Spouse visa responsibilities (urgent)

Hi,

Im uk citizen and my spouse wants to change her visa to the spouse visa. What are my responsibilities as her sponsor. If my spouse gets debt and then leaves the uk will i be responsible to pay, also if she doesnt pay any fees would i be responsible to pay.

JoshuaJosh wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 11, 2024 3:37 pm

Hi,

Im uk citizen and my spouse wants to change her visa to the spouse visa. What are my responsibilities as her sponsor. If my spouse gets debt and then leaves the uk will i be responsible to pay, also if she doesnt pay any fees would i be responsible to pay.

What is her current visa?

Your financial responsibilities vis-a-vis your spouse are not overseen by the Home Office.
It depends, if you have joint agreements, Loan Accounts, Joint Credit Cards, then you both are responsible, or if one person is gone AWOL the other is responsible.

What fees are you thinking of? Visa Fees, English/LITUK fees?
Those are the responsibility of the applicant, your spouse in this case. Of course you can share the fees, or gift her the fees. No issue.

Which category of visa does your spouse currently have?

My spouse currently has and is in the UK on a PSW. We had a civil partnership here in the uk. And fees such as NHS or others.

So if we dont open any joint accounts, or take out loans in both our names, if my partner goes AWOL, racks up a bunch of debt and then leaves the UK, it wont land on me?

Not really the place for financial advice…
Just my guess but lenders might try and pursue you. Certainly for credit cards the main cardholder is responsible.
But, wouldn’t it be better to arrange financial affairs upfront?
Just a thought….

If you are this concerned, worried, bothered about financial matters as relates to spouse, it will be in your best interest to put such affairs in good order.
Seek/check for where to get the needed guidance, here is for immigration matters.

If you are already in a civil partnership you are jointly linked in law regardless of the immigration status. If you look at credit agencies and how they treat co habitation you may well see that you are already linked in their systems. Thus by default if your partner / spouse / cohabitant amasses a negative credit history you get linked while you like it or not. If they leave you / the address you can inform the credit agencies of the position but it takes time and effort to repair your credit history.

Debt is not (usually) recoverable from a party that has not agreed or signed the loan, credit or borrowing agreement - however if the party that has incurred the debt shares joint assets then the lender can seek recovery through those assets.