When applying for a UK spouse visa, you must prove that you can support yourself in the UK without the need for public funds. New applicants must demonstrate a gross annual income of £29,000, which is referred to as the minimum income requirement in the immigration rules. The same financial requirement applies to those applying as a civil partner, unmarried partner or a fiance. Couples who meet the requirement may still be refused, if they fail to demonstrate they can meet this requirement with the correct documentary evidence. This guide provides an overview of the financial requirement for a UK partner or family visa.
Key overviews
- The minimum income requirement is £29,000 pa for new UK Spouse Visa applicants.
- Those who applied before 11 April 2024 and who continue with the same partner must meet the previous threshold of £18,600 pa.
- Permitted sources include income from employment, non-employment, self-employment, pension and cash savings.
- Cash savings can satisfy the requirement outright without any other income.
- The financial requirement is tested three times, at the first application, at the extension, and again at settlement.
Contents
- How much income is needed for a new UK Spouse Visa application?
- Which spouse visa financial requirement threshold applies, £29,000 or £18,600?
- What is the financial requirement for a UK spouse visa?
- Which UK family visas does the financial requirement apply to?
- What does meeting the financial requirement involve?
- Whose income counts toward the financial requirement?
- Which income categories are permitted for UK Family Visa?
- Employment income with the same employer for six months or more (Category A)
- Employment held for less than six months, or income that varies (Category B)
- Non-employment income, including property rental and dividends (Category C)
- Cash savings held for at least six months (Category D)
- State, occupational and private pension income (Category E)
- Self-employment and company director income (Categories F and G)
- Can income sources be combined for a spouse visa?
- Which income sources cannot count toward the spouse visa financial requirement?
- Can a sponsor living overseas use their income?
- What if the sponsor is not in employment?
- What documents are required for the financial requirement?
- What is the financial requirement for a spouse visa extension and Indefinite Leave to Remain?
- What happens if the minimum income requirement cannot be met?
- Who is exempt from the financial requirement for a spouse visa?
- Frequently asked questions
How much income is needed for a new UK Spouse Visa application?
The minimum income requirement is £29,000 a year for new UK Spouse Visa applicants. This amount is specified in Appendix FM (Family Migration) of the Immigration Rules – which is the main settlement route for partner’s of British citizens, those who are settled in the UK or those who are returning to the UK with their partner’s.
The income requirement is a gross amount, meaning the total amount earned by before any taxes or deductions are subtracted. This figure applies to anyone applying for the first time after 11 April 2024, whether from inside or outside the UK.
The applicant’s partner, referred to as the sponsor, who earns less than £29,000 may still qualify, as income from other sources or cash savings can be combined to meet the requirement.
Before 11 April 2024, the income requirement was £18,600 pa, this transitional threshold may still apply to those who were on the partner route before the said date.
Which spouse visa financial requirement threshold applies, £29,000 or £18,600?
The transitional £18,600 threshold applies only where all of the following are met:
- The applicant first applied as a partner, fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner before 11 April 2024.
- That case resulted in a grant on the five-year route.
- They still held that permission at the date of applying.
- They are applying to remain with the same partner.
The transitional financial requirement threshold rises with each child dependant, £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child, capped at £29,000.
| Applicant group | Threshold | Per-child addition |
|---|---|---|
| New applicant, or applying with a new partner | £29,000 a year | None, children are accounted for in the figure |
| Applied before 11 April 2024, continuing with the same partner | £18,600 a year, capped at £29,000 | £3,800 first child, £2,400 each additional child |
What is the financial requirement for a UK spouse visa?
The financial requirement is the level of income or savings a couple must show before an applicant can join their partner in the UK. Its purpose is to establish that the couple can be supported here without recourse to public funds.
The requirement can be met in one of two ways. Most couples meet it through the minimum income requirement, which is fixed income and/or savings threshold this guide sets out. A smaller group meet it through adequate maintenance.
It may be assessed across the couple jointly, so both partners’ resources may be taken into account, except the applicant’s overseas income.
Employment income is one of several permitted sources. Cash savings, pension income, rental income, dividends and business profits all count, each with its own evidential rules.
Which UK family visas does the financial requirement apply to?
The financial requirement applies to all categories of partners and dependant children applying in line with the main applicants. These include:
- the UK Spouse Visa and the Civil Partner Visa, for those who are married or in a civil partnership
- the Unmarried Partner Visa, for couples who have been in a relationship akin to marriage for 2 years
- the Fiancé Visa and the Proposed Civil Partner Visa, for those who intend to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK
- the Partner Visa Extension, known as Further Leave to Remain, to continue living in the UK
- Indefinite Leave to Remain, known as Settlement, to live in UK permanently
- a Child Dependant applying with, or to join, a parent on any one of those routes
What does meeting the financial requirement involve?
The financial requirement comprises of the four elements.
- The first element being the minimum requirement, for new applicants is set to £29,000 pa. Applicant’s under the transitional financial requirement of £18,600 pa may need to meet a higher threshold subject to dependant children.
- The second element is the source of income. Only listed sources count toward the figure. Income from a source not on the list is disregarded, even where it is real and taxed.
- The third part is the time period. Each source must be demonstrated in a defined time period, in addition to whether specific sources may be combined to meet the requirement. Two sources can each qualify on their own, yet still not be added together.
- The fourth element is the specified evidence. Each source must be demonstrated with specific evidence. A document in the wrong evidential format means that income does not count.
The third and fourth element account for most refusals. The funds are usually there, however, demonstrating them in the required manner the rules demand is the harder task.
Whose income counts toward the financial requirement?
The sponsor’s income always counts, whether they are working inside the UK or have worked outside the UK and are returning with the applicant. Whether the applicant’s own income counts depends on where the case is made.
From outside the UK, the applicant’s overseas employment income is disregarded entirely. Their cash savings, non-employment income and pension income still count.
From inside the UK, the applicant may add their own UK earnings to the sponsor’s. They must be working lawfully under their current leave. Furthermore, if the applicant is working in the UK, earning at or above the financial requirement, they may use their own income entirely to satisfy this requirement, without the need to demonstrate any other sources.
Income and savings must be held in the name of the applicant, the sponsor, or both jointly. Money held by any other third party does not count towards the financial requirement.
Which income categories are permitted for UK Family Visa?
Appendix FM-SE of the immigration rules divide the permitted sources into six categories, as follows:
- Employment with the same employer for six months or more falls under Category A.
- Employment held for less than six months, or income that varies, falls under Category B.
- Non-employment income such as property rental income or dividends, falls under Category C.
- Cash savings above £16,000 fall under Category D.
- Pension income falls under Category E.
- Self-employment, and income as a director of a specified limited company, falls under Category F or Category G.
Where a couple rely on two incomes, both must sit in the same employment category. One partner cannot be assessed under Category A while the other under Category B.
Each category has its own basis on what counts towards the financial requirement, and the documentary evidence that is acceptable to the Home Office.
| Category | Income source | Basis of assessment |
|---|---|---|
| A | Employment with the same employer for six months or more | Current gross annual income |
| B | Employment of less than six months, or variable income | Current annual income, plus income received in the 12 months before applying |
| C | Non-employment income | Income received in the 12 months before applying |
| D | Cash savings | Savings above £16,000, held for six months |
| E | Pension income | Gross yearly pension |
| F | Self-employment or company director | Last full financial year |
| G | Self-employment or company director | Average of the last two financial years |
Employment income with the same employer for six months or more (Category A)
Category A applies where the person has been with the same employer for at least six months. Employment may be salaried or non-salaried, each calculated in a specific manner.
Salaried employment is paid at a fixed rate, usually yearly, and carries a set minimum number of contractual hours. The person must have been paid throughout the six months at or above the level relied on. The figure that counts is the lowest yearly salary paid across that span. For example, a person promoted three months into the six-months before applying is therefore assessed on the lower salary. The level relied on must be shown for the complete six months.
Non-salaried employment is paid at an hourly or other rate where the hours may vary. It also covers pay that varies with the work done. This is calculated as an annualised average. Gross earnings across the six months are divided by six, then multiplied by twelve.
Where Category A income falls below the minimum income requirement, it may be added to non-employment income, cash savings and pension income.
Employment held for less than six months, or income that varies (Category B)
Category B applies where the person has been employed with the same employer for less than six months. This category applies to new jobs or variable income.
Category B is met in two parts. Part one takes into account, the gross yearly salary at the date of application – which should be at or above the minimum income requirement. Part two takes into account the total gross income received in the twelve months before the date of application. The total income received in the twelve months before applying should be at or above the income requirement. For example, a high earner who has been employed for 3 months can meet the minimum income requirement.
Where Category B income falls below the minimum income requirement, it may be combined with non-employment income and pension income. Cash savings may be combined with part one of Category B income, however cannot be used for part two.
Non-employment income, including property rental and dividends (Category C)
The following are sources of non-employment income which can be counted towards the income requirement under Category C:
- property rental
- dividends or other income from investments, stocks and shares, bonds or trust funds
- interest from savings
- maintenance payments from a former partner
- certain bereavement payments and armed forces compensation payments
- UK Maternity Allowance, Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance
- payments under the War Pensions Scheme, the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and the Armed Forces Attributable Benefits Scheme
- academic maintenance grants and stipends, provided they are not loans
- ongoing insurance, legal settlement and royalty payments
The asset owned at the date of application does not need to have been owned for 12 months prior to the date of application, but it must have been a source of income for at least part of that 12-month period. The relevant asset on which any income is based must be in the name of the applicant, their partner or both jointly and held or owned at the date of application
Where Category C income falls short, it may be added to employment income, cash savings and pension income.
Cash savings held for at least six months (Category D)
Cash savings above £16,000 held by the applicant or the sponsoring partner for at least 6 months prior to applying may be counted towards the minimum income requirement under Category D.
The Home Office uses a specific formula to calculate the amount of savings above £16,000 that can be used towards the income requirement, the amount above £16,000 is divided by 2.5 to give the amount which can be used. The 2.5 reflects the 2.5 year (or 30 month) period before the applicant will have to make a further application.
Cash savings alone can meet the minimum income requirement for a UK Partner Visa. The amount required is £88,500 at the £29,000 level, and £62,500 at the transitional £18,600 level.
Cash savings must be held in a personal bank or savings account in the name of the applicant, their sponsoring partner or the couple jointly. The financial institution in which the savings are held must be regulated by the appropriate regulatory body for the country in which that institution is operating. The source of savings must be declared, which may include savings over time from employment, a gift from a family member or proceeds from the sale of a property.
Cash savings in a foreign currency should be converted to pounds sterling at the date of application.
In the UK a stocks and shares Individual Savings Account (ISA) may be accepted as a cash savings account if the cash value is clear and can be withdrawn with or without penalty. A pension savings account from which savings can be immediately withdrawn may also count. A brokerage account does not satisfy the requirements of a cash savings account.
State, occupational and private pension income (Category E)
The gross annual income from any state, occupational or private pension received by the applicant’s partner or the applicant can be counted towards the financial requirement under Category E. State pension income includes UK Basic State Pension and Additional or Second State Pension, HM Forces Pension or foreign.
The pension must have become a source of income at least twenty-eight days before the date of application.
Pension income can be combined with employment income, to non-employment income and to cash savings. That helps a sponsor approaching retirement whose earnings have reduced or stopped.
Self-employment and company director income (Categories F and G)
Categories F and G apply to a person who is self-employed. These categories cover a sole trader, a partner in a partnership, a franchise, a director or employee of a specified limited company.
Category F relies on the last full financial year. Category G relies on the average of the last two. This is useful where the person has earned below the income requirement in one of the two recent tax years but an average of the two will exceed the requirement.
The financial year is subject to whether the person is self employed or a director of a limited company. For a sole trader it is the year covered by the self-assessment tax return. In the UK that year runs from 6 April to 5 April. For a director of a company it is the year covered by the Company Tax Return CT600. That is the company’s own accounting year, and it may begin and end on any date.
Cash savings cannot be added to Category F or Category G income. A sponsor holding enough savings may rely on the savings alone.
Can income sources be combined for a spouse visa?
An applicant in the UK with permission to work may rely on their own employment income alongside the sponsor’s. Where they do, the employment income of both partners must be calculated under Category A or Category B. The two categories cannot be used in combination.
Employment income, non-employment income and pension income combine with each other. Cash savings can be combined with any of them. A couple with several modest sources may therefore meet the requirement where no single source would.
Savings cannot be added to self-employment income under Categories F and G. Savings cannot be added to the twelve-month earnings history in the second part of Category B.
Which income sources cannot count toward the spouse visa financial requirement?
Income from the following sources are not counted towards the financial requirement:
- financial support or subsidy from a third party, other than child maintenance or alimony payments, academic maintenance grants/stipends or gifts of cash savings that meet the requirements specified above
- income from other people living in the same household, except any dependent child of the applicant who has turned 18 and continues to be counted towards the higher income threshold the applicant has to meet until they qualify for settlement
- loans and credit facilities
- Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
- income-related benefits, including income support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, housing benefit, council tax support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance, and incapacity benefit
Can a sponsor living overseas use their income?
A British citizen living and working overseas can rely on their employment income, provided they are returning to the UK together along with the applicant.
Where the sponsor is in employment abroad, two mandatory requirements apply. The first is that they are in that employment at the date of the application (under category A) earning at the level of the financial requirement for six months. The second is a confirmed offer of employment in the UK, starting within three months of the return at or above the minimum income requirement of £29,000 pa.
Where the job abroad has been held for less than six months (under category B), a different test applies. The sponsor need not be in employment at the date of application. Instead the couple show a confirmed UK job offer, starting within three months of the return. They also show the required income received across the twelve months before the case.
Income held in a foreign currency must be converted to pounds sterling (GBP) at the closing spot rate on the date of the application.
What if the sponsor is not in employment?
Employment income is not required. The financial requirement can be met in full from cash savings, non-employment income or pension income, used alone or in combination with each other.
Non-employment income under Category C covers property rental, dividends and other investment income. Pension income under Category E covers state, occupational and private pensions, whether paid in the UK or overseas. Cash savings under Category D can meet the requirement on their own where no other source is available.
A sponsor who works for themselves is not treated as being out of employment. Income from self-employment, or as a director or employee of a specified limited company, is assessed under Category F or Category G instead.
Where the applicant is in the UK with permission to work, their own employment income can be counted alongside the sponsor’s other sources. The applicant’s hours must not exceed any limit attached to their permission to stay.
Two exclusions apply whatever the sponsor’s position. Income-related benefits, loans and credit facilities cannot be counted. Financial support promised by a family member cannot be counted either, although a cash gift can become qualifying savings once it has been held for the required period and is under the couple’s control.
What documents are required for the financial requirement?
Appendix FM-SE (Specified Evidence) sets out how income and savings must be evidenced on partner and family visa applications.
Employment income is evidenced by payslips and matching personal bank statements, together with a letter from the employer. Self-employment is evidenced by tax returns and accounts. Cash savings are evidenced by statements covering the whole six-month period. Non-employment income is evidenced by documents establishing both the asset and the payments it produced.
Documentary evidence must be dated no earlier than 28 days before the date of application. The rules require original documents unless they provide otherwise. A document not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation.
What is the financial requirement for a spouse visa extension and Indefinite Leave to Remain?
The same financial requirement applies for a spouse visa extension when extending their leave after 2.5 years.
Applicants who are eligible for the transitional threshold must demonstrate an income of £18,600 pa, provided they meet the transitional requirements stated above.
At the settlement stage, applicants may qualify with a lower amount of savings compared to what was required in the preceding applications, as the whole amount above £16,000 can be used.
What happens if the minimum income requirement cannot be met?
An application that does not meet the financial requirement will be refused. Refusal follows either because the income falls below the threshold, or because the evidence does not prove the income relied on. The second is the more common of the two.
Income and evidence are assessed as separate questions. A sponsor may earn well above the threshold and still be refused due to lack of specified evidence.
Caseworkers have a discretion to request further information or documents before deciding within certain parameters. Where that discretion is exercised, the request specifies a strict deadline. The application is then decided on what is supplied by that date. The discretion cannot be relied on, and an application is expected to be complete when it is submitted. Where an application is refused, a right of appeal or administrative review may be available.
Where the required income has not yet been earned, the application should be delayed until the requirement is satisfied in full. A sponsor earning below £29,000 who received a pay rise three months ago is a common example. Category A takes the lowest level of pay received across the six months before the application. The earlier and lower salary would therefore set the figure. Waiting a further three months places all six months at the new rate.
Who is exempt from the financial requirement for a spouse visa?
A sponsor receiving certain disability or carer benefits is assessed in accordance with the adequate maintenance test. The £29,000 minimum income threshold does not apply. The question becomes whether the couple can be adequately maintained without recourse to public funds.
Qualifying benefits include:
- Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment and Carer’s Support Payment in Scotland
- Armed Forces Independence Payment and payments under the War Pensions Scheme
- Police Injury Pension
Frequently asked questions
Is the financial requirement calculated before or after tax?
Before tax. Every figure in the rules is a gross figure. A sponsor earning £29,000 before deductions meets the threshold, even though the amount reaching their account is lower. Where the gross amount cannot be properly evidenced, the net amount is counted instead, and still counted toward a gross requirement.
What is the 28-day rule for a spouse visa?
Where Appendix FM-SE requires the applicant to provide specified evidence relating to a period which ends with the date of application, that evidence must be dated no earlier than 28 days before the date of application.
How many payslips are needed for a spouse visa?
Six for an application relying on Category A. Each must be matched by a personal bank statement showing the payment into the account. An application relying on Category B needs the payslips for the current employment, plus evidence of the whole twelve-month history.
Can a spouse be sponsored where the sponsor has no income at all?
Yes, where the couple hold enough cash savings. Savings can meet the requirement outright, without any income. They must have been held for the six months before the case and meet the Category D rules. Savings held jointly count in full, so a contribution from either partner supports the same figure.
How is income in a foreign currency converted?
Income and savings held in a foreign currency are converted to sterling at the closing spot exchange rate shown on Oanda on the date of application. Any movement in the rate before that date is disregarded.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
The Spouse & Family visa financial requirement can be complicated, because the evidential requirements must be met exactly as the rules specify. A couple with a high income or substantial savings may still be refused if the evidential requirements are not met.
Whytecroft Ford’s immigration team advises couples on the UK Spouse Visa, the unmarried partner route and the fiancé route, including extensions and settlement. Our experienced team advises on choosing the right income category as per your circumstances and building an evidence portfolio in accordance with the immigration rules.
To discuss the financial requirement with an experienced immigration adviser, call 0208 757 5751 or use our contact form.
