The 5-year route, step by step
| Stage | Length | Form | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| First grant | 2 years 9 months | Entry clearance / FLR(M) | A1 |
| Extension | 2 years 6 months | FLR(M) | A2 |
| Settlement (ILR) | , | SET(M) | B1 + Life in the UK test |
When to apply
Apply before your current visa expires, you can submit up to 28 days before expiry on the gov.uk family visa extension service. As long as you apply in time, Section 3C leave keeps your existing conditions (including the right to work) in place while the application is decided, even if your old visa lapses during processing.
Don't let the visa expire before you apply, overstaying breaks the continuous-residence requirement and can end the route to settlement.
What it costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| FLR(M) application fee | £1,407 |
| IHS (£1,035 × 2.5 years) | £2,587 |
| Biometrics appointment | Usually free (some centres £76.50) |
| Total | ~£4,000 |
Priority service (£500) and super-priority (£1,000) are available to speed up the decision. Use the fees calculator to model your exact figure including dependants.
What you must prove
1. The relationship is genuine and subsisting
Updated relationship evidence covering the period since your first visa, joint finances, cohabitation, photos, communication, shared commitments. Don't just resubmit the original bundle; show continuity through to now.
2. You still meet £29,000
The financial requirement is reassessed at extension. The categories are the same (salaried, self-employed, savings, combined). A key difference: at extension you can usually count combined applicant + sponsor income, because the applicant is now in the UK with permission to work.
3. Adequate accommodation
Current tenancy or property evidence and council tax, showing accommodation that isn't overcrowded.
4. English at A2
One level up from the A1 you needed first time. An approved A2 SELT, a degree taught in English, or an exemption, see English requirement.
What's different from your first application
The extension isn't a fresh start, it's a continuation, and that changes a few things in your favour and a few against:
- Combined income now counts. Because you're in the UK with permission to work, your earnings can be added to your sponsor's to reach £29,000, you couldn't do this from outside the UK first time.
- English goes up a level, A2 instead of A1.
- Relationship evidence must show continuity, not origins. Caseworkers want to see the relationship has continued since the first grant, so lead with recent joint evidence.
- No TB test, you're applying from inside the UK.
- No fresh accommodation hunt if nothing's changed, but refresh the evidence (current tenancy, recent council tax).
The absence rule still matters
Although the 180-days-in-12-months continuous-residence test bites hardest at ILR, your time on the route is continuous, long absences during the extension period can affect the 5-year settlement clock later. Keep a record of your trips out of the UK from the first grant onward; you'll need the dates at ILR, and reconstructing two years of travel from memory is painful.
Worked cost with a child
Adding a dependent child to the extension increases both the fee and the financial requirement:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| FLR(M), main applicant | £1,407 |
| FLR(M), dependent child | £1,407 |
| IHS, adult (£1,035 × 2.5) | £2,587 |
| IHS, child (£1,035 × 2.5) | £2,587 |
| Biometrics appointments × 2 | Usually free (some centres £76.50 each) |
| Total | ~£8,000 |
The income requirement does not rise for the child: under the £29,000 regime there are no separate child add-ons. Only legacy applicants still extending under the pre-11 April 2024 £18,600 rules add £3,800 for a first non-British child and £2,400 for each further child, capped at £29,000. Model your exact figure with the fees calculator.
If you no longer meet £29,000
This is the most common extension problem. If your household income has dropped below £29,000 and you can't meet it through savings or the combined-income rules, you may fall onto the 10-year route (Article 8 family life), which has no fixed income threshold but a longer path to settlement. This is exactly the situation where professional advice pays for itself.
Common extension refusals
- Income dropped below £29,000 and no savings or combined-income route was used
- Thin recent relationship evidence, resubmitting the original bundle without showing the relationship continued
- Financial evidence in the wrong format, payslips that don't reconcile with bank statements, or a category claimed without the right documents
- Applied too late, submitting after the visa expired breaks continuity and the route to settlement
Most of these are avoidable with preparation. The financial and relationship sections are where extensions are won or lost, get them right and the rest is routine. If anything has materially changed since your first grant, a new job, a house move, a new child, give yourself extra time to assemble the evidence in the right format rather than applying at the last minute.
Assemble the FLR(M) bundle
- Checklist generator, a document list tailored to the extension stage
- Bundler, merge into one ordered PDF with a cover sheet
- Compressor, fit the upload limits
After this extension, the next step is Indefinite Leave to Remain. For the whole journey, see the Spouse visa guide.
Sources
Common questions
- 01
When do I extend my Spouse visa?
The 5-year route grants 2 years 9 months first, then you extend for a further 2 years 6 months using form FLR(M). Apply before your current visa expires, you can apply up to 28 days before, and you keep your existing conditions while a timely application is decided.
- 02
How much does a Spouse visa extension cost?
The FLR(M) application fee is £1,407, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year of leave (about £2,587 for 2 years 6 months). The biometrics appointment is usually free, though some centres charge £76.50. Budget roughly £4,000 for the extension stage.
- 03
What do I need to prove at extension?
That your relationship is still genuine and subsisting, that you still meet the £29,000 financial requirement, that you have adequate accommodation, and English at A2 (one level up from the A1 you needed first time).
- 04
Can my Spouse visa extension be refused?
Yes, most often where the financial requirement is no longer met, the relationship evidence is thin, or the relationship has broken down. If you no longer meet £29,000 you may need the 10-year route. Family-route refusals usually carry a right of appeal.
- 05
Does the extension count towards ILR?
Yes. The initial 2 years 9 months plus the 2 years 6 months extension complete the 5-year qualifying period, after which you apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain on form SET(M) with B1 English and the Life in the UK test.
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