Form SET(M), indefinite leave to remain as a partner: what it is and where relationship evidence fits

SET(M) is the Home Office online application to settle in the UK (indefinite leave to remain) as the partner of a British citizen or a person with indefinite leave to remain, once you have completed the qualifying time on your family visa. This guide summarises what GOV.UK, the Immigration Rules and Home Office caseworker guidance ask for, and where chat history can support the relationship tests at this stage: that your relationship is still subsisting and that you have lived together since your last visa, or had good reason to be apart.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-14

At a glance

Form: SET(M), Settle in the UK as the partner of a person, or parent of a child, who is in the UK and settled here
Agency: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Filing fee: £3,226 per person (checked 2026-10-14) — GOV.UK lists this as the cost for each person applying for indefinite leave to remain as a family member, and the Home Office fee table in force from 8 October 2026 shows the same amount. GOV.UK says there is no fee for giving your fingerprints and photo, although the UKVCAS page says you can pay extra for some appointment options, such as out-of-hours or weekend appointments. Fees change, so check GOV.UK on the day you pay. Official fee schedule.

What the form is for

Apply from inside the UK for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) as the partner of a person who is present and settled in the UK. The same SET(M) form is also used by the parent of a child who is settled in the UK.
Indefinite leave to remain gives you the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as you like and to apply for benefits if you are eligible. You can use it to apply for British citizenship.
On the 5-year and 2-year routes you may be able to include your children on the same application if they meet the GOV.UK eligibility conditions, which are different for children under 18 and children aged 18 and over.

Who can file it

You may be able to apply with SET(M) if you are in the UK with a family visa as a partner or spouse and your partner is settled in the UK, either as a British citizen or as a person with indefinite leave to remain. Appendix FM requires both of you to be in the UK.
Your current visa must be based on your relationship with this partner. You must be their husband, wife or civil partner, or have been in a relationship like a marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years. Only time with the same partner counts towards the qualifying period.
Time in the UK: GOV.UK says you need at least 5 continuous years on your family visa as a partner on the 5-year route, or 2 continuous years on the 2-year route. Time on any other visa, or as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, does not count. If you are not sure which route you are on, GOV.UK says to check the letter you got when your leave to remain was last approved.
Financial requirement on the 5-year route: you and your partner must prove that your combined income meets the requirement. GOV.UK gives £29,000 a year if you first applied for your family visa on or after 11 April 2024, and usually £18,600 a year (plus extra for certain children) if you first applied before that date. If your partner gets certain disability or carer’s benefits, the adequate maintenance requirement applies instead.
Knowledge of language and life: if you are 18 to 64, GOV.UK says you need to pass the Life in the UK Test and meet the English language requirement, for example with a recognised English qualification at level B1 or above in speaking and listening, or a degree taught or researched in English.
Other routes: partners on the 10-year route use a different online form. GOV.UK lists separate ways to settle if you are a dependant on your partner’s work visa, your partner has settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, your partner has died, or your relationship ended because of domestic violence. The SET(M) online form also says that partners of members or former members of HM Forces use form SET(AF) instead.

How and where it is filed

Online only: the paper SET(M) form was withdrawn on 1 November 2018, and GOV.UK says you must apply online. You can save the form and finish it later.
SET(M) is for applicants who are already in the UK. If you are not confident using a computer or do not have internet access, GOV.UK offers help with completing the online form (it does not give immigration advice).
Timing: the earliest you can apply is 28 days before you meet the time requirement. GOV.UK says an earlier application may be refused, and that you should not wait until your current visa expires; if it would expire before you can apply, you need to extend it first.
Biometrics and documents: GOV.UK says you’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to give your fingerprints and photo; the UKVCAS page says to bring your passport or travel document. You can upload supporting documents into the online service or have them scanned at the appointment. Children aged 6 or over on your form also give biometrics.
Travel: GOV.UK says you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or your application will be withdrawn.
Decision: check the usual decision time on GOV.UK’s ‘After you apply’ page for indefinite leave to remain. GOV.UK says you’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example if your supporting documents need to be verified or you need to attend an interview.
Faster decision: when we checked, GOV.UK listed SET(M) as eligible for the super priority service if you prove your identity at a UKVCAS appointment, but not for the priority service. There is a limit on how many people can use it, and you find out whether it is offered when you apply.

Evidence the instructions ask for

GOV.UK says you’ll be told which documents to provide when you apply. On the 5-year and 2-year routes this includes proof of your income and of where you live; on the 5-year route, GOV.UK says to prove your income as you did when you applied for your family visa.
Proof that you have lived in the UK with your partner since you got your last visa. Appendix FM (paragraph E-LTRP.1.10) asks for evidence that you have lived together in the UK since your last grant of leave as a partner, or that there was good reason, consistent with a continuing intention to live together permanently in the UK, for any period in which you did not.
Proof that your relationship with your partner is genuine. At settlement, Home Office caseworker guidance says the caseworker must be satisfied that the relationship is subsisting.
Proof that you meet the English language requirement and have passed the Life in the UK Test, unless an exemption applies (for example, GOV.UK says you do not need to take the Life in the UK Test if you are under 18 or 65 or over).
Your biometric information (fingerprints and photo) at a UKVCAS appointment, where you bring your passport or travel document.
Specified documents that are not in English or Welsh: paragraph 39B of the Immigration Rules asks for the original plus a full, dated translation that can be independently verified. For indefinite leave to remain, the translation must be certified by a qualified translator and include the translator’s or translation company’s credentials and contact details.

Where relationship evidence fits

At settlement, Home Office caseworker guidance says the genuineness of your relationship will have been established in your earlier applications. What the caseworker must be satisfied about now is that the relationship is subsisting and that you both intend to live together permanently in the UK.
For both points, the guidance tells caseworkers to consider evidence of past and current cohabitation, with examples such as council tax bills, bank statements, tenancy or mortgage documents, household bills and children’s school letters. Caseworkers can also use a credit score checker to confirm that you have lived at the same address since your last grant of permission.
Time outside the UK: the settlement guidance says limited periods spent outside the UK must be for good reasons consistent with an intention to live together permanently in the UK. It gives work (including as a Crown servant), holidays, training and study as examples. If one or both of you spent most of the 60-month period overseas, it says there may be reason to doubt that intention, and each case is judged on its merits.
Separate Home Office partner guidance (Family life (as a partner or parent) and exceptional circumstances) ranks a non-exhaustive list of evidence that a relationship is genuine in three tiers. Tier 1, the most valued, includes tenancy agreements, council tax and utility bills, joint bank statements and DWP or HMRC letters. Tier 3, the least valued, includes message transcripts, photographs, greetings cards, travel tickets and documents dated more than 4 years before the application date.
The settlement guidance says caseworkers do not need to consider evidence such as a certificate to establish a valid marriage or civil partnership where it was demonstrated and accepted as valid in a previous application.
If the caseworker has doubts about whether your relationship is subsisting, or whether you intend to live together permanently, the settlement guidance says they can arrange an interview.

What chat history can help show

That your relationship is still subsisting: dated conversations spread across the period since your last visa can sit alongside your address and financial documents. They support those documents; they do not replace them.
A good reason for time apart: messages sent while one of you was away for work, study or training can corroborate your explanation of why you were not living together for that period and show that you stayed in contact. Pair them with documents that show the reason, such as travel bookings or a letter about the work or course.
Your intention to live together permanently in the UK: conversations about your home, household bills, your children or your plans in the UK can add context to your cohabitation documents.

Before you include chat history

GOV.UK’s partner settlement guidance does not list chat history among the documents to provide, and the online form tells you which documents you need. Lead with those.
Message transcripts sit in tier 3, the least valued tier, of the Home Office’s list of partner relationship evidence. Tier 1 documents such as tenancy agreements, council tax and utility bills and joint bank statements are the most valued.
Focus on the period since your last grant of leave, which is the period the cohabitation rule looks at. The same Home Office list places documents dated more than 4 years before the application date in tier 3.
GOV.UK describes two ways to submit supporting documents: uploading them into the online service or having them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment. Prepare chat excerpts as documents that work for one of those.
Messages in another language: the translation standard in paragraph 39B of the Immigration Rules applies to specified documents, and the Rules do not list chat history as one. If you include such messages, a full translation to that standard (certified by a qualified translator for indefinite leave to remain) is the cautious choice.

Common mistakes

Applying more than 28 days before you meet the time requirement. GOV.UK says an application made earlier may be refused.
Letting your current visa run out while you wait to qualify. GOV.UK says to extend it first if it would expire before you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Counting time that does not qualify: time on any other visa, time as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, or time with a different partner.
Using SET(M) when you are on the 10-year route, which has its own online form.
Travelling outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before you get a decision. GOV.UK says the application will be withdrawn.
Sending the wrong English qualification. GOV.UK says a settlement application will be refused if you send the wrong qualifications.
Not showing that you have lived together since your last visa, or not explaining a period apart, both of which paragraph E-LTRP.1.10 of Appendix FM asks you to evidence.
Leaning on chat logs and photos (tier 3 in the Home Office list) instead of cohabitation documents such as council tax bills, tenancy or mortgage documents, household bills and bank statements.
Specified documents that are not in English or Welsh without a full translation certified by a qualified translator, which paragraph 39B of the Immigration Rules requires for indefinite leave to remain.

Frequently asked questions

When can I apply for SET(M)?

GOV.UK says the earliest you can apply as a partner with a family visa is 28 days before you meet the requirement for time spent in the UK (5 continuous years on the 5-year route, or 2 on the 2-year route), and that an earlier application may be refused. GOV.UK also says not to wait until your current visa expires; if it would expire first, you need to extend it.

Do WhatsApp or other chat messages count as evidence for SET(M)?

They can be part of your evidence, but GOV.UK does not list them among the documents to provide. Home Office partner guidance lists message transcripts in tier 3, the least valued tier, of its non-exhaustive list of relationship evidence. At settlement, the caseworker guidance looks at evidence of past and current cohabitation, so lead with documents such as council tax bills, tenancy or mortgage documents, household bills and bank statements, and use messages to support them or to help explain a period apart.

How much does SET(M) cost?

When we checked on 14 October 2026, GOV.UK listed £3,226 for each person applying, and the Home Office fee table in force from 8 October 2026 showed the same amount for indefinite leave to remain. GOV.UK says there is no fee for giving your fingerprints and photo. Fees change, so check GOV.UK before you pay.

We spent time apart during the five years. Is that a problem?

Not automatically. Appendix FM asks for evidence that you lived together in the UK since your last grant of leave, or that there was good reason, consistent with a continuing intention to live together permanently in the UK, for any period you did not. For time spent outside the UK, Home Office settlement guidance gives work, holidays, training and study as examples of good reasons. If one or both of you spent most of the 60 months overseas, it says there may be reason to doubt that intention, and each case is judged on its merits, looking at the reasons for travel, how long you were away and whether you travelled and lived together.

What level of English do I need for SET(M)?

If you are 18 to 64, GOV.UK says you need a recognised English qualification at level B1 or above in speaking and listening, or a degree taught or researched in English, unless you are exempt. Nationals of the countries listed in Appendix KoLL of the Immigration Rules (for example Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA) can meet it with documentary evidence of their nationality. Appendix KoLL sets the English test level at B1 for applications made before 26 March 2027 and B2 for applications made on or after that date. You also need to pass the Life in the UK Test.

What happens if I have not passed the Life in the UK Test or the English requirement?

Paragraph D-ILRP.1.2 of Appendix FM says that if you do not meet the requirements for indefinite leave to remain because you have not shown sufficient knowledge of English or of life in the UK, you will be granted further limited leave to remain as a partner for up to 30 months, with a no recourse to public funds condition. Under paragraph GEN.1.15, the Home Office then treats the application as one for limited leave and tells you in writing if you need to pay the immigration health charge; if that charge is not paid, the application is invalid and the indefinite leave to remain fee is not refunded.

Can I travel abroad while my SET(M) application is pending?

GOV.UK says you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or your application will be withdrawn. If you urgently need to travel, GOV.UK says to contact UK Visas and Immigration.

Can I get a faster decision on SET(M)?

When we checked, GOV.UK listed SET(M) as eligible for the super priority service if you prove your identity at a UKVCAS appointment, but not for the priority service. GOV.UK’s faster-decision page explains how soon you usually get a decision. GOV.UK listed the super priority fee as £1,000 on top of the application fee, and says each family member applying with you pays it too. There is a limit on how many people can use it, and you find out whether it is offered when you apply.

Related guides and templates

Official sources

GOV.UK — Settle in the UK as the partner of a person, or parent of a child, who is in the UK and settled here: form SET(M) (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Apply online (form SET(M)) (checked 2026-10-14)
UK Visas and Immigration — Apply to settle in the UK: partner of a person or parent of a child already settled in the UK (online form start page) (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Indefinite leave to remain if you have family in the UK: Overview (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Indefinite leave to remain if you have family in the UK: Apply as a partner (family visa) (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Indefinite leave to remain if you have family in the UK: After you apply (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 October 2026 (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE: family members specified evidence (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Appendix KoLL (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Part 1: leave to enter or stay in the UK (paragraph 39B) (checked 2026-10-14)
Home Office — Settlement: family life, private life and bereaved partners (caseworker guidance, version 5.0) (checked 2026-10-14)
Home Office — Family life (as a partner or parent) and exceptional circumstances (caseworker guidance, version 29.0) (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Get a faster decision: eligible visas when applying from inside the UK (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Prove your knowledge of English for citizenship and settling (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — Life in the UK Test (checked 2026-10-14)
GOV.UK — UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (checked 2026-10-14)

Not legal advice. PartnerProof turns WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage exports into dated, chronological PDF evidence you can print and add to your package. It does not fill in or file UKVI forms. Try it free →