Last reviewed: 9 June 2026
For most couples applying under Appendix FM, the financial requirement is met or missed on the employment income evidence. The financial requirement is the gross annual income threshold a sponsor or applicant must demonstrate under Appendix FM, evidenced in the form prescribed by Appendix FM-SE. Applications that rely on employment income presented outside the prescribed format may be refused, even where the underlying income level is sufficient. This post provides an overview of employment income for the UK Spouse and Partner Visa financial requirement.
What does the financial requirement mean in practice for employment income?
The financial requirement is not simply a salary check. The income must be a specific type, assessed under the relevant category, and evidenced in the exact form specified by Appendix FM-SE.
The threshold is set at paragraph E-ECP.3.1 of Appendix FM for entry clearance and at paragraph E-LTRP.3.1 for leave to remain. The current income requirement of £29,000 and the full calculation framework are published on the Spouse and Partner Visa financial requirement guide. A transitional figure continues to apply where leave to remain is being extended with the same partner and the initial application was made before the April 2024 rule change.
Appendix FM-SE specifies which documents are required, their format, and the period they must cover. Income that is not presented in the prescribed form does not count toward the threshold. A full overview of the route, including the relationship, English language, and accommodation requirements, is at the UK Spouse Visa hub.
What is the difference between salaried and non-salaried employment?
Whether employment income is salaried or non-salaried determines how the annualised figure is calculated for the threshold test. The distinction is set by the nature of the contract, not by the pay frequency or the level of earnings.
Salaried employment is employment where the contract specifies a fixed gross annual or monthly salary regardless of hours worked. Non-salaried employment covers roles paid by the hour, by the shift, or by output, where gross pay varies from one period to the next. Under Category A, these two types are assessed differently. For a salaried employee, the assessed figure is the gross annual salary stated in the contract. For a non-salaried employee, the assessed figure is the lowest gross monthly payment in the six-month evidence period, multiplied by twelve.
What is Category A employment income under Appendix FM-SE?
Category A applies where the person whose income is relied on has been employed continuously with the same employer for at least six months before the application date. For a salaried employee under Category A, the assessed income is the gross annual salary held throughout the six-month evidence period.
A common misunderstanding is that a pay rise received during those six months can be counted in full from the date of the rise. Under Appendix FM-SE, the assessed salary is the lower of the figures held during the period. Only where the higher salary has been in place for all six consecutive months may the new figure be relied on in full.
For a non-salaried employee under Category A, the assessment uses the lowest gross monthly payment in the six months, annualised. Where material variable elements sit alongside a fixed salary, the case may fall within Category B rather than Category A.
What is Category B employment income under Appendix FM-SE?
Category B applies where the person whose income is relied on has been with the current employer for fewer than six months. It also applies where that person has changed employer in the preceding 12 months, or earns a variable income.
Category B requires two conditions to be satisfied at the same time. The first is that the gross annual salary at the date of application meets or exceeds the minimum income requirement, evidenced by the most recent payslip and the employer letter. The second is that gross earnings from all employment in the 12 months before the application date also meet or exceed the threshold. Both conditions must be satisfied; meeting only one is not sufficient.
Earnings from employment that ended within the 12-month period are included in the look-back figure, provided payslips and matching bank statements are available for that employment. Where a sponsor has moved to a higher-paid role but the 12-month earnings fall below the threshold, Category B employment income alone may not satisfy the requirement. In that position, combining income with cash savings or non-employment income, or waiting until Category A becomes available, may be the appropriate course. The full framework for this situation is covered in the variable and new job employment income guide.
What specified evidence does Appendix FM-SE require for employment income?
The specified evidence rules determine which documents are required, how they must be formatted, and what period they must cover. Documents outside those parameters do not satisfy the requirement, regardless of what the underlying figures show.
For Category A, the core evidence is six payslips covering the six consecutive months immediately before the application date. Personal bank statements for the same period are also required, showing each payslip payment credited to the account, together with an employer letter. For Category B, the evidence period extends to 12 months of all employment, including employment that has since ended. A current employer letter and the most recent payslip for the current role are required in addition.
The employer letter must be on company-headed paper, dated within 28 days before the application date. It must confirm the employee’s full name, job title, gross annual salary, employment type, and length of employment. A letter that omits any of those elements may constitute a gap in the specified evidence. Where a P60 covering a tax year within the evidence period was issued, it must be included.
How does Category A work when a pay rise occurs during the evidence period?
The following example illustrates how Category A operates where a pay rise occurred partway through the six-month window. As of June 2026, the minimum income requirement is confirmed on the Spouse and Partner Visa financial requirement guide.
The sponsor is employed full-time on a salaried contract and has been with the same employer for 14 months. The application is submitted on 9 June 2026 for entry clearance from outside the UK. The sponsor received a pay rise four months before the application date, moving from a gross annual salary of £30,000 to £32,500.
Under Category A, the assessed salary is the lower figure, because the higher salary has been held for only four of the six months in the evidence period. The assessed gross annual salary is therefore £30,000. As of June 2026, that figure meets the minimum income requirement, as confirmed on the Spouse and Partner Visa financial requirement guide. The required evidence is six payslips covering 1 December 2025 to 31 May 2026. Personal bank statements for the same period must also be provided, showing each payslip payment credited to the sponsor’s account. An employer letter dated within 28 days of submission is also required. The P60 for tax year 2024 to 2025 must be included where it was issued.
Can employment income be combined with other income sources?
Where employment income alone does not reach the threshold, it can be combined with cash savings, non-employment income, or pension income, subject to the combining rules in Appendix FM-SE.
Combining employment income with cash savings is the most common arrangement. The savings must have been held in a qualifying cash account in the name of the sponsor, the applicant, or both, for at least six months before the application date. Six months of official statements are required as evidence. The qualifying account types and the formula for calculating how savings contribute to the threshold are covered in the non-employment income for the partner visa financial requirement guide.
Employment income can also be combined with non-employment income, including rental income and investment income. Pension income may also be combined, each type assessed over the 12 months before the application.
What happens if the evidence does not meet the Appendix FM-SE format?
Income not presented in the form specified by Appendix FM-SE does not count toward the minimum income requirement. Applications that rely on non-compliant evidence may be refused, even where the underlying income clearly exceeds the threshold.
Common evidence gaps include bank statements that do not display the account holder’s name, payslips not matched to a corresponding bank credit, and employer letters that omit a required element. Cash savings held for fewer than six months do not satisfy the specified evidence rules regardless of the amount.
Where an evidence gap is identified before submission, the application should be delayed until compliant documents are available. Submitting with an identified gap alongside an explanatory note does not remedy the specified evidence requirement under Appendix FM-SE.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Where the applicant holds leave to remain with permission to work, their gross UK employment income can be relied on alongside or instead of the sponsor’s income. The same Category A and Category B rules apply to the applicant’s income, and the same specified evidence is required. Income from the applicant’s overseas employment does not count toward the minimum income requirement.
Under Category A, the assessed salary is the lowest gross annual salary held during the six-month evidence period. A common misunderstanding is that the post-rise salary can be relied on in full from the date of the rise. Only where the higher salary has been held throughout all six consecutive months may the new figure be used.
For a salaried employee under Category A, the assessment uses the annualised salary figure rather than individual monthly payments, so a single lower payslip does not automatically produce a refusal. Where pay varies month to month, however, the employment may fall under Category B, which applies the non-salaried calculation method and the 12-month look-back.
No. Third-party income cannot be relied on to meet the financial requirement under Appendix FM, except in narrow exceptional-circumstances cases. The income must come from the sponsor, or from the applicant where the applicant holds permission to work in the UK. Alternatively, the applicant or sponsor may rely on qualifying savings held in their name or jointly.
Yes. The financial requirement under Appendix FM applies to entry clearance applications for the Spouse Visa, the Fiancé Visa, and the Unmarried Partner Visa in the same way. The Category A and Category B employment income rules and the specified evidence requirements under Appendix FM-SE are the same across each route.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team advises sponsors and applicants on the UK Spouse Visa, the Unmarried Partner Visa, and the Fiancé Visa across the partner routes under Appendix FM. The team advises from initial eligibility assessment through to preparation of the evidence pack. Where the income picture is complex, for example because of a recent job change or variable shift pay, the firm identifies the applicable category and any evidence gap before submission.
To discuss your Spouse or Partner Visa application with our immigration team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Sources
- Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members – GOV.UK
- Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE: family members specified evidence – GOV.UK
- UK Family Visa – GOV.UK
Written and reviewed by the Whytecroft Ford immigration team. IAA Accredited. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including the Immigration Rules, Home Office caseworker guidance and GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a rule change. Last reviewed: 9 June 2026.
