Having your spouse visa refused can be devastating for couples and families who want to create a life for themselves in the UK. And putting a spouse visa refusal appeal together can be a real challenge. What paperwork is required? What’s to stop them rejecting your application again? How long will it take? The fear of the unknown can leave you powerless to fight. You want to give your appeal every chance of success and that’s where A Y & J Solicitors come in. We have a team of experienced UK visa and immigration lawyers equipped with an exhaustive understanding of spouse visa refusal reasons. We give expert advice on how to avoid and challenge those objections, greatly improving your chances of having your spouse visa application approved.
At A Y & J Solicitors, we understand that seeing a partner visa rejected can feel like there’s no way back. But that’s not the case. We’ve helped reunite hundreds of families who have had their spouse visa turned down for any number of reasons. We’re familiar with all the usual challenges that come along with appealing a Home Office decision to deny a spouse visa and know how to mitigate them. We offer a caring service throughout the entire process, from initial consultation until the hearing and resolution. Our successes include complex and difficult cases, including allegations of deception and incorrect documentation in points-based system matters. We will walk you through step by step from the application stage, ensuring every piece of documentation is submitted correctly. We also provide appeal preparation advocacy services. There’s no need to go through this process alone. Let our lawyers take the weight off you, so you can rest easy knowing you’ll be able to bring your family to the UK.
Case study: Click here to read how A Y & J Solicitors helped a married couple reunite after the husband had been refused a spouse visa because of his bad immigration history
I lack words to show how happy I am to have met A Y & J Solicitors. You've proven beyond doubt that you're the best. You've been supportive from the first day to the last, not minding my shortcomings, and you have patiently assisted us down to this day. Our visa applications were all approved, none were denied, courtesy of your relentless efforts. I'll recommend you over and over again.
"Jane Onyekachi
Bad advice can lead to delays and refusals you can’t afford to risk. That’s why we assign a subject matter expert - a UK immigration associate - to manage your case throughout.
It’s frustrating when you don’t know what’s going on with your case. We guarantee a reply to all messages/emails within 24 working hours or we refund 20% of your fees.
No one wants to be worried about runaway legal costs. Our services have fixed fees so you know exactly how much you need to pay, with no nasty surprises down the line.
We are specialists in immigration law and have supported more than 4,000 business owners and professionals around the globe to successfully navigate the UK system. We work quickly, always responding to any queries within 24 working hours. And we work closely with the Home Office to pre-empt issues before they jeopardise sponsorship applications or breach compliance. We manage all United Kingdom immigration matters, including visa applications under the new points-based immigration system, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), nationality and more. We also handle complex cases of appeal, administrative reviews, judicial reviews and the many immigration challenges involving European Union law and human rights.
4.9
A Y & J Solicitors has more than 1,200 positive client reviews across Google and Trustpilot and is listed in The Legal top 500 best UK law firms, so you can rest assured your immigration challenges are in safe hands when you take these three simple steps:
As a multi-award-winning law firm recommended by The Legal 500 with over a decade of specialised immigration experience, we create the gold standard and benchmark in expertise, authority, and credibility to get the desired results. Moreover, this result driven approach has created an overall record of 5,000+ successful immigration and visa applications, enabling the companies and individuals to be confident that their visa process is in experienced hands committed to their success.
Our commitment to excellence is backed by the best.
We take pride in being featured and officially accredited by top business, immigration, and legal platforms. Our work continuously meets the highest criteria of trust, credibility, and results, earning us major accolades and high-level media attention. These accolades are more than just badges; they serve as evidence that clients are in capable, safe hands when they choose us.
"Quick and professional. I enjoyed working with Imad on my Visa."
"When I started the processes with Ikra, I remembered the tortoise and hare story by Aesop, so slowly they are progressing my application. Despite my request to speed up the processes, my application still does not accelerate. After two weeks of documentation and drafting the application, they submitted it to HMRC for decision. Ikra's much appreciated work has resulted in a decision from HMRC being made in less than 24 hours. Though the hare ran fast, the winner was the tortoise. Ikra is the winner on my application, just like the tortoise. I am grateful for your excellent and helpful assistance."
"Many thanks for your excellent work on my behalf. You were so thorough, persistent, and transparent. God Bless you"
"I would recommend and work with A Y & J again, my team, Ashu, Surabhi and Diana was very professional, informative and kind. They are always available and approachable. Thank you for the assistance on my complicated visa matter, which were dealt with again; professionalism and kindness. And all the challenges were dealt swiftly as well. Highly recommend and thank you so much!"
"I am very happy with the service of AY & J solicitors, thank you especially to Nagina Hanif for being patient with us and for for being fast responsive, I felt the visa I applied was quiet complicated but Nagina guided me through every step, and this has made it possible and finally the visa is granted.Thank you to the entire team of Ay & J solicitors."
"Ikra Ahmed helped me with Skilled worker visa. She is faster than light!! Much Appreciated!!! Thanks Ikra!!!!"
Since 2020, A Y & J Solicitors has handled over hundreds of successful Spouse visa applications, making it a renowned leader in UK immigration law. Each case that we take is handled with meticulous professionalism by our experienced team, meeting every requirement and providing the highest possible likelihood of approval.
Yes. It may be refused if you don’t submit sufficient evidence of your authentic relationship, don’t meet the financial requirement or fall short of the English language requirement.
A Spouse Visa allows you to join your wife, husband or civil partner in the UK if they’re a British citizen or settled here. You’ll need to demonstrate your relationship is genuine, satisfy the minimum income requirement and meet the English language requirement.
Your partner will not be able to join or stay on that visa. They must appeal or reapply with the right evidence, otherwise they will have to leave or switch to another valid avenue.
You’ll receive a letter explaining why you were refused. Then you can appeal, request a review or apply again; if you don’t do anything, you’ll have to leave the UK.
Yes. You can typically reapply or request an administrative review or appeal, provided you remedy the reasons you were initially refused.
UK Spouse visa applications are commonly refused for the following reasons:
For first applications on or after 11 April 2024, the flat minimum income requirement is £29,000 (combined income). Otherwise, the previous threshold of £18,600 applies (plus the child component, capped at £29,000 under transitional arrangements). There is no automatic further increase to £38,700 for partner visas (that higher figure applies only to Skilled Worker roles).
By instructing our lawyers at the beginning of the application process, you can be confident that it is unlikely your application will fail because of the above criteria.
Spouse Visa appeal
The only grounds for appeals of refused spousal sponsorship applications are based on human rights. The most commonly cited are rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
You can read our blog explaining Article 8 here.
Article 8 states:
If UK Visas and Immigration is found to have made a decision which is in breach of their obligations under Article 8, immigration rules and/or policy guidance, it may be forced to re-examine the decision and grant leave to remain.
Judicial review:
Judicial review is the process whereby the courts review the lawfulness of a decision made by a public body. It challenges the methods by which the decision has been made rather than looking at the rights or wrongs of the conclusion.
If you do not have a statutory right of appeal or have exhausted your right of appeal, we can make an application for judicial review (if you have an arguable case) on your behalf. It is a remedy of last resort; therefore, you can be assured we will look at all other possible solutions, such as negotiating with the Home Office and trying to settle within the Pre-action Protocol stage before committing to what can be an expensive judicial review process.
Our clients also have full confidence that we will investigate the benefits of resubmitting an application before embarking on a course of appeals or judicial review, both of which can take some time to conclude. Our goal is to see your family reunited as soon as possible by the most cost-effective and convenient means.
For those who have received a spouse visa refusal, A Y & J Solicitors can help with every aspect of the appeal and judicial review. Our experts will prepare the necessary paperwork and represent you before the tribunal or court. In every case, we provide our clients with excellent customer service and a transparent fee structure with no hidden charges or extra costs.
A Y & J Solicitors has extensive experience with appeals and judicial reviews for a variety of applications and we approach each case with the expert attention and intervention required for the best possible outcome. Our successes include complex and difficult cases, including a recent successful appeal involving UKVI allegations of deception along with a lack of/incorrect documents in points-based system matters. We provided appeal preparation services and advocacy services for this case.
Our expert lawyers have a great deal of knowledge preparing appeals that bring successful results for clients. We offer a caring service throughout the entire process from initial consultation until the hearing and resolution. We are SRA-regulated and can work quickly towards the deadlines that often occur with appeals or judicial reviews.
We can accommodate our clients in a variety of ways, including in-house consultations at our central London office, or arranging online/telephone meetings. Our staff and lawyers are fluent in a number of languages, including Hindi & Gujarati, Romanian, Albanian and Italian.
If immigration officials have doubts about the credibility of your marriage, they may request that you attend a spouse visa interview. If this happens, it is imperative that you take the request seriously and prepare thoroughly for the appointment. Our team can assist you by taking you through a mock interview.
The appeal process can take a long time, sometimes up to 12 months or more. We will endeavour to have your case settled as soon as possible by putting persuasive arguments to the Home Office prior to attending the tribunal or court. If a court hearing proves inevitable, you can be assured we will keep you informed every step of the way.
Appeal deadline:
Outside the UK: within 28 days of refusal notice.
Inside the UK: within 14 days of refusal notice.
Listing for hearing: typically takes several months (often 6–8 months, but can extend up to 12 months).
Decision: you’ll normally receive the Tribunal’s written decision within 4 weeks of the hearing.
According to the Home Office’s Immigration Statistics for the year ending June 2024, the overall refusal rate for entry clearance family-related visas (including spouse/partner) was approximately 25%.
The Home Office does not publish a discrete “spouse visa appeal” success figure. However, the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration & Asylum) reports an overall immigration appeal success rate of around 30–35% in 2023. However, at A Y & J Solicitors, our clients enjoy a significantly higher success rate of around 85-95% for their appeals.
To boost your likelihood of succeeding in a UK spouse visa appeal, consider these helpful tips:
While adhering to these steps can improve your chances of a favourable outcome, it’s crucial to remember that success is not guaranteed. Each case is unique and will be assessed individually by the immigration authorities.
Yes, sending a Pre-Action Protocol (PAP) letter is generally a good first step if your Spouse Visa application has been refused. This letter notifies the UK Home Office of your intention to seek a judicial review of their decision and offers them an opportunity to reconsider it before legal proceedings begin. It’s a vital part of dispute resolution and can sometimes result in a decision being overturned without the need for a court case. However, it’s crucial to have a legal expert guide you through the process to ensure that your PAP letter covers all necessary points and is drafted persuasively. At A Y & J Solicitors, our experienced team can assist you with this step and any subsequent legal actions. We offer fixed fees so you’ll know exactly what you’re paying, and we pride ourselves on our responsiveness, ensuring we get back to all emails/messages within 24 hours, or we refund 20% of your fees. Your case will be managed by a dedicated UK immigration legal associate, offering you the expertise you need to navigate these complex situations.
Managing Director
The driving force behind the company, Yash has years of legal experience and an uncompromising focus on client success. His leadership is the catalyst for integrity, innovation, and results.
Head of Operations
With a keen eye for process excellence and attention to detail, Diana makes every client experience seamless, efficient, and treated with care—from initial contact to final resolution.
Chief Operating Officer
Anik combines strategic mind with operational acumen to drive scale of impact and efficiency in service delivery. His systems philosophy runs the engine smoothly.
Sales Manager
Amin heads the frontlines of client interaction. He is driven by a consultative mind and profound knowledge of immigration options, matching clients with solutions that best meet their objectives.
