UK Spouse and Family Visa for Americans: Requirements, Income, and U.S. Tax Rules
If you are an American moving to the UK to be with a British or settled partner, the route you need is the partner route of the UK Family visa, commonly called the spouse or partner visa. To qualify, you and your partner must show a genuine, ongoing relationship, a combined income of at least £29,000 a year (or enough savings instead), and you must meet an A1 English requirement. The visa is usually granted for about 33 months at first, sits on a five-year route to settlement, and leads to permanent residence and then British citizenship.
A few things to know before you apply:
- Your partner is the sponsor. They must be a British citizen, settled in the UK, or hold a qualifying status.
- There is an income test. You generally need £29,000 in combined income, or cash savings, to make up the difference.
- It is a path to staying for good. Five years on this route leads to settlement, then citizenship.
- You still file U.S. taxes. Moving to join a partner does not end your U.S. filing obligation.
This guide covers who qualifies, the income and English requirements, the application and costs, the route to settlement, and what the move means for your U.S. taxes.
Building a life in the UK with your partner?
The Family Visa Lets You Join a British or Settled Partner in the UK
The Family visa, partner route, is for an American whose partner already has the right to live in the UK long term. You self-identify with this route based on two things: who your partner is, and the nature of your relationship.
Your partner (the sponsor) must be one of the following:
- A British or Irish citizen.
- Someone with indefinite leave to remain or settled status, including EU Settled Status.
- A person with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK.
Your relationship must fit one of these:
- You are married or in a civil partnership.
- You are unmarried partners who have lived together in a relationship for at least two years.
- You are engaged or plan to form a civil partnership. The fiancé route grants about six months to marry in the UK, after which you switch to the partner visa.
You both must be 18 or over, intend to live together in the UK, and be able to show the relationship is genuine and ongoing, which the Home Office assesses from your evidence. You can check the official criteria in the government’s eligibility guidance for partners.
This is probably not your route if your partner is in the UK on a work or study visa rather than being settled. In that case, you usually join as a dependant on their visa instead, such as a dependant on a UK Skilled Worker visa, which is a different application with different rules.
You Need a Combined Income of at Least £29,000 to Qualify
The financial requirement is where most applications turn. You generally must show a minimum combined income of £29,000 a year, set out in the government’s financial requirements guidance, and you can meet it in more than one way.
| How you meet it | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Income | Combined annual income of at least £29,000 from employment, self-employment, or your sponsor’s UK job |
| Cash savings | Held for at least six months, used in a set formula to cover the shortfall |
| Combination | Part income, part savings, added together to reach the threshold |
The £29,000 figure has been under review, with an earlier plan to raise it further now paused, so confirm the current threshold on gov.uk before you apply. If you cannot meet the financial requirement but have a child or other exceptional circumstances, you may be placed on a longer ten-year route instead.
You and Your Partner Must Prove a Genuine, Ongoing Relationship
A visa is not granted on the income figures alone. The Home Office must be satisfied that your relationship is genuine, ongoing, and that you intend to live together in the UK, and thin or inconsistent evidence is a common reason for refusal.
The evidence you typically submit includes:
- Proof of relationship status: your marriage or civil partnership certificate, or, if you are unmarried, proof that you have lived together in a relationship for at least two years.
- Proof you share a life or a home: official documents in both names at the same address, such as a tenancy agreement, mortgage statement, council tax bill, utility bills, or bank statements. For unmarried partners, the rules expect several items from different sources spread across the full two-year period.
- Proof the relationship is ongoing: photos together over time, travel and visit history, and a record of regular contact, such as messages or call logs, which matters most if you have spent periods apart.
- Joint commitments: a joint bank account, shared bills, or other financial ties in both names.
- Children together, if any: their birth certificates, which strongly support a genuine relationship.
A short written statement explaining how you met, how the relationship developed, and your plans to live together in the UK helps tie the evidence together. The stronger and more consistent the paper trail, the smoother the decision.
You Must Show A1 English at the First Application
You need to meet the knowledge of English requirement at level A1 on the Common European Framework when you first apply. The level rises over time: A2 to extend the visa and B1 to settle. As an American, a degree taught in English usually satisfies the requirement, though a non-UK degree may need an ECCTIS confirmation, and otherwise, you take an approved English test.
The Visa Fee and Health Surcharge Are the Costs You Pay to Apply
You apply online from the U.S. before you travel, provide your biometrics, and submit evidence of your relationship, income, and English proficiency. Two costs fall on you as the applicant:
- The application fee, which for a partner applying from outside the UK runs to roughly £1,938.
- The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 for each year of your visa, which gives you access to the National Health Service.
A decision usually takes several weeks, and a priority service can speed it up for an extra fee. Fees change regularly, so confirm the current figures before you apply.
The Spouse Visa Is a Five-Year Route to Settlement and Citizenship
The partner route is built to lead to permanent status over five years:
- First grant: about 33 months when you apply from outside the UK.
- Extension: a further 30 months, after which you reach the five-year mark.
- Settlement: after five years, you can usually apply for indefinite leave to remain, then for British citizenship once you meet the residence rules.
One change to watch. The government is moving to an “earned settlement” model, under which settlement is no longer automatic after a fixed period, and applicants are expected to show sustained contribution and integration. If settling permanently is the goal, confirm the current route on gov.uk, as this is an area that is actively changing.
You Still File U.S. Taxes After Moving to the UK for a Partner
Becoming a UK resident to be with your partner does not change your U.S. filing. As a U.S. citizen, you report worldwide income every year, but you can usually remove U.S. tax on your UK earnings with the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or the Foreign Tax Credit. The wider tax picture for life in Britain is in our U.S. expat tax guide for living in the UK.
Two points are specific to marrying across borders:
- Your filing status changes. If your spouse is not a U.S. person, you typically file as married filing separately, and the question of whether you must include your non-citizen spouse on your return is common. You can instead elect to file jointly with your non-citizen spouse by making the Section 6013(g) election, which may save tax but brings their worldwide income into the U.S. system.
- Your UK accounts are reportable. Once your UK bank accounts exceed $10,000 in total, you file an FBAR.
If you go on to naturalize as a British citizen while keeping your U.S. citizenship, you become a dual citizen with filing duties on both sides, covered in our guide to U.S.-UK dual-citizen taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions about the UK Spouse/Family Visa
Not exactly. “Family visa” is the umbrella category that covers several routes, including partners and spouses, fiancés, children, parents, and adult dependent relatives. The spouse or partner visa is the route within that category for joining a husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried partner; it is a type of UK family visa rather than a separate category.
Yes. There is no nationality restriction. An American with a genuine relationship to a British citizen or someone settled in the UK can apply for the Family visa as a partner, provided they meet the income and English requirements.
You generally need a combined income of at least £29,000 a year, sufficient cash savings to cover the shortfall for six months, or a combination of the two. The threshold has been under review, so confirm the current figure on gov.uk before applying.
A partner applying from outside the UK is usually granted about 33 months, then a 30-month extension, reaching the five-year point. After five years, you can usually apply to settle, though the settlement route is moving toward an “earned” model.
Yes. After five years, you can usually apply for indefinite leave to remain, and once you hold settled status and meet the residence requirements, you can apply to naturalize as a British citizen.
You still file a U.S. return on your worldwide income, usually as married filing separately if your spouse is not a U.S. person. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or Foreign Tax Credit typically removes U.S. tax on your UK income, and your UK accounts may need an FBAR.
How Greenback Can Help
Settling in the UK with your partner means your life touches two tax systems at once, and filing-status choices and account reporting are where Americans trip up. Greenback’s U.S. CPAs and Enrolled Agents work alongside in-house UK Chartered Accountants on a single account, so your U.S. return and your UK Self Assessment are handled together, and your income is not taxed twice.
If you are moving to the UK to be with a partner, you can have both tax systems coordinated from the start. Learn more about how we help Americans living in the UK.
Get both your UK and U.S. returns handled by one team.
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or immigration advice. Visa rules, income thresholds, and fees change frequently, and your circumstances may differ. Confirm the current requirements on gov.uk and consult a qualified professional before applying.
Related Resources
- UK Skilled Worker Visa for Americans
- UK Visa Options for Americans
- Moving to the UK from the USA
- U.S.-UK Dual Citizen Taxes
- Working in the UK as an American
- Foreign Earned Income Exclusion Guide
- Foreign Tax Credit Guide
- FBAR Filing Requirements
- U.S. Expat Tax Guide for Living in the UK
- UK Tax Services for U.S. Expats
