The spouse visa financial requirement is one of the main qualifying requirements you must fulfil if you want to apply for a UK spouse visa. The “minimum income criteria” for the spouse visa specify that your partner must be earning a minimum annual income of at least £18,600. It’s important to note after 2.5 years, you and your partner can combine your income together to meet the financial criterion to apply for a spouse visa renewal.

How to Meet UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirements:

There are many ways to satisfy the financial requirements for a spouse visa, but usually, this involves either income, cash savings, or a mix of the two. If you have children, you will need an additional £3,800 per year for your first child and £2,400 per year for each additional child in addition to the base requirement of £18,600 per year. If you have three kids, for example, you’ll need an annual income of £18,600 + £3,800 + £2,400 + £2,400 = £27,200

You might be able to reduce or perhaps completely fulfil the annual income criteria if you have enough savings. Please see the section titled “Cash savings for spouse visa” for additional information.

Everybody has different circumstances. If you require help with your Spouse visa application, our immigration solicitor will advise you on how to fulfil the requirement.

Cash Savings for UK Spouse Visa:

You may use cash savings to satisfy the spouse visa’s financial criteria. If the following conditions are met:

• The funds are maintained in a current, deposit, or investment account in a bank or savings account.
• Your bank statements show that the funds have been held for at least 6 months before the application.
• The account is with a financial institution that is legally regulated.
• The funds are kept in cash and are easily available (with or without penalty).
• You and your partner have shared authority over the savings for the past six months.
• The money came from a valid source.

You may use any savings held in an ISA or a term deposit as long as you have instant access to them. One benefit of using savings to meet the financial criterion for a spouse visa is that you won’t need to provide proof of ongoing income if you have enough money. You will require at least £62,500 in cash savings if you plan to meet the spouse visa financial requirements only through savings.

You must do the following to determine the impact of your savings on reaching the financial requirement:

• Minus £16,000 from your total savings
• Multiply the remaining amount by 2.5. (2.5 is the number of years that your initial spouse visa will be granted for)

UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement Exemptions:

Some candidates for spouse visas are excluded from providing the necessary funds, including:

• Applying as a parent
• Who is eligible for specific benefits

Even if you qualify for the exemption from the financial requirements for the spouse visa, you must still show that you have the means to support yourself comfortably throughout your stay in the UK without the help of the government.

Additionally, if you can show exceptional circumstances, even if you do not fulfil the financial requirements or qualify for an exemption, you can still be eligible for a spouse visa. If you can show under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) that your family will suffer “unjustifiably harsh consequences” due to your spouse’s visa application being denied, exceptional circumstances may apply. The UKVI decision-maker may take other sources of income into account in this case (e.g. a guarantee of financial assistance from another person).

Conclusion:

There are more ways to meet the financial requirements for a UK spousal visa, and combining several categories of wages and savings is possible. The laws governing financial requirements are lengthy and complex. Getting legal counsel before applying for this kind of visa is recommended.

For more information and inquiry, contact My Legal Services’s immigration solicitor at 02037324736 or email info@mylegalservices.co.uk.

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