What the officer is deciding
Whether the relationship is genuine and subsisting, the couple intend to live together permanently, and the financial and English requirements under Appendix FM are met.
Every question in a UK Appendix FM interview serves this one decision. An answer that does not help the officer decide it is wasted time, and in a 15-minute interview there is none to waste.
What they will probe
The questions behind the questions
In priority order. The exact wording changes; what the entry clearance officer is trying to establish does not.
- The relationship history with dates, and evidence of contact
- The sponsor's income and how it meets the minimum income requirement
- Accommodation in the UK and who else lives there
- Knowledge of the sponsor's daily life, family and work
Answers that sink an application
Red flags
Each of these has refused real applicants. The simulator’s officer listens for every one.
- Accounts of the relationship that conflict with the sponsor's
- Sponsor income below the threshold or from an unevidenced source
- Little or no evidence of communication or time spent together
Have these at your fingertips
What a credible applicant knows cold
- Relationship timeline, wedding details, and cohabitation history
- Sponsor's employer, income and payslip pattern
- The UK address and its occupancy
How a refusal is worded
The grounds the entry clearance officer can refuse under
Publicly documented references, included so the practice interview can end the way a real one does. They are not legal advice.
- Appendix Student ST 14.1
Not a genuine student
The applicant cannot demonstrate genuine intention or ability to study — no knowledge of the course, illogical progression, or answers suggesting the course is a route to something else.
- Appendix V: V 4.2
Not a genuine visitor
The officer is not satisfied the applicant will leave at the end of the visit.
- Appendix Finance
Financial requirement not met
Funds are short, not held for the required period, or from an unaccepted source.
- Part 9: 9.7.1
False representations
A material statement or document is found to be false, whether or not the applicant knew.
Practise it
Sit this interview before the real one
Add the facts from your own GOV.UK application, then face an AI entry clearance officer who holds that file, follows up on what you actually said and can refuse you. Afterwards every answer comes back marked, with the one you should have given. It improves your chances; it never guarantees a visa.
Begin a UK Appendix FM mock interviewQuestions applicants ask
How long is the UK Appendix FM visa interview?
Usually 8 to 15 minutes at the UK Visas and Immigration, with about 10 to 16 questions from a entry clearance officer. A structured credibility interview. Wants specifics, on the record.
What is the officer deciding in a Appendix FM spouse / partner visa interview?
Whether the relationship is genuine and subsisting, the couple intend to live together permanently, and the financial and English requirements under Appendix FM are met.
What gets a UK Appendix FM application refused?
Accounts of the relationship that conflict with the sponsor's; Sponsor income below the threshold or from an unevidenced source; Little or no evidence of communication or time spent together. The officer can refuse under Appendix Student ST 14.1 (not a genuine student).
Can I practise the UK Appendix FM interview on TalkNative?
Yes. The Visa Interview Simulator runs a spoken mock interview with an AI entry clearance officer for the UK Visas and Immigration, built from your own facts, then reviews every answer and shows the one you should have given. Three mock interviews are free with no card; the officer's decision and the written report open when you unlock the module. It improves your chances; it never guarantees a visa.