Table Of Contents
- What is a UK Fiancé Visa
- UK Fiancé Visa Financial Requirements
- How to meet the UK fiancé visa financial requirement
- Documents as Proof of UK Fiancé Visa Financial Requirements
- Exemption from Minimum Income Requirement
- What if the applicant cannot meet the UK Fiancé Visa financial requirements
- Final Thoughts
The UK fiancé visa financial requirement is a key criterion for all fiancé visa applicants. They must show that during their stay in the UK, they will be able to support themselves financially without recourse to public funds. The fiancé visa financial requirements can be met by income and/or savings of the UK-based partner only. The applicant’s income and/or savings will not be considered in order to meet the fiancé visa financial requirements.
The minimum income threshold has increased for applications made on or after 11 April 2024. Thus, applicants should be aware of the new income threshold.
In this article, we will discuss a few things to know about fiancé visa UK financial requirements.
What is a UK Fiancé Visa?
A fiancé visa is for non-UK individuals who are engaged to an individual in the UK who is one of the following and want to marry their fiancé in the UK. British or Irish citizen in the UK;
- Someone with settled status, indefinite leave to remain, or permanent residence in the UK;
- Someone with pre-settled status under Appendix EU;
- Someone who has limited leave to remain as a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker under Appendix ECAA;
- Someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection status in the UK.
A fiancé visa is valid for 6 months only. Hence, they must marry their UK partner within 6 months of their arrival in the UK. After marrying their partner in the UK, they can apply for a UK spouse visa to continue living in the UK.
UK Fiancé Visa Financial Requirements
There are certain suitability and eligibility requirements that a UK fiancé visa applicant must meet. Financial requirement is a key eligibility requirement among them. Unless exempt, the fiancé visa applicants must meet the financial requirements. This means that they will be adequately maintained in the UK without recourse to public funds. Please note that to meet the financial requirement for a fiancé visa, only the income and/or savings of the UK partner will be considered.
How to meet the UK fiancé visa financial requirement?
Fiancé visa applicants can meet the financial requirement through their sponsor’s income and/or savings combined or other sources.
1. Employment Income –
Employment income means that the UK-based partner, who is also the sponsor, must earn a gross minimum annual income as per Appendix FM. The minimum income threshold has been increased from 11 April 2024. As per the new threshold, the UK-based partners of the applicant must earn a gross annual income of at
least £29,000. The sponsor must have been employed for at least 6 months with the same employer or be able to demonstrate continuous self-employment for the previous 12 months.
They can earn less and still meet the requirement if they have required cash savings or pension income to combine with annual income.
2. Cash Savings –
The fiancé visa financial requirements can also be met by cash savings alone. To rely solely on cash savings, the sponsoring partner must show £88,500 in cash savings. The savings must be held in the sponsor’s personal bank account or savings or investment account.
3. Combination of Income and Cash Savings –
Where the sponsor earns less than £29,000, they can use their cash savings and combine it with their income to meet the UK fiancé visa financial requirement. The minimum amount of savings they must hold is £16,000.
4. Self-employment Income –
Applicants can meet UK fiancé visa financial requirements if their UK-based partner earns self-employment income. Self-employment means the sponsor is a sole trader where he/she owns and controls the business, has a partnership firm where he/she owns and controls the business with one or more partners, or has a
franchise of an established business model. Self-employment must be ongoing at the date of application.
Applicants can also rely on the income of their partner being a director or employee of a specified limited company in the UK.
5. Non-employment Income –
The financial requirement can also be met by the non-employment income of the sponsor. Non-employment includes income from property rental or dividend income from equity.
6. Pension Income –
The UK fiancé visa financial requirements can also be met by the pension income of the UK-based partner. The source of pension can be any state pension, occupational pension, or private pension. The pension needs to have become a source of income at least 28 days before the application for a fiancé visa is made. Applicants can rely on a combination of pension income and savings.
Documents as Proof of UK Fiancé Visa Financial Requirements
Applicants must submit documents proving the sponsor’s income, such as:
- Salary slips for the last 6 months.
- Income Statement.
- An employment contract or a letter from the employer.
- Bank statements to prove savings (where applicable).
- Tax returns and business records for self-employed sponsors.
Exemption from Minimum Income Requirement
If the UK-based partner is a beneficiary of one of the following, the applicants do not need to meet the minimum annual requirement.
- Disability living allowance
- Severe disablement allowance
- Industrial injury disablement benefit
- Attendance allowance
- Carer’s allowance
- Personal independence payment
- Armed Forces independence payment or guaranteed income payment under the Armed Forces compensation scheme
- Constant attendance allowance, mobility supplement, or war disablement pension under the war pensions scheme or
- Police injury pension
- Child disability payment (Scotland)
- Adult disability payment (Scotland)
- Carer’s support payment (Scotland)
- Pension age disability payment (Scotland)
- Scottish adult disability living allowance (Scotland)
What if the applicant cannot meet the UK Fiancé Visa financial requirements?
If the applicant cannot meet the financial requirement due to exceptional circumstances, the Home Office may consider granting them a visa if refusing them the visa would breach ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights) Article 8.
The applicant needs to demonstrate that they would have to face unjustifiably harsh consequences if they were separated from their UK partner.
If an applicant cannot meet the fiancé visa financial requirements, they might consider getting married outside the UK with their UK partner and applying for a UK spouse visa after marriage. However, they will have to meet the same financial requirements at the time of UK spouse visa application.
Final Thoughts
A UK Fiancé Visa allows the foreign partner of a British citizen or someone settled in the UK to enter the UK to get married within six months. Applicants must meet several requirements, including proof of a genuine and subsisting relationship, an intention to marry, and financial stability.
To meet the fiancé visa financial requirements, the sponsor must demonstrate a minimum annual income of at least £29,000. The visa does not allow the applicant to work during their stay in the UK. However, after the marriage, the foreign partner can apply for a UK Spouse Visa, which will allow them to remain in the UK and work or study.
Read Related Blogs:
UK Fiancé Visa vs. Spouse Visa: Key Differences