Spouse and partner visas in 2026: income rules, fees and processing times in the UK, Canada, Australia, US, Germany, UAE and NZ
Bringing a husband, wife or partner to live with you is one of the most common reasons people migrate, and it is also one of the slowest and most document-heavy. Rules differ widely: some countries test your income, some your language, and almost all test whether the relationship is genuine. This guide compares seven destinations. Treat processing times as rough, since they change monthly.
At a glance
| Income or sponsor test | Language | Government fee (reported) | Typical wait | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | GBP 29,000 a year combined (lower for some existing applicants) | English A1 at entry | GBP 2,064 outside UK; GBP 1,407 inside UK; plus health surcharge | Usually within 12 weeks outside the UK |
| Canada | Sponsor must be a citizen or PR, with no defaulted sponsorship or benefits | None found in the pages we read | CAD 1,260 in total on the IRCC fee list | Roughly 17 months outside Canada and 27 inside Canada in one August 2026 summary |
| Australia | Sponsor must be a citizen, PR or eligible NZ citizen | None found for the first stage | AUD 9,365 for both stages (one law-firm source, May 2026) | Offshore 21 to 32 months, onshore 22 to 30 months (one October 2026 estimate) |
| USA | Sponsor files an I-864 affidavit of support | None | Not confirmed on a current official page | Very uncertain, from about 1 to 5 years depending on the route |
| Germany | Housing and income to support the family | A1 German, with exceptions | Visa EUR 75 and residence permit EUR 100 (law-firm sources) | Official 1 to 3 months; 6 to 9 months in practice |
| UAE | Salary AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation | None found | About AED 3,500 to 7,000 per person (one source) | About 2 to 3 weeks (one source) |
| New Zealand | Both partners 18+, genuine stable relationship | Not covered | From NZD 5,360 (one source) | About 7 months for 80% in one source |
United Kingdom
- Who qualifies: both partners are 18 or over, the sponsor is British, Irish or settled, and you are married, in a civil partnership, or have lived together for two years. There is a fiancé(e) route if you will marry within six months of arrival.
- Income: GBP 29,000 a year combined. People who first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending need GBP 18,600. Children add GBP 3,800 for the first and GBP 2,400 for each further child, with the total capped at GBP 29,000. A planned rise to GBP 38,700 was paused, and a review by the Migration Advisory Committee was pending. We could not verify whether the government has acted on its report, so check GOV.UK.
- Savings: one law firm gives a savings formula of (shortfall x 2.5) + GBP 16,000, held for six months. This isn't shown on the official page we read.
- English: A1 for entry clearance, A2 at extension, B1 plus the Life in the UK test for settlement.
- Fees: GBP 2,064 outside the UK and GBP 1,407 inside. The health surcharge is GBP 2,587.50 for an adult on a 2 years 6 months visa and GBP 3,880 for a child on a 5-year visa.
- Settlement: a 5-year route is available. Proposals to lengthen settlement are under consultation, so read our UK earned settlement explainer.
- Common refusal reasons (law-firm sources): income evidence not meeting the rules (payslips and bank statements not matching, savings not held long enough), doubt the relationship is genuine, and missing English evidence.
Canada
- Sponsor: a citizen or permanent resident who is not bankrupt, not on social assistance (except for disability) and has no defaulted sponsorship.
- Fees (IRCC): CAD 1,260 in total including the right of permanent residence fee, or CAD 660 without it. Dependent children are CAD 180 each.
- Undertaking: three years from the day your spouse becomes a permanent resident, and it cannot be cancelled by separation. For a dependent child under 22 it is 10 years or until the child turns 25.
- Open work permit: available to an in-Canada spouse who lives with the sponsor and has valid temporary status, once the PR application is confirmed complete.
- Processing: one August 2026 summary says about 27 months inside Canada and 17 months outside, and another says 26 and 16. Use the IRCC tool.
Australia
- Stages: a temporary partner visa (820 onshore or 309 offshore), followed by the permanent stage (801 or 100). Both are covered by one application charge.
- Evidence: four areas: financial aspects, household, social recognition and commitment, backed by Form 888 statements from friends and family.
- Limits: a sponsor can generally sponsor only two partners in a lifetime, with a five-year gap, according to a law-firm source.
- If the relationship ends: the application can sometimes continue if the sponsor dies, in cases of family violence, or where you share a child.
- Fee and timing: AUD 9,365 as of May 2026 and annual indexation on 1 July, which we could not confirm. Processing estimates differ between sources.
United States
- IR-1 and CR-1: a marriage under two years old at entry gives a conditional (CR) green card, with a joint petition to remove conditions before the second anniversary. Marriages over two years old give an IR visa.
- K-1 fiancé(e) visa: you must have met in person in the last two years and marry within 90 days. A K-1 does not allow you to marry abroad first.
- 2026 uncertainty: the State Department paused immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries from 21 January 2026, with limited exceptions, and its current status was not confirmed. A travel ban also applied from 1 January 2026 to 39 countries. Check travel.state.gov for your nationality.
- Fees and times: the USCIS pages we could read were out of date, and processing-time figures in law-firm sources differ a lot, so we do not quote them.
Germany
- A1 German (all four skills) before arrival, with exceptions: illness or disability, hardship, a sponsor with a Blue Card or similar skilled permit, and nationals of countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK and the US.
- Money and housing: proof of income and suitable housing, and health insurance. A figure of EUR 1,027 a month per adult is quoted by one source but we did not confirm it officially.
- Work: the spouse can generally work from the start.
United Arab Emirates
The u.ae site gives a minimum monthly salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. A registered tenancy contract is required. One source says the sponsor of a husband in Dubai may need AED 10,000 and that sponsoring parents requires AED 20,000 plus a deposit. Spouse work rights were not confirmed.
New Zealand
Both partners must be 18 or over, and the relationship must be genuine and stable. Residence-class partner visas need 12 months of living together. From 25 September 2026, an announcement says only evidence from after both partners turned 18 counts. Fees and wait times vary between sources.
Proving a genuine relationship
- Be consistent. Dates, addresses and stories must match across forms, statements and interviews.
- Show shared life: joint lease or mortgage, shared accounts and bills, photos over time, messages, travel together and statements from people who know you.
- Explain gaps in cohabitation, name changes and past relationships.
- Passport stamps alone are weak evidence.
If something goes wrong
The sponsor's obligations can outlast the relationship (Canada's three-year undertaking is one example), and a relationship breakdown can end your status. Read the specific rules, and get advice before a separation.
Related guides
Tourist, visitor and transit visas, visa refusals and appeals and apostille and document legalisation.
Sources
- GOV.UK: UK family visa
- GOV.UK: proof of income for partner visas
- GOV.UK: English language requirement for family members
- Davidson Morris: spouse visa UK salary
- IRCC: fees
- Canada.ca: sponsorship undertaking
- Immigration2Canada: spousal sponsorship processing, August 2026
- Home Affairs: about partner visas
- One Planet Migration Law: partner visa guide 2026
- Visa Envoy: partner visa processing times
- Travel.State.Gov: immigrant visa for a spouse
- Mintz: State Department suspends immigrant visa processing
- Business Standard: Germany spouse visa explained
- The Local: German language requirements for family reunification
- u.ae: sponsorship requirements for family residence visas
- Immigration New Zealand: partnership visas news
- Envoy Global: NZ partnership visa changes
Figures were gathered in October 2026 from government, university, law-firm and education-site pages. Several official pages could not be read directly, many figures come from a single secondary source, and where sources disagreed we say so. Fees, thresholds and processing times change often, so confirm everything on the official site before you apply. Visa Ray is a rule-based reference tool, not a law firm. You can run a free assessment on Visa Ray for your own profile.
