After months of preparing documents and waiting for a decision, a spouse visa approval brings welcome certainty. You can begin making plans around the permission you have been granted. A few careful checks now will make those plans easier to carry out.
Start by checking the decision, accessing your eVisa and confirming the dates and conditions of your permission. Then deal with travel or employment arrangements and organise the records you will need when you next apply.
Our spouse visa service covers applications and the evidence behind them. This article focuses on the practical steps immediately after approval, whether you are preparing to move to the UK or have received a new grant while already here.
Check the decision and your permission dates
Save the complete decision email or letter, including attachments and application references. Read it alongside the status displayed in your UKVI account. Check your name, date of birth, type of permission, start date, expiry date and conditions.
Appendix FM provides different grants depending on the circumstances. Ordinary partner entry clearance can be granted for up to 33 months, while permission to remain is generally granted for up to 30 months. There are exceptions, including some grants linked to a sponsor’s protection permission. Use the dates actually granted.
The decision may also describe a standard or non-standard endorsement. GOV.UK explains that this can affect when you become eligible for settlement. If the route or wording differs from what you expected, have it checked promptly.
Keep separate records for each family member. One approval should not be treated as confirmation that every linked application has been decided. Check each person’s decision and digital status individually before making shared travel plans.
If the decision itself appears wrong, obtain advice about the appropriate correction or review process. An error in the digital display and a disagreement with the underlying decision may require different action.
Access your eVisa and check that you can use it
Your eVisa is the digital record of your immigration status and its conditions. You need a UKVI account to access it, and creating the account or accessing the eVisa is free. Follow the instructions in your decision and use your existing account where appropriate.
Check that you can sign in yourself and receive security codes through the registered email address or phone number. If someone helped with the application, make sure you understand how to access the account and which contact details it uses.
Compare the displayed information with your passport and decision. GOV.UK provides a reporting service for incorrect eVisa details, including the wrong immigration status. It also explains what to do if the eVisa remains unavailable after the account has been linked. Keep a record of any report and response.
If your contact details or passport later change, update your UKVI account. Changing your bank’s address records does not update the Home Office account. Check each organisation separately when moving home or replacing a passport.
Do not wait for a new biometric residence permit because an older online checklist mentions collecting one. Current guidance says that eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents. Follow the instructions issued for your own grant.
Confirm your travel arrangements before booking
If you applied overseas, check when your permission begins before arranging your arrival. If any physical travel endorsement has been issued, read its dates and instructions as well. Keep your decision accessible when travelling.
The passport or travel document you use must be valid and added to your UKVI account. Your account details must match the passenger information given to your carrier. Incorrect details can cause boarding problems or delays at the UK border, so resolve discrepancies before departure.
You can obtain a share code for travel as additional proof if requested. The current guidance says these codes last for 90 days. This is the code’s validity period, not the length of your immigration permission.
Keep evidence of your actual arrival, such as boarding passes and travel confirmations. Record the date you entered under the new permission. It is useful to preserve the distinction between the date a visa was issued, the date it became valid and the date you travelled.
If arrival will be substantially delayed, review the effect on your future application timetable before assuming the original plan still works.
Understand your work, study and public-funds conditions
A spouse grant normally permits work and study. GOV.UK distinguishes this from fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner permission, which does not permit either. Getting married does not by itself replace fiancé permission with a spouse grant; the further application must be approved.
For employment, you must prove your right to work before starting. If you use the online service, obtain a share code for that purpose and give the employer your date of birth. A saved decision email can be useful background, but the employer still needs to complete the appropriate check.
A share code can expire while your immigration permission remains valid. You can generate another code when needed. Avoid confusing an expired code with an expired visa.
Read the public-funds condition carefully. A no recourse to public funds condition restricts access to specified benefits and housing assistance. There are exceptions, and some contributory benefits and statutory payments are outside the definition. Check the particular entitlement before making a claim.
Healthcare has separate rules. Where the immigration health surcharge was required and paid, GOV.UK says NHS access under that arrangement begins when the visa starts. Charges can still apply to services such as prescriptions, dental treatment and assisted conception. Paying the surcharge does not make every service free.
Use a first-month checklist tied to your own grant
The following is an organisational checklist. Its suggested timing is practical, rather than a set of Home Office deadlines. Complete anything needed for imminent travel or employment before that event.
| When | Action | What to keep or confirm |
|---|---|---|
| When the decision arrives | Read the full decision and compare it with the eVisa | Correct identity, permission dates, route and conditions |
| Before travelling | Check the passport linked to the account and the permitted travel dates | Matching booking details and any relevant instructions |
| Before starting work | Complete the right-to-work process with the employer | The correct share code and a resolved status record |
| During the first month | Organise household and financial records | Tenancy or ownership documents, bills and relevant statements |
| When details change | Update the relevant accounts and records | Confirmation of the change and its effective date |
| Once the grant is understood | Set a preparation reminder for the next application | Expiry date, review date and any questions about qualifying residence |
Keep useful records as your circumstances change
Create one secure immigration folder with sections for decisions, identity documents, the family home, finances and travel. Retain the application and evidence you submitted as well as the resulting approval. Back up the folder somewhere you can access if a device is lost.
Keep documents showing how you and your partner live together. GOV.UK identifies examples including tenancy agreements, council tax or utility bills, bank statements and correspondence from medical professionals. Their value comes from the facts they establish, including names, addresses and dates.
Save complete documents as they become available. A screenshot showing only an account balance may omit the name, address or statement period that makes the original useful. Keep information accurate and retain records for both partners where appropriate.
For example, a couple moving home during the first year could retain the old tenancy, the new agreement and correspondence showing when each address changed. This hypothetical example illustrates a clear chronology; it is not a prescribed evidence list or a guarantee of acceptance.
Record travel dates and any periods living apart while the explanation is fresh. If finances, living arrangements or the relationship change significantly, assess the implications at that point. Our article on ongoing immigration support explains the wider support process.
Record the next renewal and review points
Put the permission expiry date in your calendar and set an earlier preparation reminder. Four to six months beforehand is a useful practical starting point, particularly where income or family circumstances may need closer review. It is not a recommendation to submit that early.
GOV.UK says a family visa can be extended before the current permission expires. Application timing still needs thought: Home Office guidance warns that applying too early can leave a person needing another period of permission before completing the qualifying residence for settlement.
At Knightsbridge, our view is that approval should leave you with a clear understanding of what has been granted, what you can do and when the next decision needs attention. Keeping reliable records from the start makes that later assessment more straightforward.
If your grant, conditions or next application date are unclear, request a Case Assessment. Provide the decision, your permission dates and any planned travel or changes so the relevant issue can be assessed.
