If you are a Chinese citizen and you wish to come to the UK as the fiancé(e), spouse or cohabiting partner of a British Citizen or a settled person residing in the UK, or coming with you, you must first apply for a UK visa.

If you do not wish to reside in the UK, but simply want to come to the UK as a visitor, it is possible to apply for a visitor visa which would permit you to visit the UK for a maximum period of six months. If, however, you wish to settle in the UK, the path to settlement involves a five-year visa process and our guide below helps you navigate the initial visa application.

Step one – application

As with all applications for the UK partner visa, the first step in the process for individuals living in China is to submit an online visa application form on the gov.uk website. This requires the completion of a lengthy application form which has detailed questions about your background and your current circumstances. When applying for a UK partner visa, it is important that the information is filled out carefully to ensure that all responses to questions are factually correct and consistent with any evidence that may have been submitted in a previous application.

Before your application form is submitted, you will be required to identify a location to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and photo). There are 25 UK Visa Application Centres (VACs) in China located in Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Xi’an. You are free to chose where to enrol your biometrics.

Once this form has been completed and confirmed, you will be directed to pay the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. The Immigration Health Surcharge is a compulsory payment which covers access to the NHS in the UK for the duration of your visa. When both payments are made, your application will be officially submitted.

Step two – biometrics meeting

On submission, you will be given a 16-digit Unique Application Number (UAN) and be redirected to a confirmation page asking you to complete the next steps of your submission.

At this stage, you can register with VFS Global (an official partner of UK Visas and Immigration) to book your biometrics appointment. Your chosen VAC will be displayed alongside availability over a few weeks.

Most of the centres operate Monday-Friday between 9am and 3pm. Many centres offer additional premium services, such as the Gold Premium Package, which provides access to a premier lounge, SMS services and document scanning at the centre for an additional cost. Temporary Service Points (found in Wuhan, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Beijing), however, operate reduced days, hours and services and this should be taken into consideration when selecting the location.

Stage three – submitting evidence

Once your VAC has been chosen and you have selected a date and time for your appointment, you must submit supporting evidence. Regardless of which location you have chosen, there are three ways that supporting evidence can be submitted when applying for a UK partner visa:

1. The ‘Self-Service’ Option (free of charge)

This is generally the preferred method for submitting supporting evidence when applying for a UK partner visa, as it removes the need for the applicant in China to have paper copies of all the evidence. It also ensures that the applicant is satisfied that all the evidence has been uploaded in the correct format.

When using this option, you can upload your supporting documents electronically to the VFS Global online portal. All scans must be correctly uploaded before the appointment and proof of upload must be provided alongside passports and any other ancillary items are to be taken to the biometrics appointment. Usually, your passport will be retained, however, some VACs allow you to purchase a ‘keep my passport’ service for RMB 633.

2. Document Scanning Assistance at the Visa Application Centre in China (additional fee RMB 385)

This option requires you to bring paper copies of all your supporting evidence to your appointment where it will be scanned by a member of staff at the appointment centre. Whilst this may sound appealing, it requires more time to be spent at the VAC and the applicant is unable to see what documents have been scanned. Any incorrect or incomplete submissions can lead to a refusal.

3. Document Scanning Assistance in the United Kingdom (additional GBP 100)

A further option is to have the sponsoring partner or agent either post the documents to Birmingham or deliver them in person to one of the scanning hubs in Edinburgh, London or Birmingham. A specified sorting and formatting method must be followed and “neither VFS Global nor UK Visas and Immigration shall be liable in any way for any direct or indirect loss, costs or expenses arising from delay to a visa application processing or a rejection of a visa application because of a failure by the customer to comply with these document submission instructions”.

Stage four – the decision stage

The timescale for consideration will begin once your biometrics have been enrolled and your documents have been submitted. The general service standards for settlement applications indicate that a decision will be made within 12 weeks from the date that biometrics are enrolled. If, however, you wish to get a decision sooner, and you meet the criteria, you can consider purchasing a priority service which aims to provide a decision within 30 working days from the date of biometrics enrolment. This will cost an additional RMB 4843.

Once a decision has been made, you will be informed of the decision via email. If your visa application has been successful, your passport will be returned to you endorsed with an entry clearance vignette valid for entry to the UK within three months.

When you arrive in the UK, you will collect a Biometric Residence Permit which sets out your full visa details and validity to period ending 31 December 2024 from a post office closest to your residence. After 31 December 2024, your visa will be changed to a digital one and you will access this via an account.

How we can help

Our immigration solicitors have assisted with many applications for family visas from China and we have a wealth of experience navigating the tricky submission procedures.

We have also prepared guides for those applying from other countries which can be accessed here.

If you would like support in applying for a UK partner visa or some expert advice and assistance to help as you navigate your immigration journey from any country, please contact our family migration team, headed by Amna Ashraf, who will be delighted to assist.

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