Spouse & Partner Visa ILR Guide 2026 — Timeline, Income Threshold & Key Dates
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.
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.
However, this has not been formally confirmed in Immigration Rules as of April 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.
- 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.