What are Appendix FM and Appendix FM-SE?
Appendix FM is the section of the UK Immigration Rules that provides the legal framework for UK family visas, including spouse, partner, and child visas, leading to settlement and British citizenship. Appendix FM-SE outlines the exact specified evidence required to prove you meet the financial and English language rules of Appendix FM. This post provides an overview of Appendix FM and Appendix FM-SE for a partner or family visa application.
Navigating Appendix FM of the UK immigration rules can be a complex process. At Whytecroft Ford, we specialise in Family Visa’s under Appendix FM. For advice or assistance, contact our friendly professional team on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form.
What is Appendix FM Used For?
Appendix FM provides the structure for UK family visa applications for individuals seeking to enter or remain in the UK based on their relationship with a British citizen or settled person.
Depending on where you are applying from and your current status, Appendix FM covers several types of applications on the standard 5-year route to settlement:
- Entry Clearance: For applicants outside the UK applying for permission to enter.
- Further Leave to Remain (FLR): For applicants already in the UK extending their stay.
- Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR): For applicants who have lived in the UK on a family visa for 5 continuous years and wish to settle permanently.
Who is Eligible to Apply Under Appendix FM?
To be eligible to apply under Appendix FM, you must be the partner, spouse, fiancé(e), or dependent child of a British citizen, a person settled in the UK (ILR), or someone with eligible refugee/humanitarian protection status.
Both the applicant and the UK-based sponsor must be at least 18 years old at the date of application. You cannot apply from within the UK if you are currently on a Standard Visitor Visa or a visa granted for 6 months or less (unless it is a fiancé(e) visa).
What Are the Core Requirements for an Appendix FM Visa?
To succeed in a standard Appendix FM application, you must meet a strict set of criteria divided into Suitability and Eligibility.
Suitability Requirements
Suitability criteria assess the applicant’s character to ensure there are no reasons they should be excluded from the UK. In late 2025, these rules were aligned with the broader “Part Suitability” of the Immigration Rules. The Home Office will check for issues like criminal convictions, previous immigration breaches, or unpaid NHS debts.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility focuses on your relationship, financial situation and English language proficiency. You must satisfy all of the following:
1. Relationship Requirements
- Genuine and Subsisting: You must prove your relationship is real and ongoing.
- Intent to Live Together: You must intend to live together permanently in the UK.
- Degree of Relationship: You cannot be closely related in a way that makes marriage illegal in the UK.
- Previous Relationships: Any previous marriages or civil partnerships must have permanently broken down (e.g., via a divorce decree absolute).
- Unmarried Partners: If you are not married, you must prove you have been in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years.
- Fiancé(e)s: You must be seeking entry specifically to marry within 6 months.
2. Financial Requirements
Meeting the financial threshold is often the most challenging part of Appendix FM. Different thresholds apply depending on the date of your first application.
- Pre-April 2024 Transitional Rules: If you applied for your family visa before 11 April 2024, you may fall under the old threshold of £18,600 per year (plus additional funds for non-British dependent children).
- New Financial Requirement: For new applicants, the minimum income threshold has increased to £29,000 per year. There is no longer a separate financial requirement for dependent children under this new rule.
Income can be demonstrated through employment, self-employment, pensions, non-employment income (like property rental), or cash savings (which must be strictly calculated and held for 6 months).
Falling short of the financial requirement and the corresponding evidence is one of the most common reasons for refusal. If you feel you need advice or assistance, reach out to our experienced immigration team on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form.
3. English Language Requirements
Unless you are a citizen of a majority English-speaking country, are over 65, or have a qualifying degree taught in English, you must prove your language skills:
- Entry Clearance: Level A1 (speaking and listening).
- Leave to Remain (Extension): Level A2.
- Indefinite Leave to Remain (Settlement): Level B1, plus passing the Life in the UK test.
All tests must be taken at a Home Office-approved secure test centre.
4. Immigration Status Requirements
To switch to a partner visa from inside the UK, you must hold a valid visa that was granted for more than 6 months. You cannot switch if you are on a visitor visa or immigration bail; you must leave the UK and apply for Entry Clearance from your home country.
For more information the application process, visit UK Spouse Visa.
What Happens When an Appendix FM Application is Approved?
When an Appendix FM application is approved, you will be granted the legal right to live, work, and study in the UK, putting you on the 5-year route to settlement.
- If applying from outside the UK: You are granted Entry Clearance for 33 months.
- If applying from inside the UK: You are granted Leave to Remain for 30 months.
During this time, you can work freely, but you will have “No Recourse to Public Funds” (NRPF), meaning you cannot claim most state benefits. After 5 continuous years (60 months) on this route, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
What is Appendix FM-SE and Why is it Essential?
Appendix FM-SE is the strict set of rules dictating the exact documents, formats, and timeframes required to prove you meet the financial requirements of Appendix FM.
The Home Office applies Appendix FM-SE without flexibility. Even if you earn well over the £29,000 threshold, your application will be refused if your evidence does not meet the specified criteria. The Home Office is no longer obligated to contact you to request missing documents.
Applicants are required to demonstrate income from specified sources with the relevant evidence, the income sources include:
- Employment Income (Category A & B): You need 6 to 12 months of official payslips, corresponding bank statements showing the exact net salary deposits, and a specific letter from your employer confirming your role, salary, and employment duration.
- Self-Employment (Category F & G): Requires complex documentation including HMRC tax returns (SA302), tax year overviews, business bank statements, and often audited accounts or an accountant’s certificate.
- Non-Employment Income: You can include the applicant or sponsor’s non-employment income. For example, property rental income would require proof of ownership, a tenancy agreement, and bank statements showing rental deposits.
- Pension Income: Official pension statements or letters showing income received from a pension in the 12 months before the date of application can be included.
- Cash Savings (Category D): You must provide 6 months of continuous bank statements showing the funds never dropped below the required amount, alongside a declaration of the source of the funds.
Screenshots, heavily redacted statements, or unofficial letters are not accepted. Documents must be in original or officially certified.
How We Can Assist You
The rules within Appendix FM are highly technical, and Appendix FM-SE leaves no room for error. If you are unsure about the requirements of Appendix FM, or need expert guidance to ensure your Appendix FM-SE financial documents are sufficient to demonstrate you meet the financial requirement, contact our professional, friendly immigration team.
For advice or assistance, contact our friendly professional team on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form.
Frequently asked questions
In most cases, applications under Appendix FM made outside the UK will take around 12 weeks or less to be processed. Applications made from inside the UK will be processed within 8 weeks.
No, you should not leave the Common Travel Area (UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man) while waiting for a visa extension decision. Leaving will automatically withdraw your application under immigration rules, meaning you lose your application fee and may be unable to re-enter the UK.
Usually, you should apply for further leave to remain within 28 days of the date your permission expires.
