Last reviewed: 20 May 2026
UK Partner Visa applicants can use specific sources of non-employment income to meet the minimum income requirement. Category C is the route for meeting the financial requirement from non-employment income, such as rent, dividends, and interest. It covers income that does not come from a job or self-employment. The income must have been received in the 12 months before the application, from an asset held at the date of application. This guide explains which sources qualify, how the income is assessed, and the evidence required.
What is Category C Non-Employment Income For a UK Partner Visa?
Category C is the category for specified non-employment income under Appendix FM-SE of the Immigration Rules.
The minimum income requirement is £29,000 gross per year for new Partner Visa .
Applicants who are already on the Partner Visa route since before 11 April 2024 are required to demonstrate the lower income threshold of £18,600 per annum plus the child element.
Non-employment income is frequently combined with salaried income or pension income.
Which non-employment income sources qualify?
A defined list of non-employment sources can be counted under Category C. The qualifying sources include:
- Rental income from property that is not the main residence
- Dividends or other income from investments, stocks, shares, bonds, or trust funds
- Interest from savings
- Maintenance payments from a former partner for the applicant
- Certain UK allowances, such as Maternity Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment
- Payments under an Armed Forces compensation scheme
- A maintenance grant or stipend for academic study, where it is not a loan
- Ongoing insurance or structured legal settlement payments
- Royalty payments
Dividends from a limited company in which the applicant or their partner is a director are not assessed under Category C; that income falls under Categories F and G, which have their own evidence rules.
How is Category C income assessed?
Category C income is assessed on the gross amount actually received in the 12 months before the application, from an asset owned at the date of application. The asset that produces the income must be held in the name of the applicant, their partner, or both jointly, and must still be held when the application is made. The income is counted before deductions such as management fees, and the underlying capital or equity in an asset cannot itself be counted, only the income it generates.
Where assets were sold during the 12 months, the income may still count if an equivalent replacement asset in the same category was purchased. To confirm whether a particular source of non-employment income qualifies, contact our friendly team on 0208 757 5751 or use our contact form.
How is property rental income treated under Category C?
Property rental income is one of the most common Category C sources, and has specific conditions. The property must be owned by the applicant, their partner, or both, and it cannot be their main residence. The gross rental income received over the 12 months is the figure counted, and where the property is co-owned with a third party, only the applicant’s or partner’s share of the rent qualifies. The equity in the property cannot be used to meet the requirement; only the rental income counts.
The evidence for rental income includes the property title deeds, any mortgage statement, the tenancy agreement, and personal bank statements showing the rent being received. The rent shown in the bank statements should reconcile with the tenancy agreement and the income relied on.
What evidence is required for Category C?
The evidence for Category C depends on the source, but in each case it must establish ownership of the asset, the income received, and that the asset is still held. Common evidence includes:
- For rental income: title deeds, tenancy agreement, mortgage statement, and bank statements showing the rent
- For dividends: dividend vouchers and the company’s documents, with bank statements showing receipt
- For interest: bank or building society statements or certificates showing the interest received
- For maintenance or other payments: the relevant order, agreement, or award, with bank statements showing receipt
Across all sources, the bank statements covering the 12 months are central, because they evidence that the income was actually received during the period.
Can Category C income be combined with other income?
Category C income can be combined with most other permitted sources, which is how it is most often used. It can be combined with salaried or non-salaried employment income under Categories A and B, with pension income under Category E, and with cash savings under Category D. This makes Category C a useful way to bridge a shortfall where employment income alone falls below £29,000.
The rules on combining sources, and the cash savings calculation where savings are used alongside non-employment income, are covered in our guides to the UK Spouse Visa financial requirement and the UK Spouse Visa cash savings requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Non-employment income under Category C includes rental income from a property that is not your main home, dividends and investment income, interest from savings, maintenance payments, and certain allowances and settlement payments. The income must have been received in the 12 months before the application, from an asset you or your partner own. Dividends from your own limited company are assessed separately under Categories F and G.
No. Rental income only counts under Category C where it comes from a property that is not your main residence. The property must be owned by you, your partner, or both, and only your share of the rent counts where it is co-owned with someone else. The equity in the property cannot be used, only the rental income received.
The income counted is what was actually received in the 12 months before the application, so a consistent 12-month record is the strongest position. The asset producing the income must also still be held at the date of application. Bank statements covering the period are the central evidence that the income was received.
Yes. Category C income is most often combined with salaried or non-salaried employment income to reach the threshold, and it can also be combined with pension income and cash savings. Each source must meet its own evidence rules for the relevant period. This makes Category C a common way to make up a shortfall.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
Category C is rarely used on its own, and the difficulty usually lies in proving the income rather than having it: a co-owned rental property where only a share counts, dividends that need to be distinguished from company-director income, or a 12-month record that does not quite reconcile with the bank statements. These are evidence problems that are straightforward to fix before an application and costly to discover after a refusal.
Whytecroft Ford advises partner and spouse visa applicants relying on non-employment income, including which sources qualify, how rental and investment income is assessed, and how to combine non-employment income with a salary or pension to reach the threshold. For an applicant drawing on several income streams, the firm confirms each source qualifies and is properly evidenced before submission. To discuss a Category C application with an experienced immigration adviser, call 0208 757 5751 or use our contact form.
The full set of categories is on the UK Spouse Visa hub, including the employment categories and the self-employment route under Categories F and G.
Written and reviewed by Whytecroft Ford’s immigration team, authorised and regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority, registration number F201900075. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including the Immigration Rules and Home Office guidance at GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a relevant rule change. Last reviewed: 20 May 2026.
