Spouse Visa Financial Requirements After April 2024

In April 2024, significant changes have taken place in the UK spouse visa landscape. One of the most significant changes is the financial requirement for spouse visa applicants.

  • Previously set at a gross annual income of at least £18,600, it has now been increased to £29,000 from 11 April 2024.
  • Further increases to £34,500 and £38,700 are expected later in the year and in early 2025 respectively.

The minimum income requirement shall now be revised more frequently. Therefore, applicants considering to apply for a spouse visa after 11 April 2024 have to keep themselves aware of the new rules to ensure that their application does not get refused. The minimum income requirement for a spouse visa can be met by savings, income or both.

If you apply for a family visa as a partner, you and your partner usually need to prove that your combined income is at least £29,000 a year.

This is called a ‘minimum income requirement’.

The financial requirements are different if either:

  • your partner is getting certain disability or carer’s benefits
  • you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and you’re extending that visa – this includes if you first applied as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner

How you prove your income depends on how you got it. You may be able to use your savings instead of income to show you meet the requirement.

As experienced spouse visa immigration lawyers, we have guided countless individuals through UK spouse visa financial requirements to apply for a UK Spouse visa. In this guide, we aim to simplify the UK spouse visa financial requirement, and tips to meet the financial requirement.

If You First Applied As A Partner Before 11 April 2024 And You’re Extending That Visa

If you’re extending your stay with the same partner, you and your partner will need to prove that your combined income is at least £18,600 a year.

You must prove you have extra money for any children who:

  • you’re applying for a family visa with
  • are already in the UK as dependants on your family visa
  • are already in the UK as your partner’s dependants

You do not need to prove you have extra money for any children who:

  • are British or Irish citizens
  • have pre-settled status
  • are permanently settled in the UK

You might not need to prove you have extra money if your children are citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland and they do not have pre-settled status or are not permanently settled in the UK. Check the guidance in Appendix FM and Appendix HM armed forces: minimum income requirement for more information.

If you need to prove extra money for children, you’ll need to prove an extra:

  • £3,800 a year for the first child
  • £2,400 a year for each additional child you have after the first child

If the total amount you’d need to earn based on your children would be more than £29,000, you only need to prove you make £29,000 a year.

If Your Partner Is Getting Disability Or Carer’s Benefits

You do not need to meet a minimum income requirement if your partner gets one of the following benefits:

  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Carer’s Allowance
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
  • Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme
  • Police Injury Pension
  • Child Disability Payment
  • Adult Disability Payment

You need to show you and your family have enough money to house and support yourselves without relying on additional public funds. The caseworker considers your income and housing costs.

Check the guidance in Appendix FM and Appendix

If you cannot meet the minimum income requirement

You need to show you and your partner meet the minimum income requirement if you want to settle in 5 years as a partner.

If you do not meet the requirements, you may be able to settle in 10 years.

If you require Immigration Advice Services or help with an immigration problem, please contact +441614644140 or email us at info@deluxelawchambers.co.uk for fast, professional, and affordable immigration advice from our highly experienced UK immigration lawyers. You can book an appointment online for a detailed immigration consultation.

Who needs to meet the financial requirement?

The financial requirement – in the form of the minimum income requirement, for those not exempt from it – needs to be met by those making an application in the following categories of Appendix FM:

• Family Life as a Partner
• Family Life as a Child of a person with limited leave as a Partner

Under paragraph A280(b) of Part 8 of the Immigration Rules, the financial requirement also needs to be met by those applying from 9 July 2012 as a child under paragraph 314(i)(a) or (d) (unless both parents are settled), or paragraph 316A(i)(d) or (e), where a parent who has adopted the child, or is doing so, is themselves subject to the financial requirement because they have or are applying for entry clearance or limited leave to remain as a partner under Appendix FM. Otherwise, the maintenance requirement applicable to the child applicant will be that contained in the relevant adoption rule in Part 8.

Spouse visa financial requirement exemptions

Where your partner is in receipt of certain benefits or allowances in the UK, you may be exempt from meeting the financial requirement for the spouse visas by providing evidence of “adequate maintenance”. This includes:

  • Carer’s Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
  • Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme
  • Police Injury Pension

If the applicant’s partner is in receipt of one of the above benefits or allowances on behalf of their child, the applicant will be able to qualify by meeting the financial requirement through ‘adequate maintenance’, with evidence specified in Appendix FM-SE:

All the following must be provided:

  • official documentation from the Department for Work and Pensions or Veterans Agency or Police Pension Authority confirming the current entitlement and the amount currently received
  • at least one personal bank statement in the 12-month period prior to the date of application, showing payment of the benefit or allowance to which the person is currently entitled into their account

The minimum income threshold will apply at the next application stage if the applicant’s partner is no longer in receipt of one of these benefits or allowances at that time.

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for uK Spouse Visa

The IHS is a healthcare charge that is paid by immigrants to access free healthcare services offered by the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Previously the healthcare charge was £624 for adults which has been increased to £1035 per annum now. For child applicants the charge is £776. The main applicant and any dependents have to pay the healthcare surcharge before submitting the application. The application will be turned down if the full amount of the healthcare charge is not paid within 10 working days if the application is made from within the UK, or within 7 working days if the application is made outside the UK.

Home Office Application Fee for spouse visa:

In addition to the minimum income requirement and the healthcare surcharge the home office application fee is also required to be paid.

  • If you’re applying for a UK Spouse Visa from outside the UK in 2024, the application fee is £1,846 which previously was £1,523

If you’re applying from inside the UK, the application fee is £1,048 which previously was £1,033

Cash savings for financial requirement after april 2024

Applicants that find it hard to meet the financial requirement through income can also fulfil the financial requirement through savings. Previously in order to meet the financial requirement solely by relying on cash savings to meet the minimum income requirement for the UK Spouse Visa the UK sponsor had to demonstrate that he had at least £62,500 as savings. Now as the minimum income requirement has been increased to £29,000, the amount of savings required has been increased to £88,500.

Meeting financial requirements through other means

Apart from income from employment and savings the following sources of income can also be made of use to fulfil the financial requirements of a spouse visa.

  • Rental income
  • Dividend income
  • Income from stocks and shares
  • Pension income
  • Income of applicant

Having the correct paperwork for the above-mentioned means is essential as proving their legitimate source might be required. It is important to note that the stocks and shares will have to be sold before they can be considered to fulfil the financial requirement of a spouse visa. When considering to utilize the earnings of the applicant partner coupled with the income of the UK sponsor.

Evidence to meet the financial requirement for a spouse visa

You’ll need to provide proof of your income with your application. If you or your partner are employed, you could include:

  • bank statements showing you or your partner’s income
  • 6 months of payslips
  • a letter from an employer, dated and on headed paper

The employer’s letter should confirm:

  • you or your partner are employed there
  • the job title or position you or your partner hold
  • how long you or your partner have worked there
  • the type of contract (for example, permanent, fixed term)
  • what you or your partner earn before tax and National Insurance
  • how long you or your partner have been paid your current salary
  • the payslips are genuine

You’ll be told exactly what documents to provide when you apply online.

Check the guidance in appendix FM 1.7: financial requirement if:

  • you or your partner’s income is more complicated
  • you or your partner have taken maternity or paternity leave in the last 6 months
  • you want to combine different income sources

The detailed guidance also explains the evidence you need to provide for each of the types of income you’re relying on.

why choose deluxe law chambers for your Spouse visa application?

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What is the minimum financial requirement for spouse visa?

The minimum income requirement for a spouse visa (income threshold for spouse visa) is £29,000.

How much money do you need for a UK spouse visa?

The spouse visa application requires the applicant and their UK based partner must have a minimum gross annual income of £29,000

Is UK spouse visa closing in 2024?

No, UK spouse visa is not closing.

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