Spouse Visa UK Financial Requirements 2023 Guidance

In this guide, we are going to discuss the spouse visa UK financial requirements in 2023.

but first…

What are the Spouse Visa UK Financial Requirements in 2023?

As stated in Paragraph A1 of Appendix FM-SE, the spouse visa UK financial requirements in 2023 are that:

• You must meet the level of financial requirement that applies to your application (usually £18,600);
• You must earn this income from a permitted source of income and/or savings;
• You must earn this income in a specific period; and
• You must include specific evidence.

Let’s now talk about these, in an easy-to-understand way. 

Do you need to earn £18,600?

The majority of applications will need to show a gross annual income of £18,600.

This is known as the “minimum income threshold”.

There are three factors that can affect this £18,600 figure:

• Whether there are dependant children who are also applying;
• Whether the applicant and/or sponsor are including cash savings towards the financial requirement; and
• Whether the sponsor receives a permitted benefit.

We will now discuss each of these.

#1 If you have children, you may have to earn more than £18,600.

First of all, children who are either British citizens or have settled status or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK will not affect the £18,600 financial requirement.

Rather, the £18,600 minimum income threshold will only be higher if:

• A child needs a visa to stay in the UK and is applying as a dependant at the same time as the main applicant (the non-UK partner); or
• A child needs a visa to stay in the UK and is applying as a dependant before the main applicant (the non-UK partner) reaches settlement; or
• The UK partner (‘sponsor’) is already sponsoring a child.

We elaborate and provide examples of these in our free video series.

The financial requirement will be higher by £3,800 for the first applying child and an additional £2,400 for each further applying child.

Therefore:

• If no children are applying, the financial requirement is £18,600.
• If you have one child who is applying, the financial requirement will be £22,400.
• If you have two children who are applying, the financial requirement will be £24,800.
• If you have three children who are applying, the financial requirement will be £27,200.

#2 If you can evidence cash savings of £16,000+, you may have to evidence less than £18,600.

For more information about this, feel free to read our £16,000 – £62,500 spouse visa cash savings requirement in 2023 article.

#3 If you receive a ‘permitted benefit’, you will not need to evidence a gross annual income of £18,600 as a different threshold will apply. 

These permitted benefits are:

• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme;
• Attendance Allowance;
• Carer’s Allowance;
• Constant Attendance Allowance;
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA);
• Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit;
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP);
• Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme;
• Severe Disablement Allowance; and
• Police Injury Pension.

If you receive one of the above benefits, then you will need to satisfy the ‘adequate maintenance test’ instead.

For more information about the adequate maintenance requirement, feel free to read our adequate maintenance guidance for 2023 article.  

What sources of income can you include to meet the financial requirement?

Not all sources of income can be included towards the financial requirement.

We will now discuss different sources of income that can be used to satisfy the financial requirement.

These are:

• Employment income;
• Self-employment income;
• Dividend income;
• Cash savings;
• Pension income;
• Property rental income; and
• Income that falls under ‘other sources of income’.

Source 1: Employment income

#1 For applications that are being made outside the UK, it is technically only the employment of the sponsor (a.k.a., the “UK partner”) that can be included towards the financial requirement.

Example

Sarah (the ‘applicant’) is applying for a spouse visa from outside the UK.

Even though she earns an equivalent of £65,000 per year as a doctor in Pakistan, she cannot include this to meet the financial requirement.

#2 For partner visa applications that are being made inside the UK (a.k.a., an FLR M visa), the applicant’s employment income can be included if the applicant is lawfully in the UK with permission to work (e.g. on a Tier 2 visa).

Example

Nicholas is in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa and wants to apply for a spouse visa (FLR M visa) inside the UK.

As he is in the UK lawfully with permission to work, he can include his employment income towards the financial requirement.

#3 The UK partner’s employment income can be from working both inside and outside the UK.

Source 2:  Self-employment income

Source 3:  Dividend income

Dividend income can be included towards the financial requirement.

• Dividend income from a non-specified limited company; and
• Dividend income from a specified limited company.

More information regarding specified limited companies can be found here.

Source 4: Cash savings

If either the applicant or UK partner has cash savings that equals or exceeds £16,000, this could be used to either reduce the minimum income threshold amount (usually £18,600) or to satisfy it completely.

If the adequate maintenance test applies to your application (because the sponsor receives a permitted benefit), there is no minimum amount of cash savings that will be required to include cash savings towards the financial requirement.

For the majority of applications where the minimum income threshold of £18,600 applies, £62,500 is the amount of cash savings that are generally required to meet the financial requirement alone (although if dependant children are applying, this figure will be higher).

Source 5: Pension income

This can be a state pension (either from the UK or from abroad), an occupational pension or a private pension.

Source 6: Property rental income

Property rental income can be included towards the financial requirement.

Source 7: Other sources of income

These include the following sources of income:

• Dividends or other income from investments, bonds, trust funds or stocks and shares (from a non-specified limited company);
• A maintenance grant or stipend (that is not a loan) which is given because of undergraduate or postgraduate research or study;
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance, Bereavement Payment, Bereavement Allowance & UK Maternity Allowance;
• Interest from savings
• Payments under the War Pensions Scheme, the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and the Armed Forces Attributable Benefits Scheme.
• On-going royalty payments.
• On-going payments from a structured legal settlement.
• On-going insurance payments.

What category does your income fall under?

Employment income

#1 The first thing that you need to find out is whether the employment income is from a ‘specified limited company’ or not.  

If your employment income is not from a specified limited company, the relevant categories are Category A and Category B.

If your employment income is from a specified limited company, the relevant categories are Category F and Category G.

Employment income from a non-specified limited company in the UK

#1 If the employed partner will have been employed by the current employer for 6 months or longer when the application is submitted, you should first consider whether the financial requirement will be met under Category A.  

If the financial requirement will not be met under Category A, you should then consider if the financial requirement will be met under Category B.

This is because employed partners who have been employed for longer than 6 months can choose to rely on either Category A or B.

#2 If the employed partner will have been employed by the current employer for fewer than 6 months when the application is submitted, you will only have the option of applying under Category B.

Employment income from a specified limited company in the UK

If the employed partner is including employment income from a specified limited company, then you will have to apply under Category F or Category G.

Self-employment income

Self-employment income is defined by the Immigration Rules as those who are self-employed as a sole trader, in a partnership or as a franchise.

Self-employment income is considered under Category F or Category G.

Employment income from a specified limited company should not be confused with income from self-employment – the two are completely different in the Immigration Rules.

“What is the difference between Category F and G for self-employed persons?”

Category F‘s gross annual income is based on the last full financial year (as stated in the most recent 6 April – 5 April personal tax year for those who are self-employed in the UK).

Category G‘s gross annual income is based on the average of the last two full financial years (as stated in the two most recent 6 April – 5 April personal tax years for those who are self-employed in the UK).

Dividend income

If dividend income is from a ‘specified limited company‘, this is included under Category F or Category G.

If dividend income is not from a ‘specified limited company’, this is included under Category C.

Cash savings

Cash savings are included under Category D.

Pension

Pension income is included under Category E.

Property rental

Property rental income is included under Category C as “non-employment income“.

Other sources of income

The following are other sources of income that can be included under Category C as “non-employment income:

• Dividend income or other income from investments, stocks and shares, bonds or trust funds (only if this is not from a ‘specified limited company’).
• Interest from savings.
• Maintenance payments from a former partner of the applicant in relation to the applicant or any children of the applicant and their former partner. Also, maintenance payments from a former partner of the applicant’s partner in relation to that partner.
• UK Maternity Allowance, Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance.
• Payments under the War Pensions Scheme, the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and the Armed Forces Attributable Benefits Scheme.
• A maintenance grant or stipend (not a loan) associated with undergraduate study or postgraduate study or research.
• Ongoing insurance payments.
• Ongoing payments from a structured legal settlement.
• Ongoing royalty payments.

The sponsor receives a PERMITTED BENEFIT

Categories A-G do not strictly apply to those who receive one of the following permitted benefits:

• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme
• Severe Disablement Allowance

This is because the ‘adequate maintenance test‘ will apply instead.

How is the gross annual income calculated under each of the Categories?

Category A (Employment income from a non-specified limited company)

#1 You must first determine whether the employment income is salaried or non-salaried.

Since the Home Office calculate salaried and non-salaried employment income completely differently, it is important to get this right.

Category B (Employment income from a non-specified limited company)

#1 You must first determine whether the employee is either salaried or non-salaried.

We provided an overview of this here, under the sub-heading ‘Category A (Income from a non-specified limited company).

This is also discussed in more detail in our article “Category A or B, F or G? [UK Visa Financial Requirements Guide]“.

Category C (Non-employment income)

The general rule is that the amount that you can include towards the financial requirement is the amount that you received in the 12 months prior to the date of application.

However, this general rule can vary, depending on the other income sources that are being included in the application (e.g. if Category C is combined with Category F).

Category C (Rental income)

The general rule is that the amount that you can include towards the financial requirement is the amount that you received in the 12 months prior to the date of application.

It is important to note that this general rule can vary, depending on the other income sources that are being included in the application (e.g. if rental income is combined with Category F).

Here, when calculating the amount of rental income that you can include towards the financial requirement, you should ignore any management fees that are paid (e.g. to estate agents).

If the UK property is also owned by a third party (e.g. a family member that is not you or your partner) you can only include income that is received from your share in the property.

Category D (Cash savings)

To avoid making this article excessively long, this is discussed in our article “Cash Savings Guidance for 16000 – 62500+ Spouse & UK Partner visas in 2023“.

Category E (Pension income)

The starting point is that you can include the gross annual income from the pension that is being received when you pay the Home Office fees on the online application.

This means that it generally does not matter how much pension has been received in the 6 or 12 months before the Home Office fees are paid.

What does matter, however, is that the pension has become a source of income at least 28 days before the date of the application.

Example

Jeremy has been a senior policeman for many years.

On 1^st November 2023, he will start to receive his pension, which provides a gross annual income of £40,000.

Therefore, from the 1st November 2023, he will be able to use this pension to meet the financial requirement.

The amount of pension income that Jeremy can use towards the financial requirement will therefore be £40,000.

Category F (Employment and dividend income from a specified limited company)

More income about specified limited company income can be found here.

Category F (Self-employed income as a sole trader, in a partnership or franchise)

For those who are self-employed (as a sole trader, as a partnership or as a franchise), you should:

#1 First make sure that your accounts for the most recent financial year have been done.

Why?

Because your gross annual income from self-employment will be the gross taxable profits from your share of the business during the ‘last full financial year’.

The ‘last full financial year’, for those self-employed in the UK as a sole trader, a partner or are in a franchise, will be the self-assessment tax period that has most recently ended.

In the UK, the standard self-assessment tax return period is 6 April of one year to 5 April of the following year.

Example

Nicholas is self-employed as a sole trader.

Nicholas wants to submit a UK spouse visa application on 1 February 2023.

In this case, the most recent full financial year will therefore be 6 April 2021- 5 April 2022.

If Nicholas changes his mind and wants to submit a UK spouse visa application on 1 July 2023, the most recent full financial year will be 6 April 2022 – 5 April 2023.

#2 Note that the gross annual income from self-employment should NOT include any deductible allowances, expenses or liabilities that may be applied to the gross taxable profits to establish your final tax liability.

#3 Forward the above to your accountant and ask them what the figure is. 

An accountant will be best placed to identify the gross taxable profits from your share of the business during the ‘last full financial year’.

Furthermore, if you are not able to provide one of the following documents, then you will need an accountant in order to obtain an accountant’s certificate of confirmation.:

(1) A certificate of VAT registration and the VAT return for the last full financial year (a copy or print-out) confirming the VAT registration number, if turnover is in excess of £79,000 or was in excess of the threshold which applied during the last full financial year;

(2) Evidence to show appropriate planning permission or local planning authority consent is held to operate the type/class of business at the trading address (where this is a local authority requirement); or

(3) A franchise agreement signed by both parties.

Finally, it should also be noted that this self-employment income must still be a source of income at the time of application.

Category G (Employment and dividend income from a specified limited company)

You must total all of the gross employment and gross dividend income received in the last two full financial years (as stated by the two most recent specified limited company’s CT600 documents).

You will then have to calculate a mean average based on these two full financial years.

Therefore, total the two figures and then divide that figure by 2.

This is the income that you can include towards the financial requirement under Category G.

Category G (Self-employed income as a sole trader, in a partnership or franchise)

You must ask your accountant what your mean average gross taxable profits from your share of the business during the most recent two full financial years are.

When calculating this, let your accountant know not to include any deductible allowances, expenses or liabilities that may be applied to the gross taxable profits to establish your final tax liability.

This is the income that you can include towards the financial requirement under Category G. 

What income can you COMBINE to meet the financial requirement?

It is important to note that whilst some combinations of income can be combined (e.g. Category A and Category C), some Categories of income cannot be combined.

Let’s discuss each Category and see what can and what cannot be combined.

Combining salaried or non-salaried employment from 6 months’ employment under Category A

Category A can be combined with:

• Non-employment income sources under Category C.
• Cash savings under Category D.
• Pension income under Category E.
• Self-employment income under Category F and Category G (as long as it falls within the relevant financial year(s)).
• Income from being a director or employee of a ‘specified limited company’ under Category F and Category G (as long as it falls within the relevant financial year(s)).

Category A cannot be combined with:

• Salaried and non-salaried employment income based on 12 months’ employment under Category B.

Example 1

Steven wants to combine employment income from two different employers.

Steven has been employed for longer than 6 months with one employer and fewer than 6 months with his other employer.

If Steven wants to include income from both employers, both must be calculated in accordance with Category B.

This is because Category A cannot be combined with Category B.

Alternatively, if the employment income from his job where he has been employed for longer than 6 months meets the financial requirement alone, he can choose to only include this income under Category A.

Example 2

Clarissa has been employed in the UK for longer than 6 months.

Her husband, Osman, has been employed in the UK for fewer than 6 months.

Since Osman has been employed in the UK for fewer than 6 months, they will either need to:

1) Both count their income under Category B (employment income based on the previous 12 month’s income); or

2) Wait until Osman has been employed in the UK for 6 months and then count both of their income under Category A; or

3) Only include Clarissa’s income if her income satisfies the financial requirement alone.

Combining salaried or non-salaried employment under Category B

Category B can be combined with:

• Non-employment income sources under Category C.
• Cash savings (to a certain extent – see the ‘combining Category B and Category D – cash savings’ box below) under Category D.
• Pension income under Category E.
• Self-employment income (as long as it falls within the relevant financial year(s)) under Category F and Category G.
• Income from being a director or employee of a ‘specified limited company’ (as long as it falls within the relevant financial year(s)) under Category F and Category G.

Category B cannot be combined with:

• Salaried and non-salaried employment income based on 6 months’ employment under Category A.

Combining rental income (& other non-employment income sources)

Category C can be combined with:

• Employment income under Category A and Category B.
• Cash savings under Category D.
• Pension Income under Category E.
• Self-employment income (as long as it falls within the relevant financial year(s)) under Category F and Category G.
• Income from being a director or employee of a ‘specified limited company’ (as long as it falls within the relevant financial years, see #4 below) under Category F and Category G.

Combining cash savings

Category D can be combined with:

• Employment income under what is known as ‘Category A’.
• Employment income under ‘Category B’, but only with part 1 of the test (see the example listed in Category B of this step).
• Non-employment income sources under Category C.
• Pension Income under Category E.

Category D cannot be combined with:

• Self-employment income under Category F and Category G.
• Income from being a director or employee of a ‘specified limited company’ under Category F and Category G.

Combining pension income

Category E can be combined with:

• Employment income under Category A and Category B.
• Non-employment income sources under Category C.
• Cash savings under Category D.
• Self-employment income (as long as it falls within the relevant financial year(s)) under Category F and Category G.
• Income from being a director or employee of a ‘specified limited company’ (as long as it falls within the relevant financial year(s) under Category F and Category G.

Combining income from self-employment under Category F or Category G

Category F (self-employed income) can be combined with:

• Employment income under Category A and Category B.
• Non-employment income sources (e.g. property rental income, maintenance payments, click here to see the full list) under Category C.
• Pension Income under Category E.
• Other Category F income – as long as the relevant financial year is the same.

Category F (self-employed income) cannot be combined with:

• Cash savings under Category D.

Combining income from a specified limited company under Category F or Category G

Category F (specified limited company income) can be combined with:

• Employment income under Category A or Category B.
• Non-employment income sources under Category C.
• Pension Income under Category E.

Category F (specified limited company income) cannot be combined with:

• Cash savings under Category D.
• Income from self-employment as a sole trader, as a partnership or as a franchise under Category F or Category G.

What financial documents do you need to submit for a UK spouse visa?

This will depend entirely on the particular source of income(s) that you are including in the application.

Three key sources will tell you what financial documents are required – Appendix FM-SE, Appendix FM 1.7 and Appendix FM 1.7a.

If you would like to save time and help ensure that you submit the correct documentation that complies with the various Immigration Rules, feel free to check out our DIY Application Pack Service.

This service also includes general email support, too.

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