A spouse or family visa for Indians is decided on two tests, and 22 verified route pages show them in every variation: the sponsor's income, from GBP 29,000 a year in the UK to QAR 10,000 a month in Qatar, and the evidence that the relationship is genuine. Fees run from EUR 60 in Ireland to AUD 11,710 in Australia, and published decision windows from 2 weeks in the Netherlands to about 18 months in Canada.
This is the long version of the family and partner visa hub. Each route page carries the sponsor test, the fee table, the evidence checklist and the refusal reasons for that country.
Spouse and family visa for Indians: income tests and fees in 21 countries
| Country | Route | Sponsor income or funds test | Visa fee | Published decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Partner visa | GBP 29,000 gross a year | GBP 2,064 | About 12 weeks; priority 30 working days |
| Canada | Spousal sponsorship | None for a spouse; sponsor not on assistance | CAD 1,260 | About 18 months (IRCC tool, Oct 2026) |
| Australia | Partner visa 309/100 | None; approved sponsor | AUD 11,710 | Often more than a year for the 309 |
| United States | CR-1 / IR-1 | 125 percent of poverty guidelines | USD 325 (DS-260) plus petition | Petition then interview |
| Germany | Family reunion visa | Secure livelihood and housing | EUR 75 | 3 to 6 months |
| France | Spouse of citizen / reunification | Varies by route | EUR 99 (free for spouses of citizens) | 2 to 4 weeks after transcription |
| Netherlands | Family visa (MVV) | EUR 2,294.40 gross a month | EUR 254 | 2 weeks via recognised sponsor |
| Ireland | Join family | EUR 40,000 over 3 years (citizen sponsor) | EUR 60 | 6 to 12 months |
| Switzerland | Family reunification | No social assistance; adequate housing | CHF 88 | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Italy | Family nulla osta | Social allowance plus 50 percent per member | EUR 116 | Nulla osta 90 days by law |
| Spain | Family reunification | EUR 900 a month (150 percent IPREM) | EUR 80 | Authorisation 45 days by law |
| New Zealand | Partner of a Worker | Partner's work visa | NZD 1,630 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Singapore | Dependant's Pass | SGD 6,000 a month | SGD 330 | About 3 weeks |
| Japan | Dependent visa | Supporter's income | INR 500 (COE free) | COE 1 to 3 months |
| UAE | Family residence | AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus housing | AED 210 per dependant | 2 to 3 weeks end to end |
| Saudi Arabia | Family visit visa | Sponsor's iqama and profession | SAR 300 | Stamping 3 to 7 working days |
| Qatar | Family residence | QAR 10,000 or QAR 6,000 with housing | QAR 200 | 1 to 2 weeks approval |
| Oman | Family joining | OMR 300 a month on contract | OMR 20 | 1 to 2 weeks approval |
| Thailand | Non-O dependant | THB 400,000 in a Thai bank for 2 months | INR 7,000 | About 10 working days |
| Malaysia | Dependant Pass | Principal's pass category | MYR 60 a year | 7 to 15 working days |
| Vietnam | TT visa | Sponsor's residence | USD 25 | Approval 5 to 7 working days |
How much does the sponsor need to earn?
Three models cover every page. Fixed income floors: the UK at GBP 29,000 gross (met from employment for 6 months, or 12 months of self-employment, or savings above GBP 88,500), the United States at 125 percent of the poverty guidelines on Form I-864, the Netherlands at EUR 2,294.40 a month, Spain at EUR 900 a month and Ireland at EUR 40,000 over the last 3 years. Adequacy tests: Germany, Switzerland and Italy ask for a secure livelihood, adequate housing and no social assistance, with the local office deciding what adequate means for the family size. Salary-linked sponsorship: the UAE (AED 4,000), Qatar (QAR 10,000), Oman (OMR 300) and Singapore (SGD 6,000) tie the dependant visa to the worker's contract, so the test is read off the labour card, not from bank statements.
Canada and Australia set no income floor for a spouse: the sponsor must be eligible (not bankrupt, not on social assistance in Canada, approved as a sponsor in Australia) and undertake to support the partner for 3 years in Canada.
How long does a family visa take, and why is it so slow?
Family routes are the slowest category on this site because two files are assessed, the sponsor's and the applicant's, often by two offices. Canada's IRCC tool showed about 18 months for a spouse outside Canada in October 2026; Australia's 309 often runs past a year; Ireland decides Indian files in 6 to 12 months against a 6-month target; Germany takes 3 to 6 months because the foreigners' office in Germany approves before the consulate in India issues. The UK at about 12 weeks (30 working days with the priority service), France at 2 to 4 weeks after the marriage is transcribed, the Netherlands at 2 weeks through a recognised sponsor and the Gulf states at 1 to 3 weeks are the quick ones, and they are quick because the sponsor's status was already verified.
Time the application around the event: a wedding, a birth, a job move. Several routes let the applicant wait in the country on another visa (the UAE and Qatar allow a status change in-country; the Netherlands' MVV can be collected after approval), while Canada's inland stream and the US adjustment of status trade a shorter separation for a longer process.
What relationship evidence do the officers actually read?
Every checklist asks for the same core and the refusal reasons show which items are skipped. The registered marriage certificate, apostilled or attested (India's MEA attestation for the Gulf, apostille for the Hague states). Proof of living together or, for couples apart, proof of a continuing relationship across time: tenancy or ownership in both names, joint accounts or remittances, travel records showing visits, photographs with family at different dates, and chat or call logs sampled across the period rather than a single month. A short written history from each partner. Previous marriages must be disclosed with the divorce decree. Arranged marriages are routine everywhere on this list; what fails is inconsistency between the two accounts, or a file that proves the wedding but nothing after it.
Language and integration tests sit beside the evidence in Europe: the UK asks for English at A1 at entry (A2 at extension), the Netherlands for the civic integration exam abroad, Germany for A1 German for most spouses, with exemptions for graduates and Blue Card families.
Why family visas get refused, and the fix
Across the 22 route pages the refusals group into: income evidence that misses the exact 6-month or 12-month rule; thin relationship evidence for couples who have lived apart; accommodation that fails the size or ownership test; and undisclosed earlier marriages or immigration history. The fixes are documentary: payslips and bank credits that match to the month, a timeline of evidence rather than a pile, a tenancy or a property inspection report, and a candid declaration. The family visa refusal page sets out every reason by theme with the evidence that answers it.
From family visa to permanent residence
The family visa is usually the shortest path to settlement. Canada's sponsored spouse lands as a permanent resident; the US CR-1 and IR-1 confer a green card on arrival; Australia's 309 converts to the permanent 100 after 2 years; the UK partner route reaches settlement after 5 years; Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Italy reach permanent residence after 5 years; Ireland's Stamp 4 leads to long-term residence and naturalisation after 5 years of reckonable residence. The Gulf dependant visas do not lead to settlement and end with the sponsor's job. The UK vs Canada family visa comparison shows the two most-filed routes side by side, and the free eligibility check scores the file before the fee is paid.
