Insights
Financial requirement basics
How income and savings are assessed on partner applications, and why the specified evidence rules decide so many cases.
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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 the evidence rules matter as much as the figure.
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, and this can decide whether the requirement is met.
Savings and the holding period
Cash savings normally need to have been owned and under the control of the applicant, sponsor or both for the required period and evidenced through qualifying accounts. Moving funds between accounts can make the evidential trail harder to prove, so keep a complete record of the transfer and both accounts. Funds introduced shortly before the application may not satisfy the required holding period unless a specific exception applies, for example certain proceeds from an asset held for the required period.
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.
- Avoid unnecessary transfers during the evidential period; if funds have moved, keep statements showing the complete trail and obtain route-specific advice.
- If you are close to the threshold, get the calculation checked rather than rounding in your own favour.
What we can and cannot help with
We provide advice and application assistance for straightforward immigration matters within our IAA Level 1 Immigration authorisation. Where a matter falls outside that authorisation — for example because it involves adverse immigration history, a discretionary or human-rights claim, an administrative review, an appeal or tribunal work — we will tell you and signpost or refer you to an adviser authorised at the appropriate level.
If an application is refused, we will explain whether a new straightforward application may fall within our Level 1 service scope. Where review, appeal, tribunal or other higher-level work is required, we will signpost or refer you to an appropriately authorised adviser.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) makes the final decision on every application. No immigration adviser can guarantee that an application will be approved.
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, so it is worth checking which income is being relied on.
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 application?
General guides cannot cover every situation. Tell us what you want to apply for and we will confirm whether it is within our Level 1 authorisation.
The enquiry form is on this site and reaches us directly. Please do not send identity documents until we ask for them.