How Do I Get a UK Family Visa in East London?
To get a UK family visa from East London, you first identify the right route, which for most people is the partner route under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. You then check that you and your sponsor meet the relationship, financial, English language and accommodation requirements, apply online through GOV.UK and give your biometrics. Waltham Law Chambers, an IAA-regulated immigration advice practice in Leyton, East London, helps with straightforward family visa applications where the requirements are clearly met.
Which family visa route applies to you?
The UK family visa covers several routes. The right one depends on who you are joining and your relationship to them:
Partner: a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner who has lived with you for at least 2 years, or a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner.
Parent: a parent of a child who lives in the UK.
Child: a child joining a parent in the UK.
Your UK sponsor must usually be a British or Irish citizen or have settled or pre-settled status. Some other groups can also sponsor, including people with protection status, permission to stay as a stateless person, or a Turkish Businessperson or Worker visa. For a partner application, you and your partner must both be 18 or over.
The main requirements for a partner visa
Relationship: your relationship must be genuine and subsisting, and you must both intend to live together permanently in the UK.
Financial requirement: for partner applications first made on or after 11 April 2024, you usually need a combined income of £29,000 a year. Savings can sometimes be used instead of, or alongside, income. A lower threshold of £18,600 can apply if you first applied before 11 April 2024 and are extending with the same partner. Check GOV.UK for the latest position.
English language: a first application usually needs at least CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening, and an extension usually needs A2 if you passed A1 first time. Some people are exempt, for example nationals of majority English-speaking countries and people aged over 65.
Accommodation: you must have adequate accommodation for your family without relying on public funds.
Our guide to the spouse visa financial requirement explains the income and savings rules in more detail.
Step by step: how to apply
Confirm the route and where you are applying from. Most first applications are made from outside the UK. Not everyone can switch into the partner route from inside the UK; for example, visitors usually cannot.
Collect your evidence and check it against the specified evidence rules before you apply.
Complete the online application on GOV.UK and pay the application fee and, where it applies, the Immigration Health Surcharge. Fees change regularly, so check GOV.UK for the latest figures.
Prove your identity by attending a biometrics appointment or, where you are eligible, using the identity app.
Wait for a decision. GOV.UK says decisions usually take around 12 weeks from outside the UK, or around 8 weeks from inside the UK where the financial and English requirements are met.
Documents to prepare
Current passports for you and your partner.
Your marriage or civil partnership certificate, or evidence that you have lived together for at least 2 years.
Proof of your partner's status, such as a British passport or an eVisa share code.
Financial evidence, such as payslips, bank statements and an employer's letter, covering the required period.
Your English language test certificate, degree evidence or proof of an exemption.
Accommodation evidence, such as a tenancy agreement or mortgage statement.
How long the visa lasts and the route to settlement
A partner visa granted from outside the UK usually lasts up to 2 years and 9 months, and an extension usually lasts a further 2 years and 6 months. After 5 years of continuous residence on the partner route, you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain. Settlement rules can change, so check GOV.UK for the latest before you plan your timeline.
Where to get family visa advice in East London
Waltham Law Chambers advises on straightforward family visa applications from Office 29, 806 High Road, Leyton, London E10 6AE. We assess your eligibility before taking instructions, explain the evidence you need and help prepare the application. If your matter falls outside our authorised scope, for example because the requirements are not met, we will tell you at the outset so you can seek suitably authorised help.
Read more on our family visas page and our UK immigration FAQs, or book a 30-minute consultation. You can also call 020 3679 1298 or email enquiries@walthamlawchambers.co.uk.
Official guidance on GOV.UK: Family visas: apply, extend or switch
Waltham Law Chambers Ltd is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority, registration F202539124, and is authorised at Level 1 (Immigration) only. This article is general information as at October 2026 and is not advice on your individual circumstances.
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