Sponsor Income for Spouse Visa: How to Meet the Requirement
The income requirement is one of the most challenging aspects of the UK spouse visa for many couples. The UK-based sponsor must demonstrate sufficient financial resources to support their partner without recourse to public funds. This guide explains exactly how income is assessed and how to evidence it.
- Section
- Employers & Sponsors
- Reading time
- 12 min
- Last checked
- 2 September 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- The requirement is £29,000 a year for applications made on or after 11 April 2024.
- Employment income, self-employment, pensions and rental income can all count.
- Cash savings above £16,000 can supplement or replace income.
- The applicant's income counts on extensions but generally not on initial applications from abroad.
- Sponsors on certain disability or carer benefits are outside the income figure entirely.
The UK sponsor must meet a minimum income requirement to bring a partner to the UK. For applications made on or after 11 April 2024, the figure is £29,000. This guide explains what counts as income, how to use savings, self-employment income, and combined sources to reach the threshold.
The Income Requirement
The minimum income requirement for sponsoring a partner is £29,000 a year for applications made on or after 11 April 2024. It was announced in December 2023 as the first stage of a staged increase that was to end at £38,700. No later stage was ever written into the Immigration Rules, and there is no published date or plan for one. Our guide to the £38,700 figure traces what happened to it.
Two groups are assessed differently. Someone who first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and is extending that visa is assessed against £18,600, plus £3,800 for a first child and £2,400 for each further child, capped at £29,000 — see our transitional arrangements guide. Where the sponsoring partner receives one of the disability or carer benefits listed on GOV.UK, no minimum income figure applies and an adequate maintenance test is used instead.
Otherwise the figure applies to the first application, to extensions, and to switching applications. The full rules are set out in Appendix FM-SE of the Immigration Rules. For a detailed analysis of the threshold changes, see our guide on the £29,000 income requirement.
Income from Employment
Employment income is the most straightforward way to meet the requirement. The Home Office looks at:
Category A: Salaried Employment (6 Months with Current Employer)
If the sponsor has been employed by the same employer for at least 6 months at the date of application, the Home Office looks at the gross annual salary. Evidence required:
- At least 6 months' payslips from the current employer
- A letter from the employer confirming salary, role, and length of employment
- Corresponding bank statements showing salary payments
Category B: Variable or New Employment (12-Month Period)
If the sponsor has been with their employer for less than 6 months, or if income varies (overtime, commission, bonuses), the Home Office looks at the total income over the 12 months before the application date. The total must meet or exceed £29,000 and the current salary must also be at least £29,000 per year.
Evidence required includes 12 months' payslips, employer letter, and bank statements for the full period. For details on how this is assessed, see the financial requirement guide.
Self-Employment Income
Self-employed sponsors face additional evidence requirements. The Home Office typically looks at:
- The last full financial year's self-assessment tax return (SA302) and tax year overview from HMRC
- Company accounts (for directors of limited companies) or personal accounts (for sole traders)
- Bank statements showing the income received
- Evidence of ongoing contracts or business activity
If the last financial year's income does not meet the threshold, the Home Office may consider an average over the last 2 financial years. However, income must still be at least £29,000 per year on average.
Self-employment cases are more complex and more frequently refused. If your income is from self-employment, consider reviewing our guide on whether to use a solicitor.
Using Cash Savings
Cash savings above £16,000 can be used to meet or supplement the income requirement. The formula is:
(Required income - actual income) x 2.5 + £16,000 = savings needed
For example, if the sponsor earns £20,000 and the threshold is £29,000, the shortfall is £9,000. The savings needed would be: (£9,000 x 2.5) + £16,000 = £38,500.
The savings must have been held for at least 6 months before the application date. They can be in the sponsor's account, the applicant's account, or a joint account. Bank statements or a bank letter covering the 6-month period are required.
If you are relying entirely on savings (no income), you need: £29,000 x 2.5 + £16,000 = £88,500 in savings held for 6 months. See our guide on the higher income thresholds for how this changes if the threshold increases further.
Other Income Sources
Pensions
State pensions, private pensions, and workplace pensions all count towards the income requirement. Evidence includes pension statements and bank statements showing payments received.
Rental Income
Income from property rentals can count, provided you can evidence it with tenancy agreements, rental statements, and tax returns showing the income declared.
Certain Disability and Carer Benefits
Where the sponsoring partner receives one of these benefits, the £29,000 figure does not apply at all. GOV.UK lists them, and they include Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment. In their place the caseworker applies an adequate maintenance test: whether the family can be housed and supported without additional public funds, looking at income and housing costs.
Means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, Housing Benefit and Income Support are not on that list and cannot be counted as income.
Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Pay
Statutory maternity pay, paternity pay, and adoption pay can count towards income. You will need evidence of the amounts received and confirmation of your return-to-work salary.
Combining Income Sources
You can combine different income sources to meet the threshold. For example, a sponsor earning £22,000 from employment with a pension of £8,000 per year would meet the £29,000 threshold. The adequate maintenance test considers the totality of your financial situation.
On extension and settlement applications, the applicant's income can also be combined with the sponsor's. This is a significant advantage at the extension stage, as many applicants will be working in the UK by then.
Common Mistakes
- Bank statements not matching payslips. If your payslips show a salary of £2,400 per month but your bank statements show different amounts, the Home Office will query the discrepancy.
- Savings not held for 6 months. A large deposit made 3 months before the application will not count.
- Counting means-tested benefits. Universal Credit and similar benefits cannot be included.
- Using gross income but providing net figures. The threshold is based on gross (pre-tax) income. Make sure your evidence shows gross amounts.
Next Steps
Calculate whether the sponsor's income meets the £29,000 threshold. Gather the relevant evidence (payslips, tax returns, bank statements, savings evidence) for the correct period. If the income is borderline, consider whether savings can bridge the gap.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
What income does the UK sponsor need for a spouse visa?
For applications made on or after 11 April 2024, the UK sponsor needs a minimum income of £29,000 a year to sponsor a partner. This can come from employment, self-employment, pensions, or other non-employment income. Cash savings above £16,000 can also be used to make up a shortfall.
Can I use my savings instead of income to sponsor a spouse visa?
Yes. Cash savings above £16,000 can be used to meet or supplement the income requirement. The savings must have been held for at least 6 months in a bank or savings account. The formula is: required income minus your actual income, multiplied by 2.5, plus £16,000.
Can the applicant's income count towards the sponsor income requirement?
The applicant's overseas income generally does not count for initial applications from outside the UK. However, if the applicant is already in the UK with permission to work, their income can be combined with the sponsor's income. On extension applications, the applicant's UK income always counts.
What if the sponsor is self-employed?
Self-employed sponsors can use their income, but must provide additional evidence including tax returns (SA302), company or personal accounts, and bank statements showing the income received. The income is usually assessed over the last full financial year or the last two financial years.
Does Universal Credit or benefits count as sponsor income?
Means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, Housing Benefit and Income Support cannot be counted as income. Certain disability and carer benefits work differently: if the sponsoring partner receives one of them — Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Carer's Allowance are on the GOV.UK list — the minimum income figure does not apply at all, and an adequate maintenance test is used instead.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.