How the current partner threshold, savings formula and transitional rules work. The correct income category matters as much as the headline amount.
Rules and sources checked: 5 November 2026. General information; confirm the rules for your application date.
The usual minimum income requirement for a new partner application is £29,000 a year. There is no additional child uplift under that standard threshold. Specified benefit cases use an adequate-maintenance test instead, and exceptions or human-rights cases need individual advice.
For a qualifying income shortfall at entry or extension, the usual cash-savings calculation is £16,000 + 2.5 × the annual shortfall. Savings alone therefore require £88,500. For example, £21,000 of eligible annual income leaves an £8,000 gap: £36,000 of qualifying savings is the usual amount. Savings must meet the ownership, access, source and evidence rules; normally the relevant amount must have been held for 6 months, with specific exceptions such as qualifying proceeds from assets held for the required period.
These rules do not mean every income source can be combined with savings. Employment, self-employment, company-director income, pensions and other income have different calculation and evidence requirements. Overseas earnings of an applicant coming from Thailand are not simply added to a sponsor’s UK salary. Returning sponsors may have a specific overseas-employment and UK-job-offer route.
If the first partner application was made before 11 April 2024 and you continue with the same partner, transitional rules may use £18,600 plus £3,800 for the first relevant child and £2,400 for each further relevant child, capped at £29,000. Children with specified British, Irish or settled status are excluded. The £38,700 proposal is not the current standard partner threshold.
Official sources: Family Income · Finance
For the common Category A employment case, evidence generally includes 6 months of payslips, matching bank statements and an employer letter. Category B has separate current-employment and past-12-month income tests; variable earnings do not automatically put every applicant into Category B. Self-employment and specified limited-company cases use different financial-year evidence under Categories F and G.
Check the exact evidence period, document dates, employer details, tax records and bank-payment matches in Appendix FM-SE and the financial-requirement guidance. A P60 is not a universal substitute for payslips. Not every combination of earnings and cash savings is permitted, and settlement uses different savings calculations from an entry or extension application.
For returning sponsors, overseas work and a qualifying UK job offer may be relevant under specific rules. Benefit exemptions, maternity or other statutory leave, self-employment and complex ownership arrangements need careful individual assessment. Use an authorised adviser for advice on which category or exception fits; document organisation alone cannot establish eligibility.
Official sources: Finance · Family Evidence
Both partners must be at least 18. Eligible sponsors include British or Irish citizens and people settled in the UK; GOV.UK lists other eligible statuses, so check the sponsor’s exact permission. You must intend to live together permanently and meet the relationship, financial, English, accommodation and suitability requirements.
A recognised marriage or civil partnership is one way to prove the relationship. Unmarried partners generally need a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership lasting at least 2 years. Living together for the full 2 years is not an absolute requirement: where you could not live together, explain why and provide evidence of an ongoing commitment. A marriage certificate alone does not establish that every visa requirement is met.
A standard partner entry grant is up to 2 years 9 months. An in-UK extension or switch is up to 2 years 6 months. Some sponsor-status cases have shorter grants. Settlement is a separate application: the current standard partner route can lead to eligibility after 5 qualifying years, subject to all requirements. Time as a fiancé(e) does not count towards those 5 years.
Official sources: Partner
This guide summarises the linked official sources and cannot determine an individual application. For eligibility, exceptions, refusals or appeals, consult a suitably authorised adviser. UKVI makes the decision. Our administrative service fees are separate from government and third-party charges.
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