# Partner visa: questions Indian applicants ask Answers to the questions Indian applicants ask the desk about the Partner visa (spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner), from bank statements to reapplying after a refusal. Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/spouse-visa/faq · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST. **What is the total cost of a UK spouse visa from India in 2026?** The Home Office fee is £2,064 plus £3,105 health surcharge for the 33-month visa, so £5,169 before the TB test, the A1 English test, VFS add-ons and any priority fee. Our fee calculator converts the total to rupees at today's rate. **My husband earns less than £29,000. Can we still apply?** Yes, if cash savings cover the gap: £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall, held for 6 months in either partner's name. On £24,000 income the shortfall is £5,000, so you need £28,500 in savings. Use the spouse income checker to run your own figures. **Does the £18,600 rule still apply to anyone?** Only to people who were already on the partner route before 11 April 2024, when they extend or settle. A first application from India today must meet £29,000. The Migration Advisory Committee suggested £23,000 to £25,000, but the government has not changed the rule. **Can my own income in India count?** No. Only the UK sponsor's income counts for an entry clearance application, unless you have a confirmed UK job offer with a start date within 3 months, which is rare. Your Indian savings do count towards the cash savings route. **Which English test do I need and where can I take it in Punjab?** A1 Speaking and Listening from an approved SELT provider: IELTS Life Skills A1, LanguageCert, PTE Home A1, Skills for English or Trinity. Centres operate in Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar. Our English lookup lists the current ones. **We had an arranged marriage and lived together for two weeks. Is that enough?** Yes, if the file shows the relationship continuing since. Officers expect the engagement and wedding record, the sponsor's visit, daily contact afterwards, money sent home and plans for the future. A thin file after the wedding is the usual reason a Punjab spouse case fails. **How long does the spouse visa take from India?** The Home Office target is 12 weeks after biometrics. Priority, when available at VFS centres in India, costs £500 and aims for about 30 working days. Settlement cases are not eligible for super priority. **When can I settle, and what is the 10-year route?** On the 5-year route you extend after 33 months and apply for indefinite leave to remain after 5 years, with B1 English and the Life in the UK test. If you cannot meet the income or English rules but refusal would breach family life, you may get the 10-year route, with settlement only after 10 years and more renewals. **Can I work on the Partner visa?** Yes, any job, with no sponsor needed, from the day you arrive. You can also study. You cannot claim public funds. **If refused, can I appeal from India?** Yes. Partner refusals carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal on human rights grounds. Appeals from outside the UK can take a year or more. Our refusal decoder shows which paragraphs were cited and whether a fresh application would be faster. Full guide: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/spouse-visa.md --- UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed. We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.