Mistakes

Partner visa: the mistakes that get Indian files refused

Direct answer

8 mistakes get Indian Partner visa (spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner) files refused more than any rule does, starting with payslips for february to july and bank statements for march to august and counting the applicant's indian salary towards the £29,000. Each one below with what it costs and the fix, beside the paragraphs officers cite.

Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified 8 October 2026.

From the desk

Mistakes we see

From files Indian applicants have brought to the desk after a refusal, most frequent first. The fix is what the reapplication must show.

Mistakes in Indian files, their consequence and the fix
The mistake	What it costs	The fix
Payslips for February to July and bank statements for March to August	Appendix FM-SE requires the statements to show the salary in the payslips for the same period, so E-ECP.3.1 is not met and the application is refused despite the income.	Match the 6 months exactly, mark each salary credit on the statements, and have the employer letter state the same period.
Counting the applicant's Indian salary towards the £29,000	Only the UK sponsor's income counts for entry clearance, so the file is short and refused under E-ECP.3.1.	Use the sponsor's income, or bring the applicant's Indian savings into the cash savings route: £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall, held for 6 months.
Cash savings transferred from a parent 2 months before applying	Savings must be held for 6 months, so the transfer is ignored and the shortfall remains.	Move the money early, hold it for 6 months in either partner's name, and attach a letter and statements showing the source.
Arranged-marriage evidence that ends on the wedding day	The officer accepts the wedding happened but refuses under E-ECP.2.6 because nothing shows the relationship continued afterwards.	Add monthly call and chat summaries, money transfers, the sponsor's visits, joint plans and family statements covering every month since the wedding.
An A1 certificate from a provider or centre not on the approved list	E-ECP.4.1 is not met and the application is refused, with the test fee wasted.	Book only an approved SELT at an approved centre; our English lookup lists the current Punjab centres.
Employer letter missing the gross annual salary or the contract type	Appendix FM-SE paragraph 2 lists the required contents, and a letter missing one item can fail the whole income category.	Give the employer a template with job title, start date, gross annual salary, contract type, the period of the payslips and a signature on letterhead.
Gurdwara certificate, affidavits and the wedding card submitted in Punjabi without certified translations	Untranslated documents are not considered, so the marriage or relationship evidence they carry is treated as missing.	Attach a certified English translation with the translator's name, date, confirmation of accuracy and contact details for each document.
A previous marriage ended by a panchayat or customary divorce	The current marriage is not valid under E-ECP.2.7 and 2.9 and the application is refused.	Obtain a divorce decree from the family court before the new marriage, and include it with a translation.

The grounds officers cite

E-ECP.3.1 financial requirement not met: income under £29,000, or payslips and bank statements that do not cover the same 6 months or do not match
Appendix FM-SE specified evidence missing: no employer letter, bank statements not showing the salary credits, or savings held for less than 6 months
E-ECP.2.6 and 2.10: the officer is not satisfied the relationship is genuine and subsisting, often where the couple cannot show contact after the wedding
E-ECP.4.1 English: a test from a non-approved provider or centre, or a degree without the Ecctis confirmation
Previous marriage not legally ended, so the current marriage is not valid under E-ECP.2.7 and 2.9
Accommodation not shown to be adequate or available, or the sponsor's own immigration status not proved
Part 9 suitability: undeclared previous refusals, a past overstay in the UK, or a document that could not be verified

E-ECP.3.1

Financial requirement: minimum income £29,000

Your UK partner's income (or your combined cash savings) did not reach £29,000 in the way the rules count it, or the evidence in Appendix FM-SE was incomplete (missing payslips, statements not showing the salary credits, employer letter without the required details). Income from the applicant in India does not count unless you have a confirmed UK job to start within 3 months.

What to fix: work through the Appendix FM-SE checklist for the category used (A, B, D, F or G) and include every listed document; reconcile payslips and bank credits line by line; if income is short, calculate the savings needed: £16,000 + 2.5 x shortfall, held 6 months.

Decode E-ECP.3.1

E-ECP.2.6

Relationship requirement: genuine and subsisting

The officer was not satisfied that the marriage or relationship is real and continuing. Arranged marriages are accepted, but the file must show contact, visits, shared finances or plans, and consistent answers from both sides.

What to fix: a relationship timeline with dated evidence: calls and chats (summaries, not thousands of pages), visits (stamps, tickets), money transfers, joint plans; sponsor's and applicant's personal statements that match; marriage registration certificate and evidence the ceremony was valid in India.

Decode E-ECP.2.6

E-ECP.2.7 / E-ECP.2.10

Relationship requirement: met in person and intention to live together permanently

Either there was no evidence you have physically met, or the officer doubts you will live together permanently in the UK (for example the sponsor is not living in the UK, or there is no accommodation plan).

What to fix: passport stamps, tickets and photos of the meeting; sponsor's UK residence evidence (payslips, tenancy, council tax); accommodation letter, tenancy or mortgage plus a property inspection report where crowded.

Decode E-ECP.2.7 / E-ECP.2.10

E-ECP.4.1

English language requirement at A1

The A1 test was not a SELT (for example a standard IELTS or an online test), had expired, or the Indian degree was not confirmed by Ecctis as taught in English. Indian degrees always need the Ecctis statement; a university letter alone is not enough.

What to fix: book IELTS Life Skills A1, PTE Home A1, LanguageCert or Skills for English A1 at a SELT centre; or obtain the Ecctis English Language Proficiency statement for your degree.

Decode E-ECP.4.1

E-ECP.2.1 to E-ECP.2.5

Eligibility of the sponsor and validity of the marriage

The sponsor's status does not qualify, one party was under 18, the marriage is not recognised (for example not registered, or a previous marriage not legally ended), or the officer found a previous relationship was still subsisting.

What to fix: sponsor's passport or share code, or settled status evidence; marriage certificate from the registrar (Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act or other), with translation if needed; divorce decree absolute or death certificate for any previous spouse.

Decode E-ECP.2.1 to E-ECP.2.5

S-EC.1.4 / S-EC.1.5

Suitability (Appendix FM): exclusion conducive to the public good or criminality

The family application was refused on character grounds, not relationship or money. These are the Appendix FM versions of the Part 9 criminality rules.

What to fix: get full reasons; family-route suitability refusals carry a right of appeal where human rights are engaged; take regulated advice; evidence of rehabilitation and the best interests of any children in the UK.

Decode S-EC.1.4 / S-EC.1.5

Every refusal paragraph for this route

Our all-in filing price: ₹29,999, GST included, the same price as on lifesetoverseas.com. Home Office fees and the health surcharge are paid by you on gov.uk and shown below in rupees. No outcome is guaranteed.

Tools

Spouse income checker

Salary, savings or a mix: which financial route clears the threshold.

English requirement lookup

The CEFR level for your route and the SELT centres near you.

Fee calculator in rupees

Every Home Office fee and the health surcharge, totalled in rupees at a dated rate.

Processing times tracker

Standard, priority and super priority times for Indian applicants, updated monthly.

Refusal reason decoder

Paste the paragraph from your refusal letter and read what it means.

Related routes

Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd

Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Applicants outside the UK only; applicants in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.