Insights
Financial requirement basics
How income and savings are assessed on partner applications, and why the specified evidence rules decide so many cases.
Published by WLIS Admin
The financial requirement on partner applications is not really a test of whether a couple can afford to live in the UK. It is a test of whether a specific figure can be evidenced in a specific way, and cases fail on the second half far more often than the first.
The threshold, and which one applies to you
Most new partner applications need a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. Where the first successful partner application was made before 11 April 2024, the earlier financial requirement can continue to apply to later stages, so the date of that earlier application matters as much as your income today.
Where the applicant or sponsor receives certain disability or carer benefits, an adequate maintenance test can apply instead. That is a different assessment with different evidence, not a discount on the same one.
Which income counts
- Salaried employment, assessed differently depending on whether you have been with the employer for at least six months.
- Non-salaried and variable income, usually averaged over a longer period.
- Self-employment, evidenced by reference to full financial years rather than recent earnings.
- Cash savings above a threshold, held for a continuous period.
- Pension, maternity and certain other income in defined circumstances.
Categories can sometimes be combined and sometimes cannot. That single point defeats a lot of otherwise comfortable applications.
Savings are held, not shown
Cash savings must normally be held for a continuous period ending shortly before the application, under the control of the applicant, sponsor or both. Money that arrives shortly before the application, or that moves between accounts during the period, generally cannot be counted no matter whose it is or where it came from.
Where a case does not meet the rules
An application that cannot meet the financial requirement may, in some cases, be considered on the basis of exceptional circumstances. That is a human-rights assessment rather than a straightforward application, and it is outside our IAA Level 1 authorisation. If that is your position, we will explain it and signpost you to an appropriately authorised adviser.
Before you apply
- Fix the date of the earlier partner application, if there was one.
- Identify the income category before gathering documents, because the category decides the evidence.
- Do not move savings around in the months before applying.
- If you are close to the threshold, get the calculation checked rather than rounding in your own favour.
How WLIS can help
- 1 We check that the route suits your plans and that the matter is a straightforward one within our IAA Level 1 authorisation.
- 2 We review your eligibility and your documents, and explain plainly anything that needs attention.
- 3 We give you a document checklist written for your circumstances rather than a generic one.
- 4 We prepare the application form and supporting documents, and you check and approve the final information before anything is submitted.
- 5 We help with submission, biometrics or identity steps, and your eVisa and UKVI account after the decision.
Questions clients often ask
Can I use my partner's overseas income?
Income earned overseas by the sponsor can count in some circumstances, particularly where the sponsor is returning to the UK with a confirmed job offer here. Income earned overseas by the applicant usually cannot. The distinction catches many couples out.
Can we combine savings and salary?
Sometimes. Certain categories can be combined and others are mutually exclusive, and the arithmetic for combining savings with income is not a simple addition. This is worth calculating precisely before an application rather than approximately.
Have a question about your own case?
General guides cannot cover every situation. Tell us what has happened and we will confirm whether we can help.
The enquiry form is on this site and reaches us directly. Please do not send identity documents until we ask for them.