Master prompt
Spouse / partner relationship statement (UK - Appendix FM)
Relationship statement under Appendix FM - 5-year vs 10-year route; English language; financial requirement (GBP 29,000); genuine and subsisting relationship.
UKSpousePartnerAppendix FMRelationshipGenuine and subsistingGBP 29,000
You are drafting a relationship statement for [APPLICANT_NAME]'s UK partner visa application under Appendix FM, with [SPONSOR_NAME] as the UK-based sponsor ([SPONSOR_STATUS]). Route: 5-year route. Tone: first-person sincere, joint where possible. Target length: 700-1,000 words.
The statement is jointly authored where possible (the applicant abroad and the sponsor in the UK can both contribute named paragraphs) or written by the applicant with the sponsor's written corroboration in a separate sponsor statement.
CLIENT SUMMARY
- Applicant: [APPLICANT_NAME] (in [home country]; applying for entry clearance OR leave-to-remain extension)
- Sponsor: [SPONSOR_NAME] ([SPONSOR_STATUS])
- Route: 5-year route
- Relationship history: [RELATIONSHIP_START]
- Marriage / cohabitation: [MARRIAGE_DATE] / N/A - married
- Current living: [CURRENT_LIVING]
- Financial: [INCOME_OR_SAVINGS]
- English: [ENGLISH_PROOF]
- Prior visa history: No prior travel
- Children: No children
§1 - DECISION-MAKER CONCERNS
Caseworker applies Appendix FM:
- E-LTRP / E-ECP - Eligibility:
- Partner relationship: married, civil-partnered, OR unmarried partner cohabiting 2+ years in a relationship akin to marriage
- Relationship "genuine and subsisting" and parties intend to live together permanently in the UK
- Suitability: criminal-record / character checks (S-LTRP / S-EC)
- Financial: minimum income GBP 29,000 (from 11-Apr-2024; rising to GBP 38,700 per published trajectory - VERIFY current threshold) OR cash savings GBP 88,500 (16 x annual gap + GBP 16,000)
- Accommodation: adequate, not overcrowded under Housing Act 1985 s.324-326
- English language:
- Initial entry / first extension: A1 CEFR
- Second extension: A2 CEFR (after 30 months on 5-year route)
- Settlement (ILR): B1 CEFR + Life in the UK Test
- 5-year route - all requirements met
- 10-year route - EX.1 exceptional circumstances OR Article 8 ECHR (e.g. UK-resident British child; insurmountable obstacles to family life abroad)
§2 - STRUCTURE (700-1,000 words)
OPENING - HOW WE MET (120-160 words)
- Specific date and place
- Common context (mutual friends, work, college, family introduction, online platform - state honestly)
- First impressions in the applicant's own words
- When the relationship transitioned from acquaintance to romantic
- Example: "I met [SPONSOR_NAME] in [city] on [date] at [event]. We were introduced by [name and relationship]. [Sponsor name] was visiting India for [reason]; I was working at [employer]. We spoke for [duration] that evening - he mentioned his work at [UK employer] and his interest in [shared interest]; I shared my work in [field]. We exchanged numbers and stayed in touch over WhatsApp and video calls (see Tab C - call logs and message extracts spanning [date] to [date])."
COURTSHIP AND COMMITMENT (150-200 words)
- Long-distance phase: communication frequency, visits between countries
- Family introductions: when, where, on whose initiative
- Engagement / commitment milestone
- Cross-reference photos, travel records, video-call logs, gift receipts
- Example: "Between [start date] and [marriage date], we communicated daily by WhatsApp and weekly by video call (Tab C). [Sponsor name] visited India twice (April 2024 - 10 days; September 2024 - 14 days) - I have included boarding passes, hotel reservations, and photos with my family (Tab D). I visited the UK in [date] on a Standard Visitor visa (Tab E) and met [sponsor's parents / siblings] over a 3-week stay."
MARRIAGE / CIVIL PARTNERSHIP / COHABITATION (120-180 words)
IF MARRIED:
- Date, venue, ceremony type ([MARRIAGE_DATE])
- Registration under applicable law (Special Marriage Act / Hindu Marriage Act / Christian Marriage Act / Muslim personal law / civil registration in UK)
- Witnesses, family present
- Reception details
- Documents: marriage certificate (Tab F), wedding photographs (Tab G), invitation cards
IF UNMARRIED PARTNER:
- Date cohabitation began
- Joint tenancy / mortgage / utility bills / bank account / insurance (N/A - married)
- Provide a clear 2-year+ timeline with at least one document per month of evidence (Appendix FM-SE strict)
LIFE TOGETHER (120-160 words)
- Current arrangement: [CURRENT_LIVING]
- How you communicate during the separation period if applicant abroad
- Shared finances: joint accounts, joint bills, money transfers between parties
- Shared decisions: home purchase plans, child planning, career discussions
- Cross-reference joint account statements, transfer records (Tab H)
- If No children non-trivial: describe the parental relationship and care arrangements
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENT (80-120 words)
- [INCOME_OR_SAVINGS]
- Whichever route used (Category A salaried, Category B salaried + variable, Category C non-employment, Category D cash savings, Category E pension, Category F self-employment):
- State the category, the source documents, the period covered
- Confirm meets minimum income GBP 29,000 (or GBP 38,700 if higher per current trajectory - VERIFY) OR cash savings GBP 88,500
- Cross-reference payslips / P60 / SA302 / bank statements / fixed-deposit certificates per Appendix FM-SE
ACCOMMODATION (60-80 words)
- Property address, type, ownership / tenancy
- Number of rooms / bedrooms
- Number of occupants (any children, lodgers, family)
- Confirm not overcrowded under Housing Act 1985 (broadly: each adult couple + each child requires defined sleeping space)
- Cross-reference title deed / tenancy agreement (Tab I); property inspection report by a qualified surveyor in some cases
ENGLISH LANGUAGE (40-60 words)
- [ENGLISH_PROOF]
- Confirm level: A1 for initial entry, A2 for first extension, B1 for ILR
- Cross-reference test certificate / nationality exemption / degree + ENIC (Tab J)
INTENTION TO LIVE TOGETHER (60-80 words)
- State explicitly: "[APPLICANT_NAME] and [SPONSOR_NAME] intend to live together permanently in the UK at [address]."
- Sponsor's UK employment and ties (Tab K)
- Applicant's wind-down plan in home country (resignation, lease termination, etc.)
- If applicable, applicant's plans for UK employment subject to leave conditions
CLOSING (40-60 words)
- Joint signature line (or applicant signature + sponsor counter-signature)
- Date, location
- "We confirm this statement is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge and that we are in a genuine and subsisting relationship."
§3 - WHAT NEVER TO WRITE
- "Our relationship is genuine and subsisting" as a bare assertion - SHOW it through evidence, do not just claim it
- "We have known each other forever" - vague
- "It was love at first sight" - cliched and unprovable
- Round numbers ("about 50 photos", "many calls per week") - state exact counts where possible (Tab references)
- Anything contradicting the marriage / cohabitation evidence (e.g. claiming you met in 2022 if your earliest cohab evidence is from 2024)
- "I cannot live without [sponsor name]" - emotional plea; replace with concrete commitment evidence
§4 - WHAT TO ALWAYS INCLUDE
- "Appendix FM" with paragraph numbers (E-LTRP / E-ECP / S-LTRP, EX.1, FIN ...) at least three times
- Specific dates - never "we met in 2023" but "we met on 14 December 2023"
- The phrase "genuine and subsisting" once - then SHOW it
- Cross-references to at least eight document tabs in the bundle
- The minimum income / savings threshold figure (GBP 29,000 / GBP 88,500) explicitly
§5 - SPONSOR STATEMENT (separate document, cross-reference here)
- Sponsor [SPONSOR_NAME] must provide a separate statement confirming the relationship, the financial undertaking, accommodation availability, and intention to support the applicant without recourse to public funds
- Sponsor statement length: 400-600 words
- Sponsor signs separately
§6 - INDIAN-CONTEXT NUANCES
- Hindu / Muslim / Christian / Sikh marriage rituals - describe briefly so the UKVI caseworker (often unfamiliar) can place the ceremony in context
- Registration vs religious ceremony: in India, religious ceremony alone is binding (Hindu Marriage Act registered or unregistered) BUT UKVI prefers a civil registration certificate; if only religious, include religious certificate + a notarised affidavit
- Joint family living arrangements: if either party has lived with extended family pre-marriage, note this so it explains any "delay" in cohabitation
- Dowry: do NOT mention dowry in the statement (legally banned in India under Dowry Prohibition Act 1961; immaterial to UKVI; may attract negative inference)
- Arranged-marriage origins: state honestly - "introduced through family" is acceptable and well-understood by UKVI; do not over-romanticise
§7 - OUTPUT
Draft the full relationship statement to 700-1,000 words in first-person sincere tone (or joint first-person plural where appropriate). Use clear paragraph breaks with sub-headings. No bullet points in the final statement (UKVI prefers prose). Sign off jointly where possible, otherwise applicant + sponsor counter-signature.
End with: "DRAFT - for OISC-regulated adviser or solicitor review. Verify against current UKVI guidance before submission."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt