UK partner visa: financial requirement mistakes to avoid

Meeting the financial requirement is an important part of a UK spouse or partner visa application. However, applications can go wrong because income or savings have been calculated incorrectly, the wrong evidence has been provided, or different sources of income have been combined when the rules do not allow it.

Do you need 12 months of evidence if you’ve just started a job?

If you have been working with your current employer for less than six months, you may still be able to meet the financial requirement for a UK spouse or partner visa. In this case, you will need to satisfy two tests.

First, your current income is considered. If you are paid a salary from your job, your current income is usually based on your gross annual salary on the date you make your application. If you are not paid a salary from your job, for example if you are paid hourly, your gross income is calculated using a different calculation.

Second, you must show that you received enough income during the 12 months before the application. After 11 April 2024, this is £29,000. You can include employment income or other sources of income, such as occupational or private pension.

This is where applications can go wrong. If you have been in your current job for less than six months, it is not enough to simply show that your current salary meets the financial requirement. You also need to check that your income over the previous 12 months meets the second part of the test.

Are you making these self-employed income mistakes?

The most common mistakes when using self-employed income, is using the wrong income or income from the wrong financial year.

When assessing self-employed income, the Home Office does not use revenue/turnover. Instead, they use the gross taxable profits of the business for the last full financial year. The relevant number is the gross taxable profit before any deductible allowances, expenses or liabilities are applied to decide the final tax liability.

You also need to use the correct financial year. This is usually the last full financial year before the application. That means if you apply in October 2026, the last full financial year you will need to show is April 2025-April 2026. You will also need to give evidence that shows the figures you are relying on to fulfil the financial requirements. This can include SA302 tax calculations together with a letter from your accountant.

Before applying it is important to check that the tax year, accounts and supporting documents all show the correct period you are relying on. The figures must also be consistent across your evidence.

Have you miscalculated the savings formula?

If you have cash savings, you may be able to use them to help meet the financial requirement together with income from your job or another qualifying source. However, you cannot just add all your savings to your income.

The Home Office use a specific calculation to work out how much of your savings you can include.

The first £16,000 of your savings is disregarded. You will need to divide the amount of savings over £16,000 by 2.5.

For example, if you have £34,188.37 in savings:

(£34,188.37 − £16,000) ÷ 2.5 = £7,275.35

So, £7,275.35 can be added to the qualifying employment income. You cannot include the full £34,188.37. 

Your savings also need to meet certain requirements. Generally, you and/or your partner must have held the savings for at least six months before you make your application. You also need to be able to show that you had control of the money. 

The Home Office will also look at the lowest amount of savings you had in your bank account (where your savings are held) in the last six months before the application. 

If you are relying on cash savings alone to meet the financial requirement, the amount of savings you need is different because you need to meet the full savings requirement.

Can you combine income sources to meet the financial requirement?

You can combine income sources to fulfil the income requirements for a UK partner or spouse visa. But the immigration rules do not allow every type of income to be combined. 

Cash savings can be combined with some types of employment, non-employment and pension income. You cannot combine savings with self-employment and limited company income. Make sure you understand what income types are allowed to be combined before you make your application.