UK Spouse Visa from Bangladesh 2026: Income, English, Documents, Appeals and ILR

UK spouse visa from Bangladesh: the 2026 position

A UK spouse visa from Bangladesh is granted under Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules, and it is won or lost on evidence. The British or settled sponsor must usually show a gross income of at least £29,000, the applicant must pass an approved A1 English test, a Home Office-approved clinic in Bangladesh must clear the applicant of tuberculosis, and the nikah nama must prove a valid, genuine marriage in a form a UK caseworker can verify. Fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge add more than £5,000 before a single document is translated.[1] [2]

This guide is written for Bangladeshi applicants and their sponsors in the UK in October 2026, and for Bangladeshi spouses already in the UK who are planning their nikah nama, extension and settlement evidence. It covers the partner route requirements, the minimum income requirement and the Migration Advisory Committee review, the English language ladder from A1 to B1 and the B2 rule arriving in March 2027, TB testing, applying through the Dhaka and Sylhet centres, fees, Bangladeshi marriage documents, refusals and appeals, and the road to indefinite leave to remain, including where the government's "earned settlement" plans now stand.

Summary: A spouse or partner of a British citizen or settled person applies online from Bangladesh, gives biometrics at a visa application centre and usually receives a decision within 12 weeks. If granted, the first permission lasts up to 2 years and 9 months, an extension adds 2 years and 6 months, and after 5 years on the route the applicant can apply for indefinite leave to remain. The application fee from outside the UK is £2,064 and the health surcharge for the first grant is £3,105 per adult.

Key point: The five-year route to settlement for partners is still the law in October 2026. The Home Secretary told MPs on 15 September 2026 that the post-consultation earned settlement policy will be set out later this year, and the government has said since May 2025 that partners of British citizens will keep a five-year path. What has already been legislated is tougher English: settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 need B2, not B1.

At a glance

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Table of Contents

How the UK spouse visa from Bangladesh works under Appendix FM

The spouse visa is the partner category of Appendix FM, the family appendix to the Immigration Rules. An applicant in Bangladesh applies for entry clearance as a partner. The sponsor must be a British citizen in the UK, a person present and settled in the UK, a person with protection status, a person with limited leave under Appendix EU, or one of a small number of other categories.[2] Most Bangladeshi applicants are joining a British citizen or a person with indefinite leave to remain, which is the case this guide addresses.

The same route covers husbands, wives, civil partners, unmarried partners who have lived together for at least two years, and fiancés. A fiancé or proposed civil partner is admitted for 6 months to marry in the UK, cannot work during that time, and must then apply in the UK to switch to spouse permission.[1] Most Bangladeshi couples marry in Bangladesh first, because a registered nikah nama gives the cleanest evidence of the relationship and avoids a second application fee.

The eligibility rules in Appendix FM

Section E-ECP sets out what the applicant must prove. Both parties must be 18 or over at the date of application, must not be within the prohibited degrees of relationship and must have met in person. The relationship must be genuine and subsisting; if the couple is married, the marriage must be valid; any previous relationship of either party must have broken down permanently; and the couple must intend to live together permanently in the UK.[2] On top of those relationship rules sit the financial requirement, the adequate accommodation requirement and the English language requirement.[2]

Every application must also pass Part Suitability, which covers criminality, deception and previous immigration breaches.[2] A previous UK overstay, an undisclosed refusal or a false document in an earlier visit or student application is, in our experience, among the factors that most often sink an otherwise strong Bangladeshi spouse case.

Length of permission and the five-year clock

A successful applicant from outside the UK receives permission for up to 2 years and 9 months. Before it expires, the applicant applies in the UK to extend for a further 2 years and 6 months, and can then apply for settlement once 5 years have been spent continuously in the UK as a partner. Time spent as a fiancé does not count.[1] Approved applicants now receive an eVisa, a digital record of status accessed through a UKVI account, rather than a residence card.[1]

The minimum income requirement in 2026

The sponsor must show a specified gross annual income of at least £29,000, or specified savings, or a combination of the two.[2] The threshold was £18,600 from 2012 until 11 April 2024. Couples whose first partner application was made before 11 April 2024 continue to need £18,600 plus £3,800 for the first non-exempt child and £2,400 for each additional child when they extend with the same partner; first-time applicants since that date face the £29,000 figure, with no separate child supplement.[1]

Whose income counts

At the entry clearance stage, the income that counts is essentially the sponsor's: specified UK employment or self-employment, pension income of either party, certain other income such as rental income or dividends, and specified savings of either party.[2] The applicant's salary from a job in Dhaka does not count towards the £29,000 on the first application. Employment income is assessed over 6 or 12 months of payslips and bank statements depending on how long the sponsor has worked for the current employer.[3]

Many sponsors of Bangladeshi spouses are British citizens who have been living in Bangladesh themselves. Appendix FM-SE allows a returning sponsor to rely on salaried employment outside the UK held for at least 6 months, provided the sponsor also has a UK job starting within 3 months of return; both the overseas salary and the UK salary must meet the threshold.[3] A sponsor working in Bangladesh should secure the UK offer letter before the application is lodged, not after.

Using savings instead of income

Savings can fill a shortfall. The rule requires £16,000 plus 2.5 times the gap between the income relied on and £29,000.[2] A couple relying on savings alone therefore needs £88,500. The money must have been held in the name of the applicant, the partner or both for at least 6 months before the application, and funds moved from investments within that period must meet additional conditions.[3] Money transferred from relatives in Bangladesh a few weeks before applying will not count, however large the sum.

Benefits, accommodation and exceptional circumstances

The income threshold does not apply where the sponsor receives a listed disability or carer's benefit, such as Personal Independence Payment, Carer's Allowance or Attendance Allowance; the couple must instead show adequate maintenance.[1] Every applicant must also show adequate accommodation, owned or occupied exclusively by the family, that will not be overcrowded and does not breach public health rules.[2]

Where the financial requirement is not met from the specified sources, paragraph GEN.3.1 requires the decision-maker to consider other credible sources of support if refusal could result in unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant, the partner or a relevant child.[2] A grant on that basis puts the applicant on a 10-year route to settlement rather than 5.[1]

The MAC review and what happened next

In September 2024 the Home Secretary commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to review the financial requirements, and it reported on 10 June 2025. The MAC did not recommend a single figure. It said that measures focused on a family's ability to support itself fall in a range of £19,000 to £28,000 for the sponsor alone, that several such measures, including full-time work at the National Living Wage, cluster between £23,000 and £25,000, and that the government should consider counting the applicant's own income from the entry stage.[5]

Sixteen months later, the threshold remains £29,000.[1] On 15 September 2026 the Home Secretary told the Home Affairs Committee that work is under way to rationalise the family routes and that it will take account of the MAC's findings.[8] No reduction has been announced. Couples who can meet £29,000 today should apply on today's rules rather than wait for a change that has no date.

English language for a UK spouse visa from Bangladesh: A1, A2 and B1

The partner route uses a ladder of English requirements, all in speaking and listening. On the first application the applicant must pass an approved Secure English Language Test at a minimum of CEFR level A1, or hold a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree taught in English and confirmed by the Home Office's qualification and language assessments provider.[2] Bangladesh is not on the list of majority English-speaking countries, so nationality alone is never enough.[1]

At the 2.5-year extension, an applicant who passed A1 must pass at least A2. A test at A2 or higher taken for the first visa can be reused if the certificate has not been withdrawn. For settlement the applicant needs B1, and a B1 or higher result obtained at the entry stage can be reused at that point if it remains on the approved list.[1] Exemptions are limited to applicants aged 65 or over, those with a disability that prevents them meeting the requirement, and exceptional circumstances that prevent the applicant from meeting it before entry.[2]

B2 for settlement from 26 March 2027

The ladder will get a higher top rung. Under Appendix KoLL, a settlement applicant applying on or after 26 March 2027 must pass a speaking and listening test at B2, taken no more than two years before the application, rather than B1.[9] The change follows the May 2025 White Paper, which promised progression to A2 for extensions and B2 for settlement.[6] A Bangladeshi spouse who reaches five years on the route and applies before that date can still qualify at B1, which in practice means those whose partner permission began before late March 2022. Everyone else should plan for B2, and the practical advice is to take a B1 or higher test at entry instead of the bare A1 minimum.

Choosing a test in Bangladesh

Only a test on the Home Office approved list, taken at an approved centre, counts. Outside the UK the approved providers are PSI Services, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson, and the approved tests include IELTS Life Skills, PTE Home and Skills for English UKVI.[17] For a UK spouse visa from Bangladesh, check that the specific test and level appear on the official list before booking, because a general academic test sat at the wrong centre will not satisfy Appendix FM, however good the score.

The TB test in Bangladesh

Every UK spouse visa from Bangladesh needs a TB certificate. Anyone coming to the UK for six months or more who has lived in Bangladesh for six months or more must include a tuberculosis certificate from a Home Office-approved clinic; the Home Office will not accept a certificate from any other clinic.[10] Adults have a chest X-ray, with further investigation where the result needs it, and children are usually assessed by questionnaire and physical examination.[10]

The approved clinics in Bangladesh are Green Crescent Health Services and the IOM Migration Health Assessment Center in Dhaka, Green Crescent MediLab and the IOM Migration Health Assessment Clinic in Sylhet, and Green Crescent Medical Diagnostic in Agrabad, Chattogram.[10] The Green Crescent clinics list fees of Tk 5,500 for applicants aged 11 and over, Tk 3,500 for younger children and Tk 14,000 for further investigation; IOM charges in taka at its official dollar exchange rate. Fees are not refundable if the visa is refused.[10] Clinics ask for photo identification such as a passport, a photocopy of it and any previous chest X-ray reports.[10]

Bangladeshi marriage documents for a UK spouse visa from Bangladesh

Appendix FM requires a valid marriage, "as specified", and the nikah nama, also called the kabin nama, is the core document for Muslim couples.[2] Under the Muslim Marriages and Divorces (Registration) Act 1974, a Nikah Registrar who solemnises a marriage must register it at once; where someone else solemnises it, the bridegroom must report it to the Nikah Registrar within 30 days, and failure is an offence.[14] Section 9 entitles the parties to an attested copy of the register entry free of charge.[14]

Our detailed guide to marriage registration in Bangladesh covers the kazi process, Hindu and Special Marriage Act registrations, the new certificate forms and the e-Apostille service. For the UK application, three points matter most.

Translation that meets paragraph 39B

The nikah nama is written in Bangla, so the applicant must provide the original and a full English translation that UKVI can independently verify. Paragraph 39B of the Immigration Rules requires the translation to be dated and to include confirmation that it is accurate, the translator's full name and signature, and the translator's or company's contact details.[4] For the later in-country extension and ILR applications, it must also be certified by a qualified translator with details of credentials.[4] Commission one translation that meets the stricter standard and reuse it.

Consistency and verification

Specified documents may be originals or copies, but they must carry full contact details so that each can be verified, and a document the Home Office cannot verify will be discounted.[4] Names, dates of birth and addresses on the nikah nama, the NID, the birth certificate and the passport should match. Where they do not, correct the record in Bangladesh before applying, or explain the discrepancy with evidence. A false or altered document is a suitability problem under Part Suitability, not a technicality.[2]

Previous marriages, talaq and polygamy

Any earlier marriage of either party must have ended. For a Muslim divorce in Bangladesh, section 7 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 requires written notice of talaq to the Chairman, with a copy to the wife, and the talaq takes effect only 90 days after the notice is delivered.[15] A talaq certificate issued without that process is a weak foundation for a UK application. Our guides to Muslim divorce procedure in Bangladesh and Muslim divorce and family law explain how to regularise an earlier divorce.

A second marriage contracted while a first subsists requires the Arbitration Council's prior written permission under section 6 of the 1961 Ordinance.[15] Even where Bangladeshi law is satisfied, polygamous marriages are subject to separate restrictions in the Immigration Rules, which Appendix FM cross-refers to in its rule on previous relationships, and they need specific advice before any application.[2]

Evidence that the relationship is genuine

For an arranged marriage, which is common and entirely lawful, the decision-maker will look at how and when the couple met, contact since the wedding, visits, and financial support. The family visa guide lists evidence such as communication records, financial support and time spent together, and prefers documents from official or institutional sources that are less than four years old.[1] Wedding photographs and the nikah nama help, but call logs, remittance receipts and the sponsor's travel history to Bangladesh do more.

Applying from Dhaka or Sylhet: processing, fees and the health surcharge

The application is made online from outside the UK on the Appendix FM partner form. The applicant then provides fingerprints and a photograph at a visa application centre.[1] In Bangladesh the centres are run by the Home Office's commercial partner VFS Global, with established centres in Gulshan, Dhaka, and in Sylhet.[16] Applicants in Chattogram and elsewhere should check the current VFS Bangladesh centre list and appointment availability when they book, since centre locations and premium services change over time.

Processing times

The published standard for a partner application made outside the UK is a decision within 12 weeks.[1] Where the priority service is offered, it costs £500 on top of the application fee.[11] Cases involving document verification, an interview or questions about previous immigration history routinely take longer, so the sponsor should not book flights or give notice on a tenancy until the decision arrives.

What it costs in 2026

The Home Office fees table effective from 8 October 2026 fixes the fee for a partner application from outside the UK at £2,064, and the in-country extension at £1,407.[11] The Immigration Health Surcharge for each adult is £3,105 for a grant of 2 years and 9 months and £2,587.50 for a grant of 2 years and 6 months, with lower rates for children.[1] Settlement then costs £3,226 per person and the Life in the UK Test £50.[11]

On those figures, an adult on the five-year route pays £5,169 to enter, £3,994.50 to extend and £3,276 to settle: about £12,440 in government charges alone, before English tests, the TB certificate, translations and any priority service. The table summarises the main stages.

The sequence we recommend for a first-time application is set out below.

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Refusals, administrative review and appeals

Most refusals of a UK spouse visa from Bangladesh fall into a small number of patterns: financial evidence that does not match the specified documents, an English test that is not on the approved list, doubts about whether the relationship is genuine, unexplained inconsistencies in civil documents, and suitability issues from earlier UK applications. Each is avoidable with preparation against the Appendix FM requirements, and each is far cheaper to prevent than to appeal.

The right of appeal

A refusal of a partner application is normally a refusal of a human rights claim based on Article 8, which carries a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). The decision letter states whether there is a right of appeal or only administrative review.[12] An applicant outside the UK has 28 days from receiving the decision to appeal; in the UK the period is 14 days. The tribunal fee is £82 for a decision on the papers and £144 with a hearing.[12] Administrative review, where it applies instead, costs £80.[11]

On appeal the question is whether refusal breaches the right to family life. In practice, showing that the rules are met is the strongest evidence, and paragraph GEN.3.2 requires the decision-maker to consider whether refusal would cause unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant, the partner, a relevant child or another affected family member.[2] A sponsor whose income has since passed £29,000 may still face a choice between appealing and simply reapplying.

Appeal or reapply?

Reapplying is usually faster where the refusal turned on a missing document that can now be supplied. Appealing is usually right where the refusal rests on a finding that the marriage is not genuine, because that finding will follow the couple into every later application unless it is overturned. Either way, read the refusal line by line and answer each reason with evidence. Where the applicant has family elsewhere, compare routes; our overview of US immigration from Bangladesh covers the American alternatives for families with ties in both countries.

Indefinite leave to remain after a UK spouse visa from Bangladesh

Indefinite leave to remain, or settlement, gives the right to live, work and study in the UK without time limit and is the gateway to British citizenship. A partner on the five-year route can apply after completing 60 months of continuous residence in the UK with permission as a partner, counting only periods with the same partner and excluding any time as a fiancé.[2] The earliest application date is 28 days before the qualifying period is complete; an application made earlier may be refused.[13]

What an indefinite leave to remain application must show

The applicant must still meet the partner requirements, including a genuine and subsisting relationship and the financial requirement.[2] At this stage the couple's combined income counts, so the Bangladeshi spouse's UK earnings help. Those whose partner route began before 11 April 2024 need £18,600 plus any child amounts; later entrants need £29,000.[13] The applicant must also pass the Life in the UK Test and prove English at B1 in speaking and listening, or hold a degree taught or researched in English.[13]

The fee is £3,226 for each person and a decision usually takes up to 6 months from the biometric appointment.[13] An applicant who meets every requirement except English or Life in the UK is not refused outright; the rules grant a further 30 months of limited leave instead.[2] That safety net costs another fee and surcharge, so it should be a fallback, not a plan.

The Life in the UK Test

The test is taken at an approved centre in the UK and costs £50.[11] Appendix KoLL makes a pass a condition of settlement on the partner route, and there is no reason to leave it until the last month of the five years.[9]

The 10-year route and other paths to settlement

A partner granted under the exceptional circumstances provisions because the financial or English requirements were not met is on a 10-year route.[1] The earliest such a partner can settle is after 10 years in the UK.[1] Separate settlement provisions protect a partner whose relationship ended because of domestic abuse or whose partner has died.[13]

From residence permits to eVisas, and on to citizenship

Older Bangladeshi migrants will remember the biometric residence permit as proof of status. Status is now held as an eVisa, and an expired BRP can be used only for limited purposes until 31 December 2026 at the latest.[1] Once ILR is granted, the spouse of a British citizen can move on to naturalisation, for which the Home Office fee is £1,709.[11] Spouses granted indefinite leave to remain should consider citizenship promptly, given the policy changes now in preparation.

Earned settlement: what has and has not changed by October 2026

The White Paper of 12 May 2025, "Restoring control over the immigration system", announced that the standard qualifying period for settlement would rise from five years to ten, with an "earned settlement" model allowing reductions for contribution.[6] The same paper committed to keep a shorter, five-year pathway for non-UK dependants of British citizens, provided they remain compliant.[6]

On 20 November 2025 the Home Secretary opened a consultation on the model. She said that, not subject to consultation, "the partners of British citizens will continue to qualify at 5 years, as today", while proposals such as 15 or 20 years for those who had claimed benefits were consulted on.[7] The consultation closed in February 2026 with more than 200,000 responses.[8]

Where things stand now

None of the earned settlement proposals has been implemented. At the Home Affairs Committee on 15 September 2026, the Home Secretary said the final policy, including transitional arrangements, would be set out later in 2026 and in good time before February 2027, and that it is intended to apply to a broader group than new arrivals.[8] She gave no minimum notice period and said changes would come through a Statement of Changes in the normal way.[8]

What it means for a Bangladeshi spouse

For the spouse of a British citizen, the government's repeated statements point to five years remaining the qualifying period. The assurance is expressed in terms of partners of British citizens; the statements we have reviewed do not give the same express commitment for partners of sponsors who hold indefinite leave to remain but are not British.[6] [7] A settled sponsor who is eligible for citizenship should therefore weigh naturalising before or during the spouse's route.

Whatever the final model, the B2 English requirement from 26 March 2027 is already in the rules, and the government has said it will rationalise family routes so more of the same rules apply irrespective of the sponsor's status.[8] [9] Applicants close to five years should apply for indefinite leave to remain as soon as they become eligible, rather than wait to see how earned settlement is framed.

Practical strategy for Bangladeshi couples and UK sponsors

The couples who succeed treat the UK spouse visa from Bangladesh as a project with a long tail rather than a single form. Six points carry most cases.

• Fix the money first: confirm whether the sponsor's employment falls into the 6-month or 12-month evidence category and collect matching payslips and bank statements, or build savings that will have been held for six months by the application date.[3]
• Aim above the English minimum: a B1 or higher result at entry avoids a second test at extension and may be reusable for settlement before the 2027 change.[1]
• Clean up civil records: align names and dates across the nikah nama, NID, birth certificate and passport, and obtain the attested copy of the register entry.[14]
• Disclose everything: previous refusals, overstays and earlier marriages must be declared; non-disclosure creates suitability problems that outlast the current application.[2]
• Diary the milestones: extension before permission expires, the Life in the UK Test early, and ILR from 28 days before five years.[13]
• Watch the policy calendar: follow the earned settlement announcement expected before the end of 2026 and the B2 start date of 26 March 2027.[8] [9]

The Bangladeshi side of the file deserves the same care as the UK side. A defective talaq, an unregistered marriage or a nikah nama full of spelling errors can each delay a strong application by months. TRW's cross-border family matters team and Islamic family law practice prepare and correct Bangladeshi marriage and divorce documents for use in the UK, and work alongside the couple's UK immigration adviser so that the evidence from Dhaka matches the application made in London.

Frequently asked questions

What is the income requirement for a UK spouse visa from Bangladesh in 2026?

Under Appendix FM the sponsor must usually show gross annual income of at least £29,000, or savings of £16,000 plus 2.5 times any shortfall. Couples whose first partner application was made before 11 April 2024 still need £18,600 on extension.[1] [2]

Has the £29,000 threshold been reduced after the MAC review?

No. The MAC reported in June 2025 without recommending a single figure, and the threshold remains £29,000 in October 2026 while the government reviews the family routes.[5] [8]

Can my income in Bangladesh count towards the requirement?

Not on the first application, where the sponsor's income is what counts. A British sponsor working in Bangladesh can rely on overseas salary if returning to a UK job that starts within 3 months, and the applicant's own UK earnings count at extension and settlement.[2] [3]

What English level do I need?

A1 in speaking and listening for the first visa, A2 for the extension and B1 for settlement. Settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 need B2.[1] [9]

Where can I take the TB test in Bangladesh?

Only at a Home Office-approved clinic: Green Crescent and IOM clinics in Dhaka and Sylhet, and Green Crescent Medical Diagnostic in Chattogram. Green Crescent charges Tk 5,500 for applicants aged 11 and over.[10]

How long does a spouse visa decision take from Bangladesh?

The published standard is 12 weeks. A priority service, where available, costs an extra £500.[1] [11]

Does my nikah nama need an English translation?

Yes. Provide the original and a dated translation confirming accuracy, with the translator's name, signature and contact details; in-country applications also need certification by a qualified translator.[4]

Can I appeal a refusal?

Usually, because a partner refusal is normally a refusal of a human rights claim. From outside the UK the appeal must be lodged within 28 days; the fee is £82 on the papers or £144 with a hearing.[12]

Will spouses have to wait 10 years for ILR?

Not under the current rules. The earned settlement proposals are not yet law, and the government has said partners of British citizens will continue to qualify at five years. The final policy is due later in 2026.[7] [8]

How much does indefinite leave to remain cost?

£3,226 per person, plus £50 for the Life in the UK Test and the cost of an English test where one is needed.[11] [13]