Family & partner

Family & partner: quick answers

Who is eligible for a family visa? The spouse, partner, child or parent of a citizen or settled resident. The sponsor must meet an income or support test, the relationship must be genuine and documented, and some countries require a language test and accommodation evidence.

How much does a family visa cost? ₹805 to ₹7.77 lakh all-in across 52 destinations, government fee plus Vistolane filing fee. Cheapest in the set: Bhutan at ₹805; Australia is the most expensive at ₹7.77 lakh. Government fees are charged at the official rate.

How long does a family visa take? From Same day once filed (Thailand) to 4–9 weeks (Ireland) once the file is complete. E-visas decide fastest; sticker visas add a biometrics appointment and embassy visas add interview wait. Vistolane shows the document deadline and filing date before you pay.

Overview

Family visas let a settled resident or citizen sponsor a spouse, partner, child or parent. Two tests dominate: the sponsor's income (the UK minimum is £29,000; Canada and Australia use a low-income cut-off) and the genuineness of the relationship, proved through shared finances, photographs, chat history and travel.

Processing is slow relative to other routes, typically eight weeks to over a year, so timing the application around a wedding, a birth or a job move matters.

Who this route suits

Spouses, partners, children and dependent parents of someone who is a citizen or permanent resident of the destination, or who holds a long-term work or study permit that allows dependants. It fits a newly married couple where one partner is settled abroad, children under 18 (under 22 in Canada) joining a parent, and parents using the UK's adult-dependent-relative route or Canada's Parents and Grandparents Program and super visa. Two things decide the case: the sponsor's income against the published minimum, and relationship evidence covering the whole period — shared tenancy or bills, joint accounts, dated photographs, visits and chat history.

The route is weak where the marriage is recent and the couple have never lived together, where the sponsor has just changed jobs, or where the applicant carries an unresolved refusal on another route; those files need time and documentation before filing, not a different lawyer.

Does this route fit you? Three questions:

• Is the person you are joining a citizen or permanent resident of the destination, or on a permit that allows dependants? If not: Visiting someone who is on a temporary visa is usually a visitor visa, not a family route.
• Does your sponsor meet the published income or savings minimum for the destination? If not: Sponsor income is the first thing the officer checks. The check shows the current figure and the accepted alternatives.
• Can you show the relationship across the whole period, certificates, joint accounts or tenancy, photographs, visits and messages? If not: Relationship evidence decides family refusals; see what is still missing before you file.

How the process works

1. Sponsor qualifies. Citizenship or settled status plus the income or assets threshold for the family size.
2. Relationship evidence. Marriage or partnership proof, cohabitation records, joint finances and communication history.
3. Applicant checks. English test at the required level, TB test where needed, and accommodation proof.
4. Decision and settlement track. Most family visas lead to permanent residence after two to five years of continuous residence.

Why applications get refused

• Income evidence that does not meet the exact six-month or twelve-month rule
• Thin relationship evidence for couples who have lived apart
• Accommodation that does not meet the size or ownership rule
• Undisclosed previous marriages or immigration history

Verified family and partner visas route pages, by country

22 family and partner visas routes across 21 countries, each written from the issuing authority's own pages with the government fee, the published processing window, the document checklist and the refusal reasons, and dated when it was last re-read.

Questions, answered