Do I need to include a Cover Letter with my UK Spouse or Partner Visa Application?

Although it is not an official requirement to provide one, It is still frequently debated on internet forums and social media channels whether a Cover letter should be included in a UK Visa application.

Cover letters are usually written by Immigration professionals as part of their client’s visa application. However, applicants and/or sponsors can also write their own cover letters if they are doing the application without a legal representative managing the application on their behalf.

As mentioned above, if you choose to hire a legal representative to manage your case, it is usually included as part of their service. But if you are completing your/your partner’s application all by yourself, it is for you to decide as to whether providing a cover letter will be beneficial to your case or not.

What is the purpose of a Cover letter?

What information should I put in my Spouse/Partner Visa Cover Letter?

The primary purpose of the cover letter is to outline all the immigration rules pertaining to the visa and confirm that the applicant meets all of them. Effectively, it can act as a quick reference and/or provide further clarification for the Home Office case worker assessing the application.

Therefore, to make your cover letter effective, try to focus on the essential points that are relevant to your case. There is no benefit in sharing the entire history about you, your partner and your relationship. - These facts may be important to you, but much of it won't be of importance to the case worker with regards to assessing if you satisfy the relationship test requirement.

Briefly lay out how you meet each of the requirements for your application, including summaries of the relevant evidence you are submitting to prove it (you do not have list of every single document you will be providing).

You can also mention and address other factors about your case which you feel may be significant, and you were not able to fully explain/include on the application form.

Also, if you choose to include any important dates and figures that you have also entered on the application form, be sure that they all match to avoid any unnecessary suspicion from the case worker.
 

Should the Applicant or Sponsor write the Cover Letter?

To answer this question, it is important to highlight what the difference is between a cover letter and a letter of support from the sponsor, when it comes to a UK spouse/partner application.

Cover Letters
As already stated, a Cover letter provides a brief overview of your case and can also be used to raise and explain aspects of your specific circumstances, which you feel are important for the Home Office case worker to consider when reviewing your application.

Sponsor Letters of Support
Sponsor letters are written by the British or settled spouse/partner and should confirm that the relationship is genuine and subsisting. It must also convey that they are willingly sponsoring their partner’s application.

Invitation Letters
These are usually only applicable for visitor visa applications when there is a UK sponsor/host and they need to explain the purpose of the applicant’s trip and relevant arrangements being made, such as who is covering the travel costs and providing accommodation for the applicant etc, during their stay.

Other letters that you must provide for your application will be subject to your specific circumstances.
This particularly relates to your current financial situation and accommodation. For example, if you are relying on your sponsor’s employment income to meet the financial requirement, it is mandatory to provide a letter from their employer. Or another example is if you and your spouse/partner will be living at a property which is owned by family or friends, they would need to provide a letter to confirm that they consent to this.