have to be married to get a partner visa?

No, in many countries. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and much of Europe accept unmarried partners. They usually want proof you have lived together, commonly for one to two years. If you cannot meet that, marriage or a fiancé(e) visa may be simpler.

Whose income counts, mine or my partner's?

Usually the sponsor's. The UK lets you count your combined income in some cases. Canada sets no minimum income for sponsoring a spouse or partner. The Netherlands checks the sponsor's income against €2,337 a month in late 2026.

How much does a UK spouse visa cost in 2026?

Applying from outside the UK costs £2,064, plus a health surcharge of £3,105 for the first 2 years and 9 months. Extending costs £1,407 plus £2,587.50. Over five years, that is more than £9,000 per partner before the settlement fee.

How long until I can work?

It depends on the route. Many partner visas give work rights on arrival. Dependants on a temporary visa may have limited rights. On a UK fiancé(e) visa you cannot work until you marry and extend.

Can I bring my parents too?

Rarely, and never as easily as a spouse. Parent routes are narrow, capped or slow in most countries. Canada plans 15,000 parent and grandparent admissions a year.

What happens if the relationship ends before permanent residence?

In two-stage systems, losing the relationship usually means losing the visa. Many countries protect victims of domestic abuse. The UK lets some partners apply to settle after domestic abuse or the death of their partner. If your partner has died, read what happens if your partner dies during a spouse visa and seek regulated legal advice quickly.

Is a family visa faster than a work visa?

Not always. Evidence takes time to gather. What a family visa gives you is a route that does not depend on a job offer or a skills shortage.

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Family reunification is a right most countries take seriously, but it is guarded by income rules, evidence standards and paperwork traps. The couples who get through are rarely the ones with the most romantic story. They read the current rules, meet the money test, and prove every point. Start with the official source for your destination, check your options with our free assessment, and give yourself more time and money than you think you need.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change often, so check official sources or a licensed adviser before you act.