What is Appendix FM?

Appendix FM is the part of the UK Immigration Rules that sets the requirements for family visas. It covers partners, children and parents of children in the UK whose family member is a British citizen, is settled or has certain other status. It also reflects how Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights is applied.

How Appendix FM works

Appendix FM is the route in the Immigration Rules for people who want to enter or remain in the UK on the basis of family life. The person they join must be a British citizen, settled in the UK, in the UK with protection status or in one of the other listed categories. These include limited leave under Appendix EU and permission as a stateless person.^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members} The Appendix says that it reflects how Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to respect for private and family life, is balanced against the public interest. It also takes account of the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members} See Article 8 for the human rights background.

It is the legal basis for most family and partner visas. The GOV.UK family visa guide describes the visas that apply under it. You can apply to live with a spouse or partner, a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, a child, a parent or a relative who will give long-term care.^{[2]Home Office, Family visas: apply, extend or switch}

For a partner, the Appendix defines “partner” as a spouse, civil partner, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, or an unmarried partner who has been in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years before the date of application.^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members}

The structure of Appendix FM

The Appendix is organised in sections, each with a code. Most routes follow the same pattern: requirements (R), eligibility (E) and decision (D).^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members}

Several sections that once sat in the Appendix now show as deleted. These include the adult dependent relative, bereaved partner and domestic abuse settlement sections.^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members} Adult dependent relatives are now covered by Appendix Adult Dependent Relative, which replaced the Appendix FM provisions from 1 June 2023.^{[4]UK Visas and Immigration, Family Migration: Appendix FM and Adult Dependent Relative - Adequate maintenance and accommodation (caseworker guidance, version 13.0)} The adult dependent relative page explains that route.

What the eligibility sections test

The partner sections test the following, among other things:^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members}

• the relationship, including whether it is genuine and subsisting
• the financial requirement, which is the minimum income requirement for most applicants
• adequate accommodation for the family
• English language, through a test, a degree, nationality of a listed country or an exemption
• suitability, through Part Suitability of the Rules

“Specified” evidence means evidence set out in Appendix FM-SE.^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members}

Length of leave and routes to settlement

Entry clearance as a partner is granted for an initial period not exceeding 33 months. Leave to remain as a partner is granted for a period not exceeding 30 months.^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members} GOV.UK describes the same periods as up to 2 years and 9 months, then a further 2 years and 6 months on extension.^{[2]Home Office, Family visas: apply, extend or switch}

The Appendix settlement section requires 5 years of continuous residence with entry clearance or leave as a partner.^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members} A person who qualifies on a 10-year basis must meet the requirements of Appendix Settlement Family Life instead.^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members} The Home Office guidance explains that all eligibility requirements must be met for the 5-year route. A person can qualify on a 10-year route if they rely on other sources of income under exceptional circumstances, qualify for an exception under paragraph EX.1, or there are exceptional circumstances under paragraph GEN.3.2.^{[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Family life (as a partner or parent) and exceptional circumstances (caseworker guidance)} The five-year and ten-year partner routes are compared in a separate entry.

Example

Chidi is a Nigerian national. He is married to Helen, a British citizen living in the UK. He applies from abroad.

• His application is under the entry clearance partner sections: EC-P, E-ECP and D-ECP.
• If he meets the requirements, the decision paragraph D-ECP.1.1 provides for an initial period of up to 33 months.
• To extend from inside the UK he would use the leave to remain sections R-LTRP, E-LTRP and D-LTRP.
• The income test he would read is E-ECP.3.1 for the first application and E-LTRP.3.1 for the extension.

The code tells him where he is. E-LTRP.3.1 is Eligibility (E), for limited leave to remain (LTR) as a partner (P), financial section (3), paragraph 1. The Rules and thresholds change, so a current copy should always be checked.^{[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members}

What people get wrong

Appendix FM is not the route for every person with a family member in the UK. GOV.UK says you cannot apply for a family visa if your family member is in the UK temporarily on a work visa or student visa. You can apply to stay with them as a dependant instead.

A second consequence concerns people already in the UK. GOV.UK says that if you have permission as a visitor, or a visa for 6 months or less, you will usually need to leave the UK to apply for a family visa. It lists exceptions, such as a 6-month family visa as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner.^{[2]Home Office, Family visas: apply, extend or switch}

The bottom line

Appendix FM is the rulebook for most UK family visas. It sets who can sponsor, what the applicant must prove, how long leave lasts and when settlement is possible. Reading it means following the paragraph codes from the requirement section to the eligibility section and then to the decision paragraph. The evidence rules sit in a separate appendix, Appendix FM-SE.