ILR Guide

Spouse & Partner Visa ILR Guide 2026 — Timeline, Income Threshold & Key Dates

Matteo Di Battista Immigration Policy Analyst & ILR Specialist

📅 Updated: 7 June 2026 📖 ILR Calculator

If you are on a spouse or partner visa, you can apply for ILR after 5 years of continuous lawful residence. This guide covers the 2026 income threshold of £29,000, the key milestones in the timeline, and what the proposed earned settlement changes may mean for family route applicants.

The partner route to ILR — how it works

If you entered the UK as the spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner of a British citizen or a person who already has ILR or settled status, you are on the Family/Partner route to settlement. Under the current rules, this leads to ILR after 5 years of continuous lawful residence.

Calculate your Spouse Visa settlement timeline

Track your 5-year partner pathway and financial requirement qualifying dates.

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The typical timeline looks like this:

Initial entry: 2.5-year spouse/partner visa granted
Extension: Further 2.5-year leave to remain (FLR(M))
ILR application: After completing 5 years total (using the 28-day early window)

Use the Spouse/Partner ILR Calculator (Tool 05 on the homepage) to find your exact qualifying date.

Will the spouse/partner route be affected by earned settlement?

Good news for family route applicants: the Government has consistently signalled that spouse and partner routes may retain the 5-year qualifying period even if the broader earned settlement changes extend other routes to 10 years. The consultation document stated that "family routes, including partner routes for those in a genuine relationship with a British national or settled person" are expected to remain on a 5-year path.

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Ensure your cash savings, employment salary, or self-employed income meet rules.

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However, this has not been formally confirmed in Immigration Rules as of June 2026. The earned settlement framework has not yet been published. Until it is, family route applicants who are approaching their 5-year date should apply under the current rules promptly.

Income requirement — £29,000 from April 2024

To sponsor a spouse or partner from abroad, or to extend a spouse/partner visa, the UK sponsor must meet a minimum income threshold. From April 2024, this threshold increased to £29,000 per year (gross annual income). This was a significant increase from the previous £18,600 threshold.

The income requirement also applies at the ILR stage — the sponsor must still demonstrate they meet the financial threshold at the point of the ILR application. Acceptable evidence includes payslips (usually 6 months), P60, employment letter confirming salary, and sometimes bank statements.

Income thresholds on the partner route (2026):

Main threshold (no children): £29,000/year
With one non-British dependent child: £29,000 + £3,750 = £32,750
Each additional non-British dependent child: +£2,500
Savings alternative: £29,000 equivalent in savings held for 6+ months (exact formula applies)

Genuine relationship requirement

Unlike the Skilled Worker route, the partner route requires you to demonstrate throughout the qualifying period that your relationship is genuine and subsisting. The Home Office expects evidence at each stage (initial visa, extension, and ILR) including: cohabitation evidence (joint utility bills, tenancy agreements, bank correspondence), shared financial commitments, photos and communication history, and a relationship statement.

Absence rules on the partner route

The same 180-day rolling absence test applies to partner route applicants as to other 5-year routes. No rolling 12-month window during the qualifying period should contain more than 180 days outside the UK. Both the main applicant's absences and their presence in the UK are what matters — the sponsor's travel history is generally not assessed for the absence test. Use the ILR calculator to check your absence days.

ILR costs on the partner route (from 8 April 2026)

The ILR application fee from 8 April 2026 is £3,226 per applicant. If you and your spouse are both applying for ILR at the same time, you each pay £3,226 (total £6,452 plus biometrics). After ILR is granted, British citizenship naturalisation costs £1,709 per person from 8 April 2026.

The 5-Year Pathway to Spouse Settlement

The family route to settlement is a 5-year pathway for spouses, civil partners, and unmarried partners of British citizens or settled UK residents. The timeline is split into three phases:

Initial Visa (33 Months): Your first visa, granted from outside the UK (or 30 months if switching inside the UK).
Extension (30 Months): Applied for before your initial visa expires. This completes the 5-year residency.
ILR Application (at 60 Months): Applied for up to 28 days before you complete 5 years (60 months) in the UK.

You must ensure you apply for your extension and ILR in a timely manner. Any gap in status will break your qualifying residence, forcing you to restart the 5-year clock.

Absence Rules and the Discretionary 180-Day Test

Historically, the 5-year spouse route did not have a strict absence limit. However, the Home Office has increasingly aligned spouse applications with general continuous residence principles.

While there is no formal 180-day hard limit for spouses under the current Immigration Rules, caseworkers are instructed to verify that the UK remains your main home. If you have spent significant time abroad (exceeding 180 days in any year), the caseworker will request evidence to show your absences were temporary and that you maintained a shared home in the UK.

The Spouse Financial Requirement

To qualify for ILR, you must meet the spouse financial requirement. This was increased to £29,000 in early 2024, but if your initial spouse visa was granted before this change, you are protected by transitional rules and must meet the older threshold of £18,600.

You can meet this requirement through the sponsor's income, the applicant's income (if they are working legally in the UK), or a combination of both. Cash savings can also be used. For self-employed sponsors, you must submit a full year's worth of tax returns, SA302 calculations, and corporate bank statements, which are subject to rigorous checks.

Documenting Cohabitation Across 5 Years

The most common reason for delays in spouse ILR applications is a lack of cohabitation evidence. You must prove that you and your partner have lived together continuously in the UK throughout the qualifying period.

You must provide at least 6 pieces of joint correspondence (or 12 separate pieces, or a mix) spread evenly over the last 2 years of your visa, from at least 3 different sources. Acceptable sources include:

Joint bank statements or mortgage summaries.
Joint tenancy agreements and council tax bills.
Utility bills (gas, electricity, water) showing both names.
Official letters from government departments (HMRC, DWP, NHS).

Spouse ILR Document Checklist

Prepare this evidence pack for your spouse ILR application:

Cohabitation Folder: 6-12 items of joint correspondence spread evenly across the residency period.
Sponsor's Status: Proof of your partner's British citizenship or ILR status (passport copy or share code).
Financial Evidence: 6 months of payslips, bank statements, and an employer letter proving you meet the income threshold.
Life & Language: Valid B1 English language pass certificate (try our Free B2 English Mock Test) and Life in the UK pass reference code (try our Free Life in the UK Mock Test).
Consent Forms: Signed Home Office consent forms allowing UKVI to verify bank and utility accounts.

⚠ Planning information only — not legal advice. Always verify current rules on GOV.UK and consult a qualified immigration adviser for your specific case.