Under Appendix FM of the immigration rules, it is mandatory to meet the minimum income threshold requirement for a UK partner visa. Unless you are in receipt of public funds such as PIP, DLA, Carers Allowance, etc. For applicants applying for a UK partner visa after 11 April 2024 the minimum income threshold has been increased to £29,000 gross per annum from the early income requirement of £18,600 gross per annum.

Now the question is which income sources you can use for a UK partner visa.

You can use the following income sources under various categories for a UK partner visa:
a) Salary from Employment;
b) Non-salaried income from employment for less than 6 months
c) Non-employment income e.g. rental income, income from investments, stocks, and shares;
d) Cash savings;
e) Pension Income;
f) Self-employment income; and
g) Income from being a director

a. Salary from employment (6 months or more)

If the sponsoring partner and/or applicant (if they are in the UK with permission to work in the UK) has been working for the same company for at least 6 months or more before the applicants apply for a UK partner visa, it will be counted as salary from employment.

Salary income from employment (less than 6 months)

If the sponsoring partner and/or the applicant (if they are in the UK with permission to work) has been working with the same company for less than 6 months immediately before applying for a UK partner visa, this will be counted as valid income to meet the financial requirement.
Salary income from employment for less than 6 months must meet the financial requirement in 2 parts:

1. The sponsoring partner and/or the applicant with permission to work in the UK have been with their current employer for less than 6 months (there is no required minimum period for their current employment) and
2. They must also have earned the level of the income threshold required in the 12 months immediately before the date of application.

b. Non-salaried income from employment for less than 6 months

The sponsor and/or applicant has worked for less than 6 months in non-salaried employment and/or has not earned the income level relied upon in the application for at least 6 months before the date of application.

c. Non-employment income

Non-employment income of sponsor partner and/or applicant includes but is not limited to the following sources for at least 12 months immediately before the application for a UK partner visa:

Rental income from property;
Dividends or other income from investments, stocks and shares, bonds or trust funds; and
Interest income from savings.

d. Cash savings

A cash savings of a minimum of £88,500 must be held by the sponsor partner and/or applicant. Cash savings are calculated to meet the minimum income requirement of £29,000 gross per annum is amount using the following basic formula:
(Amount of cash savings - £16,000) ÷ (the period of grant of leave ÷ 2.5 years) must be equal to at least £29,000

According to the formula here if you want to rely solely on cash savings then you must hold at least £88,500. If you have savings of less than £88,500 you can rely on cash savings and another source of income together adding up to £29,000 per annum.

e. Pension

The gross annual income from any State (UK Basic State Pension and Additional or Second State Pension, HM Forces Pension or foreign), occupational, or private pension received by the sponsoring partner or the applicant can be counted towards the financial requirement under Category E.

f. Self-employment

You can use income from the last full financial year (from 6 April to 5 April of next year) or average of last 2 financial years to meet the financial requirement where the sponsor partner and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work is in self- employment.

If you are self employed outside the UK and want to apply for a UK partner visa you can do so, however you should have intention to move your self-employment to the UK and mist be earning over £29,000

g. Income from being a director

If you are a director of a company, you can meet the financial requirement through payslips and dividend income received through the company within the company’s financial year.

Should you wish to apply the UK partner visa you can contact one of our lawyers to find our further details and get a free assessment.

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