Financial requirements for a Spouse visa
As spouse is included in the definition of ‘partner’, the financial requirement of a
spouse visa is the same as that of partner. The applicant must meet the financial requirement as a minimum income requirement.
Minimum income requirement
The minimum income requirement for a Partner such as spouse is £29000.
The minimum income requirement increases to £29000. However if your spouse or partner visa applied before 11th April 2024, the minmum income requirement is £18600, there is a higher financial requirement to be met where the application includes sponsorship of a child at the same time (or at any time before the applicant reaches settlement), or where the sponsor is already sponsoring a child. An additional gross annual income of £3,800 is required for the first child sponsored in addition to the partner and an additional £2,400 for each further child.
The minimum income requirement can be met by gross annual income above alone or in combination with cash savings of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant, above £16000, held by the partner and/or the applicant for at least 6 months and under their control. This additional savings need to be equivalent to 2.5 times the amount which is the difference between the gross annual income from the sources listed in paragraph E-ECP.3.2.(a)-(d) and the total amount required under paragraph E-ECP.3.1.(a).
If the higher financial requirement and other requirements are met, the applicant child or children will be granted leave in line with the applicant partner. If the partner and a child or children are applying together, and the higher financial requirement and other requirements are not met, applicants will be considered on the basis of exceptions and exceptional circumstances, where leave will either be granted on a 10 year route to settlement or refused.
Meaning of Child
The higher financial requirement applies to biological children, step-children (in certain circumstances), adopted children (in certain circumstances, including de facto adoptions), and children coming for the purpose of adoption who are subject to immigration control and applying for limited leave to enter or remain under Appendix FM, Appendix Armed Forces or the paragraphs of Part 8.
The financial requirement applies to a child who is:
- not a British Citizen (including an adopted child who acquires British citizenship)
- not an Irish Citizen
- not a European Economic Area (EEA) national resident in the UK with free movement rights under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 for as long as those rights remain in force until the end of the grace period on 30 June 2021
- have not been or is being granted leave to enter or remain under the EU Settlement Scheme (including settled status in accordance with paragraph EU2 or EU2A and pre-settled status in accordance with EU3 and EU3A of Appendix EU)
- is not settled in the UK or who qualifies for indefinite leave to enter
- does not qualify under Part 8 or Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules in a category to which the financial requirement does not apply
In order to assist with your application, please contact us at 0207 193 1996 for a further advice.
