10-Year Partner Route under Appendix FM
The 10-year Partner route is one of the routes to settlement under Appendix FM for people relying on family life with a qualifying partner in the UK. It is different from the standard 5-year route, and it is not an automatic fallback when a 5-year-route requirement cannot be met — the case must actually come within the relevant Appendix FM provisions.
On this page
- At a Glance
- What Is the 10-Year Route?
- 5-Year vs 10-Year
- How You Reach the 10-Year Route
- EX.1 vs Exceptional Circumstances
- Not an Automatic Fallback
- What "Exceptional" Means
- Route Length & Grants
- Settlement (ILR)
- Switching to the 5-Year Route
- Public Funds
- Route-Selection Guide
- Legal Framework
- FAQs
- How ENS Can Help
In brief
- The 10-year Partner route is one of the Appendix FM routes to settlement based on family life with a partner.
- It is different from the 5-year route.
- Failing a 5-year requirement is not an automatic fallback to the 10-year route — the case must actually come within the relevant provisions.
- Cases usually reach it through EX.1 or exceptional circumstances — the guide explains how.
At a Glance
Appendix FM provides both a 5-year and a 10-year route to settlement. This page owns the question of which route applies and why — the detailed legal tests live on the linked pages.
| Question | Source-led position |
|---|---|
| Is there a 5-year Partner route? | Yes. |
| Is there a 10-year Partner route? | Yes. |
| What normally leads to the 5-year route? | Meeting all relevant suitability and eligibility requirements. |
| Can EX.1 lead to the 10-year route? | Yes, where its requirements and the remaining applicable requirements are met. |
| Can exceptional circumstances lead to the 10-year route? | Yes, under GEN.3.2 where refusal would result in unjustifiably harsh consequences. |
| Can other credible financial sources be relevant? | Yes, through GEN.3.1 where its threshold is engaged. |
| Is the 10-year route an automatic fallback? | No. |
| Normal leave-to-remain grant | Normally up to 30 months. |
| Route to settlement | Normally 120 months (10 years) of relevant Partner permission. |
| Can someone later start the 5-year route? | The guidance expressly allows an in-country application to start the 5-year route in relevant cases if the ordinary requirements are subsequently met. |
What Is the 10-Year Partner Route?
The 10-year Partner route is not "a visa lasting 10 years." It is a route to settlement under Appendix FM. A person normally receives successive periods of limited Partner permission while progressing towards the qualifying period for settlement.
For leave to remain as a partner, the Home Office guidance says a grant under either the 5-year or the 10-year route is normally for a period not exceeding 30 months. Where permission is granted because of exceptional circumstances under GEN.3.2, the applicant will normally likewise receive 30 months' permission, with scope to qualify for settlement after 10 years.
10-year route ≠ one 10-year visa. The route normally involves successive periods of limited Partner permission before settlement eligibility is reached.
5-Year Route vs 10-Year Route
| 5-Year Partner Route | 10-Year Partner Route |
|---|---|
| Applicant meets all relevant suitability and eligibility requirements | Applicant relies on provisions allowing a grant despite the ordinary 5-year-route position |
| Standard Partner route | Alternative Appendix FM route in qualifying circumstances |
| Settlement route normally based on 60 months | Settlement route normally based on 120 months |
| EX.1 not required | EX.1 can be one basis for a 10-year-route grant |
| GEN.3.1 / GEN.3.2 not needed to satisfy the ordinary route | GEN.3.1 or GEN.3.2 may provide the relevant basis |
| Standard financial rules apply where relevant | GEN.3.1 can permit consideration of other credible and reliable financial resources where its threshold is engaged |
The Home Office approach is sequential: first consider whether the ordinary requirements are met without relying on GEN.3.1 or GEN.3.2. Where they are met, the person is granted on the 5-year route. Only if they are not met does the caseworker move on to the exceptional-circumstances provisions.
The Home Office does not begin by choosing whichever route is more convenient. It first considers whether the ordinary Partner-route requirements are met.
How Can a Partner Application Fall onto the 10-Year Route?
The guidance identifies three main ways a qualifying in-country Partner case can be granted on the 10-year route rather than the 5-year route.
Route A — GEN.3.1: other credible and reliable financial resources
A partner can qualify for the 10-year route where the relevant eligibility requirements are otherwise met, the ordinary financial requirement is not met through the usual framework, the exceptional-circumstances threshold under GEN.3.1 is engaged, and the financial requirement can then be met through qualifying other credible and reliable sources of income, financial support or funds — for example credible third-party support or the migrant partner's prospective earnings.
The guidance frames the GEN.3.1 threshold as whether refusal could breach Article 8 because it could produce unjustifiably harsh consequences; only then must other credible and reliable sources be considered.
GEN.3.1 does not make ordinary third-party support automatically acceptable. The Home Office applies a separate threshold and credibility assessment. See the UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement guide.
Route B — EX.1
A person who meets some requirements but qualifies for an exception under EX.1(a) or EX.1(b) can be considered for the 10-year Partner route. For an applicant in the UK, EX.1 can operate where certain 5-year-route eligibility requirements — concerning immigration status, finances, English language and, in the broader wording, accommodation — are not met.
EX.1 is not a standalone immigration route. Where it applies, specified eligibility requirements do not have to be met, but the applicant must still satisfy the remaining relevant requirements.
EX.1(a) — Qualifying Child
Relevant where the applicant has the required parental relationship with a qualifying child and it would not be reasonable to expect that child to leave the UK.
Read the Qualifying Child guide →EX.1(b) — Insurmountable Obstacles
Relevant to qualifying partner relationships where the required test about family life continuing outside the UK is satisfied.
Read the Insurmountable Obstacles guide →Route C — GEN.3.2: exceptional circumstances
GEN.3.2 addresses the broader exceptional-circumstances assessment. Where the Appendix FM requirements are not otherwise met, the Home Office must consider whether refusal would breach Article 8 because it would result in unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant, their partner, a relevant child, or another family member whose Article 8 rights would clearly be affected. Where that test is satisfied, leave should be granted under the relevant 10-year Partner route provision.
Not sure whether your case falls under the 5-year or 10-year Partner route? ENS Immigration Advice can review the requirements you meet, identify any you do not, and assess which Appendix FM provisions may need consideration.
Request a Partner Route AssessmentIs EX.1 the Same as Exceptional Circumstances?
No. EX.1 provides specific exceptions to certain eligibility requirements for qualifying in-country Partner or Parent applications. GEN.3.2 is the wider Article 8 exceptional-circumstances assessment where refusal would result in unjustifiably harsh consequences.
The Home Office guidance expressly says that EX.1 is not a standalone provision under which leave is granted. The detailed EX.2 definition, relocation scenarios and qualifying-child reasonableness factors are covered on the dedicated pages: EX.1 — Insurmountable Obstacles and EX.1 — Qualifying Child. The broader GEN.3.2 assessment is covered on the Exceptional Circumstances page.
Does Failing the 5-Year Route Automatically Put You on the 10-Year Route?
No. The Home Office approach is to assess whether the ordinary general, suitability and eligibility requirements are met; if they are, grant on the 5-year route; if not, consider the relevant Appendix FM provisions such as GEN.3.1–GEN.3.3; grant on the 10-year route only where the applicable requirements are actually satisfied; and otherwise refuse.
Missing the financial, English or immigration-status requirement does not itself create an entitlement to a 10-year Partner Visa.
Where the Immigration Rules are not met, refusal will normally be justified. The exceptional-circumstances provisions are a mechanism for qualifying cases, not a general fallback route.
What Does "Exceptional Circumstances" Mean?
The guidance is clear that "exceptional" does not mean merely unusual or unique. Narrowly missing an Immigration Rule does not itself make a case exceptional. The question is whether refusal could or would lead to unjustifiably harsh consequences, such that refusal would be disproportionate under Article 8.
A difficult outcome is not automatically an "exceptional circumstances" case. The Home Office describes this as a high threshold.
How Long Does the 10-Year Partner Route Take?
The guidance identifies 120 months (10 years) as the relevant 10-year route to settlement, compared with 60 months under the 5-year route. It also warns that applying too early for successive grants can leave someone short of the required 60 or 120 months when settlement is considered. For exceptional-circumstances (GEN.3.2) cases, the normal grant is 30 months, with further applications required while progressing towards settlement.
Indicative only — this does not imply that exactly four grants resolve every chronology.
Can the 10-Year Partner Route Lead to ILR?
Yes. The guidance describes the route as a 10-year route to settlement (indefinite leave to remain), and says a person granted under GEN.3.2 normally receives 30 months' permission with scope to qualify for settlement as a partner after 10 years.
Reaching 10 years does not itself create automatic settlement. The guidance describes settlement as a privilege rather than an automatic entitlement, and applicants are normally expected to complete the qualifying period of limited permission and make a valid settlement application.
A complete checklist of the requirements for settlement at the end of the 10-year Partner route is not set out in the guidance this page relies on, so it is not reproduced here. Those requirements should be checked against the settlement-specific Rules and guidance before a settlement application.
Can I Later Move onto the 5-Year Partner Route?
Yes, in the circumstances expressly addressed by the guidance. For applicants granted on the 10-year route through the GEN.3.1 financial provisions, the guidance says there is scope to make an in-country application to start the 5-year route if the ordinary requirements are subsequently met. The same applies to applicants successful under the broader exceptional-circumstances provisions.
The guidance describes this as an application to "start the 5-year route". It does not, in the passages this page relies on, set out how previously accumulated 10-year-route residence is treated after starting the 5-year route — so we make no claim about time carrying over or "resetting". That depends on your history and should be checked with specific advice.
Already on the 10-year Partner route? Your circumstances may need reviewing before your next extension, particularly if you believe you can now satisfy the ordinary 5-year-route requirements.
Review My Current Partner RoutePublic Funds on the 10-Year Route
For a Partner grant on the 10-year route, the Home Office considers separately whether access to public funds should be permitted. Access must be granted where satisfactory evidence establishes one of the specified circumstances — including destitution or imminent risk of destitution, relevant child-welfare reasons outweighing the reasons against access, or exceptional financial circumstances relating to income or expenditure.
Permission on the 10-year route does not automatically mean access to public funds will be granted. The Home Office considers this separately under the applicable criteria.
Which Partner Route Is Being Considered?
This mirrors the sequential approach the Home Office applies. It is an explanatory guide, not a determination of any individual case.
- Are the ordinary Partner-route requirements met? If yes → 5-Year Partner Route.
- If no, does an applicable Appendix FM exception or provision apply — EX.1(a) qualifying child, EX.1(b) insurmountable obstacles, GEN.3.1 other credible/reliable financial sources (following the exceptional-circumstances threshold), or GEN.3.2 exceptional circumstances?
- If the relevant requirements are met → 10-Year Partner Route.
- If neither the ordinary Rules nor the relevant exception/exceptional-circumstances provisions are met → refusal may follow.
Guide only — this does not determine whether EX.1 or exceptional circumstances apply to an individual case, and it is not a "you qualify / you do not qualify" checker.
Legal Framework
Optional background. Only the cases cited by the Home Office guidance itself are referenced.
MM (Lebanon) & Others v SSHD [2017] UKSC 10
The guidance explains that this judgment led to the framework requiring other credible and reliable sources of earnings or finance to be considered in relevant Article 8 circumstances — the basis for the GEN.3.1 approach described above.
Agyarko & Ikuga v SSHD [2017] UKSC 11
The guidance cites this judgment as supporting the use of the "unjustifiably harsh consequences" test when considering whether refusal would breach Article 8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 10-year Partner route a 10-year visa?
No. It is a route to settlement, normally involving successive grants of limited permission. Exceptional-circumstances (GEN.3.2) grants are normally for 30 months.
Why would I be put on the 10-year route?
The guidance identifies routes involving EX.1, GEN.3.1 and GEN.3.2, depending on which ordinary Partner requirements are or are not met and whether the relevant exception or exceptional-circumstances threshold is engaged.
If I cannot meet the financial requirement, do I automatically get the 10-year route?
No. A financial shortfall alone does not create an entitlement to the route. The case must come within the relevant Appendix FM provisions, and those requirements must actually be met.
Does EX.1 automatically grant a Partner Visa?
No. EX.1 is not a standalone grant provision. Where it applies, certain eligibility requirements do not have to be met, but the applicant must still satisfy the other applicable requirements.
Can the 10-year Partner route lead to ILR?
Yes. The guidance describes it as a 10-year route to settlement, normally requiring completion of the qualifying period and a valid settlement application.
Can I switch from the 10-year to the 5-year route?
The guidance expressly allows a person granted through the relevant financial or exceptional-circumstances provisions to apply in-country to start the 5-year route if they subsequently meet its requirements.
Does time already spent on the 10-year route count towards the new 5-year route?
The partner-route guidance this page relies on does not set out how previously accumulated 10-year-route residence is treated after starting the 5-year route. This depends on your immigration history and should be confirmed with specific advice rather than assumed.
Does EX.1 apply to overseas Partner Visa applications?
The EX.1 section of this guidance concerns partners or parents in the UK. Overseas cases that otherwise fall for refusal are considered through the exceptional-circumstances framework instead.
Do exceptional circumstances simply mean my situation is unusual?
No. The guidance expressly says "exceptional" does not mean unusual or unique. The test is whether refusal would result in unjustifiably harsh consequences, making it disproportionate under Article 8 — described as a high threshold.
Do I automatically get public funds on the 10-year route?
No. Access to public funds is considered separately against the criteria in the guidance, such as destitution, child-welfare reasons or exceptional financial circumstances.
How ENS Immigration Advice Can Help
ENS Immigration Advice provides professional assistance with Appendix FM Partner applications, extensions and complex family-life cases — reviewing the requirements you meet, identifying any you do not, and assessing which Appendix FM provisions may need to be considered.
Family-life cases relying on EX.1 or exceptional circumstances are fact-sensitive and high-stakes. Where a human-rights claim is refused, an appeal to the immigration tribunal may follow; tribunal representation is a separate specialist service and may be required in addition to application-stage assistance.
- Advice on whether a case is better placed on the 5-year or 10-year route
- Preparation and submission of Appendix FM Partner applications and extensions
- Explaining how GEN.3.1 / GEN.3.2 and EX.1 fit the route — and, where a case turns materially on exceptional-circumstances or complex human-rights arguments, the right level of help
- Review before a next extension where the 5-year route may now be met
Disclaimer. This page provides general information about UK immigration law and does not constitute legal advice on any individual application. Immigration requirements depend on your circumstances and may change. Figures, periods and requirements should be confirmed on GOV.UK before you apply, and you should seek professional advice before making an application or relying on this information.
Source basis: the UK Immigration Rules Appendix FM (family life) and the related Home Office family-life caseworker guidance published on GOV.UK. Immigration Rules and guidance change; confirm the current version on GOV.UK before applying.
Speak to ENS Immigration Advice
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