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Under the new rules for UK Spouse Visa introduced in April 2024, the UK government increased the minimum income requirement for spouse visa applications from £18,600 to £29,000 per year. This change requires British citizens or settled residents to demonstrate a higher annual income to sponsor their non-UK partners.
The UK Spouse Visa is an immigration path intended for individuals who want to live together lawfully in Great Britain with their British citizen or resident partner. It is crucial to keep up with the new rules regarding visa requirements, as they change annually. In this article, we will discuss the UK spouse visa new rules 2025 and examine the present procedure for acquiring this type of visa.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
What is UK Spouse Visa?
The official document lets a person from another country live with a British husband or partner in the UK. Marrying a British citizen does not automatically grant a foreigner a residence permit. The foreigner must still apply for a Spouse Visa. To be eligible for this immigration path, a couple does not have to be married; civil and unmarried partners can also apply.
After getting the visa, the couple can travel together. Also, they can show that they are serious about their love whenever they choose. Visas can be valid for up to two years and nine months. Later, the foreign national may choose to extend their visa. They can also apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), allowing them to live in the country permanently.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
Overview of the UK New Immigration Rules 2024 Spouse Visa
Stricter financial requirements will be in place for the UK Spouse Visa in 2024. Their minimum gross yearly pay has increased significantly from £18,600 in April 2024 to £29,000 in April 2025. A foreign national must earn at least the required amount to move to the UK with their spouse. As a result, people who applied for their visa before April 11 will still have to meet the old standard of £18,600.
The experts’ estimates indicate that this rule will likely still be vulnerable to revisions in the future. A minimum income requirement of £38,700 is expected to be implemented at some point in the future, most likely in 2025.
Transitional Rule
People who applied for or already had a family visa before April 11, 2024, should follow the temporary rules. This is for people who are engaged, planning to get married, or have a five-year partner. Applicants must meet the minimum income criteria for both extension and settlement applications. This applies even if they have already met the required level before.
New Spouse Visa Rules UK
In December 2023, the Conservative government announced further gradual increases. The minimum income requirement will rise to £34,500 in 2024, with a final target of £38,700 by early 2025. This last increase would align the spouse visa threshold with the overall Skilled Worker visa threshold.
However, the present spouse visa income threshold of £29,000 will be maintained awaiting the completion of the study and the recommendations made by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), as promised by the new Labour administration after the July 2024 General Election.
Any further increases beyond the current £29,000 limit remain unclear. The government will provide more details after the review is complete.
Removal of Extra Child Maintenance Condition
The government raised the overall threshold and removed the separate child element.
The Home Office justified the decision as necessary to protect British nationals from unfair treatment. They argued that migrants must meet the General Skilled Worker threshold regardless of any sponsored children.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
How to Meet the Spouse Visa Financial Requirement?
Candidates need to show they have enough money to qualify by providing a mountain of evidence. In most cases, the requirement is met by income from work alone. However, people who don’t meet the income requirement have other choices.
The financial criteria can also be satisfied through a mix of sources, such as savings or extraordinary circumstances, provided that these are well-documented and can be verified. Under the current regulations, these provisions are unaltered.
Are Both Partners’ Earnings Included?
To determine if an applicant is eligible for an initial spouse visa, applicants from outside the UK must show that the sponsoring partner’s (i.e., the British citizen or UK-settled person) income is higher than the mandatory minimum.
Nevertheless, in order to apply for settlement or extend a visa, it is possible to combine the salaries of the spouses.
Required Financial Evidence
As a result of the higher minimum income criterion, applicants are now required to present extensive financial documents that prove their income. That might involve:
- Bank records dating back six months or more
- Contracts or documents proving company registration or employment status
- Pay stubs and tax returns from the last 6 months
Employment Income Requirements
The income criteria can be satisfied by using the sponsored partner’s pay if they are employed in the UK. The sponsor’s employment history must include a minimum of six months of continuous service with the current company. A minimum of £29,000 must be earned in a year. In order to qualify, sponsors need to show that they made £29,000 or more in the last 12 months, regardless of how many jobs they had. This is also true if they were unemployed for six months.
In order to prove this, candidates must present six months of pay stubs together with bank statements that demonstrate the regular deposit of their money. In addition to the most current P60 form, you will need an employment contract or a letter from your employer verifying your work title, pay rate, and duration of employment.
Self-Employment Income Criteria
Although it may be more challenging, sponsors who are self-employed can nonetheless achieve the income criteria. The sponsor must provide proof of income for the entire fiscal year, which usually extends from April to March. Once all company expenses have been removed, the reported income must reach £29,000.
To back this claim, sponsors should submit an accountant’s statement of finances and verified tax returns (SA302 forms) for the most current fiscal year. Along with invoices, receipts, and evidence of registration with HMRC, you will also need bank statements that demonstrate business income.
Savings
If the sponsor’s income is insufficient, they can utilise their savings of more than £16,000 to cover the gap, or they can use their savings alone if that isn’t enough.
To determine its contribution towards the income requirement, only savings above £16,000 are taken into account. The excess amount is then divided by 2.5.
A single payment of £88,500 is now required to reach the threshold for persons without other income sources. To meet the cost of living at the increased rate for 2.5 years, this formula takes that into consideration.
Anyone over the age of 18 can have savings, including the applicant, their partner, or any dependent child.
The necessary funds must have been maintained in the applicant’s account(s) continuously for a minimum of six months prior to the submission of the visa application. You can show that you’re financially stable and sure that the money is readily available by using this time frame.
To demonstrate that the savings fulfil the requirements, you will need to provide additional proof like bank statements and a letter from the bank verifying the account information.
Meeting Financial Criteria with Multiple Incomes
Sponsors can achieve the £29,000 criterion using a mix of income from jobs, savings, self-employment, or rental income from UK or foreign properties. To accomplish this, you’ll need to provide proof of income from all sources and explain in detail how the total amounts reach the necessary level.
Additional Income Sources That Count
It is also possible to satisfy the financial criterion with additional sources, such as rental income, dividends from investments, or pension income. For instance, sponsors who have already retired might depend on their pension, while those who have investments can use dividends.
If this is the case, the applicant must provide documentation showing ownership (such as a deed or investment statement), as well as tax records and bank records showing the earnings.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
What does this imply for applicants?
According to the new immigration rules Spouse Visa, only successful couples will be able to legally live together in Britain. There are a few choices for people who don’t make enough to meet the new salary requirement:
- go for a higher-paying position,
- look for alternative ways to enter the UK, or
- select a different country as the permanent residence, be it the home country of the international partner or an entirely new nation.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
In what ways does this affect those who are already here?
Fortunately, the new restrictions for the Spouse Visa do not apply to foreign residents who have already been granted a visa and successfully migrated to the UK. If they want to extend their visa, however, they will have to follow the new rules for Spouse visa UK 2024 that are in effect on the day they apply.
How can I avoid fulfilling the new financial requirements for the 2024 spouse visa?
To avoid more increases in the minimum cash requirements, you must apply immediately. For this reason, the upcoming changes to the UK Spouse Visa Route, which will include higher financial requirements, may make it harder for you to qualify. Accordingly, our spouse visa lawyers suggest that you move quickly if you want to apply for a spouse visa and get it processed as soon as possible to avoid having to deal with the higher income requirements that will go into effect later this year.
Contact us immediately to start your application or talk to an expert about your spouse’s visa application.
Reasons for Changes to the Spouse Visa Route
According to immigration experts, one possible reason is the government’s aim to improve the quality of life for incoming migrants. They do this by allowing only affluent, highly skilled individuals to enter.
The tax implications are another factor. The UK economy benefits from higher-earning couples because they pay more taxes.
The government may be prepared to separate couples who struggle with the new regulations. This applies to those whose bond isn’t strong enough to withstand the challenges. Completing this legal procedure increases a couple’s chances of long-term stability and a good family life.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
How Can UK Immigration Solicitors Help?
UK Immigration Solicitors is a recognised legal business that has extensive experience assisting foreign nationals in relocating to the UK. We will discuss in detail whether you qualify for the UK Spouse and Partner Visa. If you don’t meet the requirements, we’ll guide you on how to ensure eligibility.
The main reasons why you should call us to get or extend your spouse visa are:
- Skilled family and immigration lawyers;
- Expert assistance at every step of the visa application process;
- Affordable legal services.
