A UK spouse visa is effectively a subcategory of the UK Family Route. A spouse visa allows overseas nationals to come to the UK to join their spouses/partners who are either British Citizens or have settled status in the United Kingdom. Therefore, if you are a non-UK national and married to either a British citizen or someone who is settled in the UK, you need to apply for a spouse visa in order to join your spouse/partner in the UK.
For a UK spouse visa, you will also need to meet the financial or minimum income requirement. This means you or your UK partner must earn £18600 if you were sponsored before April 2024 or £29000 if you applied after April 2024.
To sponsor you for your spouse visa application, you and/or your partner must show that you earn a minimum income required for this visa. The minimum annual income requirement for a spouse visa is currently £29,000, which includes any number of dependent children.
You can meet this requirement through a salary income from a job or self-employment, cash savings, or a combination of both. There are other means to meet the minimum income requirement as well.
Spouse visa sponsor losing their job means your UK partner, who earlier proved that they can sponsor you based on their salary income, has lost their job after you have been granted a spouse visa. The question arises, what will happen to your permission if your sponsoring partner loses their job? Will your visa become invalid in this situation? The short answer is no. This means you do not automatically lose your spouse visa the moment your sponsor becomes unemployed.
A UK spouse visa is based on the relationship status between the applicant and their UK partner and the financial circumstances at the time of visa application or last extension.
Once you have been granted a spouse visa, it will usually remain valid for its entire duration unless the UKVI revokes it for specific reasons, such as you being found to have used deception or breached your visa conditions. The UKVI does not actively monitor a sponsor’s employment status throughout the visa period. However, job loss can become a concern when it comes time to extend the visa or apply for ILR.
If your sponsor loses their job after UKVI has issued your spouse visa, the immediate status of your visa remains unaffected. However, you need to think ahead. When you apply for an extension or ILR in the future, you will need to demonstrate to UKVI that the financial requirement was met in the period leading up to the application.
The UKVI usually considers:
Spouse visa sponsor’s employment status in the last 6 months before the application
Ongoing employment at the time of application
Payslips and bank statements to confirm income
Where your sponsor lost their job for a short period, and the sponsor has since secured a new job, it is still possible to meet the income requirement, particularly if their job meets the salary threshold and they have held the job for at least six months by the date of application.
Even if your sponsor hasn’t been able to secure new employment after they lost their job, there are still other ways to meet the financial requirement
Here are the main alternatives to salary-based income requirements:
You can also satisfy the minimum income requirement through cash savings. As of 2025, you must have at least £88,500 in cash savings if you’re relying completely on savings. This amount must be held in an account that is accessible to you or your sponsor or jointly for at least six months before the application.
Key points to remember when relying on cash savings are:
The savings must be held in cash in a regulated financial institution
The savings must be under your control, your sponsor’s control, or joint control
The savings must be from a legal source, and you may need to provide evidence of this
If your spouse visa sponsor has found part-time work or has some income, but that is not enough to meet the minimum income threshold of £29,000, you can combine income with savings. In such a situation, the cash savings must be at least £29,000 under your control, your sponsor’s control, or joint control.
If your partner finds anew employment they can combine last 12 months of income to meet the financial requirement provided their current employment also pays them the required sum of £29000 or 18,600 as applicable.
If you are receiving third party support and this is reliable for a substantial length of time then you can meet the financial requirement.
You may be able to rely on exceptional circumstances; however, these are based on case-to-case basis and you will need to contact our team.
Several other non-employment income sources can help you meet the spouse visa financial requirement:
a. Rental Income - You can count an income coming in the form of rent from your or your sponsor's owned property. You’ll need to provide evidence such as tenancy agreements and bank statements showing rental payments.
b. Pension Income - If your sponsor is retired or receives a pension, this income counts towards the financial requirement. You will need to provide pension statements and evidence of payments received.
c. Income from Dividends or Shares: You can also include income from investments. You’ll need to provide share certificates, dividend vouchers, and evidence of funds received.
d. Income from Payment for Maintenance - In some cases, you can include maintenance payments from a former partner for you or your children.
Please note that, irrespective of which alternative route you choose, you will need to provide clear documentation and comprehensive evidence for each income source or savings amount you rely on.
If your spouse visa sponsor has lost their job, you are highly recommended to seek professional advice.
While in some cases you can meet the financial requirement straightforwardly, others may require careful planning, especially when you are relying on multiple sources of income, savings, or if there have been gaps in employment.
We provide you with clear and accurate legal advice as soon as possible if your UK spouse visa sponsor has lost their job and you are worried about how it may affect your spouse visa or future immigration applications.
Our immigration team is experienced in handling complex spouse visa matters, including issues related to spouse visa financial requirements and urgent changes in your circumstances. We will thoroughly review your case, advise you most suitable options, and help you prepare a strong application that meets all of the spouse visa requirements.
You can call us at +44 (0)20 3411 1261 for an expert consultation and guidance tailored to your situation.
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