Family visa grants fall as partner extensions increase
28 Aug 2026
If you are on a Family visa and coming up to renewal, the latest Home Office statistics show you are part of a fast growing group. Family-related extension grants rose by 46% in the year ending June 2026, reaching 82,400, according to data published on 27 August 2026.
New Family visa grants moved in the opposite direction. The release states that "In the YE June 2026, 57,590 Family visas were granted, a 19% decrease compared with the YE June 2025." Within that total, Partner visa grants fell 8% to 38,902, and Refugee Family Reunion grants fell 38%.
If you hold a Family visa on the standard route toward settlement, this data does not change your own qualifying period, but it confirms that extension applications like yours are now a major part of the system's workload. Apply for your extension in good time, keep your relationship and financial evidence current, and track your absence days carefully, since this route still uses fixed visa periods with renewal required along the way.
Use our calculator to check your continuous residence and see when you will be eligible for ILR.
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