UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement and Supplement Savings Calculator
As most of you may know by now, since 2012 the government has introduced a new income requirement for a British and settled person wishing to sponsor their Non-EU Spouse/partner. This brought the requirement for the British national (sponsor) up to an earning of at least £18,600 per annum, with no third party sponsorship allowed (you can’t get your rich uncle to stand in for you like old times).
These rules have had a disastrous effect on Brits who are not earning a high income but never the less play very important roles contributing to this nation; people such as teaching assistants, care workers e.t.c, who would not be able to meet this threshold; in fact it is reported that up to 40% of the UK population do not earn this level of money.
MM v SSHD (2014) – Outcome of MM minimum income case in Court of Appeal
Unfortunately, the Home Office/Government has recently won a court of appeal case challenging the legality of these rules in the MM and others Case 2014 ( see the previous Post on this), in which the income threshold rules were upheld. This means that more families will continue being separated by these harsh rules as the case proceeds further to the Supreme Court for the final hearing.
Alternatives
Meanwhile, those who continue to be affected are looking for ways to meet the rules (e.g. with a second job or savings) or other alternatives, including emigration to another EU country (see my blog on –Surinder Singh route). Of course, the government has previously tried to close the door on this route by introducing a ‘centre of life’ requirement at the start of this year (see blog) but this has been held to be a breach of EU law in O v The Netherlands Case C‑456/12).
How To Meet the UK’s Spouse Visa Income Threshold Using Savings:
Of course, not everyone can relocate to another country or find a second job, especially if you are a single mother with a little one. Thus others are left with no option but to try to find a way to meet the income rules from within the UK.
Among the many questions I get asked on this issue, I have noted that most people find it difficult to calculate how much they need to have in savings if their UK income falls short.
It is puzzling that the government has made it so complex to even figure out if you qualify; it is certainly not a matter of a simple calculation e.g. one would expect that if you are earning £18,000 then savings of £600 would be enough to cover you, right? Wrong – that is not how the sum is done, you must have the extra amount PER YEAR for the period of the visa. The government also disregard any savings below £16,000, meaning that you need £16,000 PLUS the shortfall amount PER YEAR for the duration of the visa.
UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement – Savings Calculator
Find out for yourself how much you need to have in savings if you don’t currently earn enough to meet the current UK Spouse Visa income threshold under the Immigration rules and wish to use your savings as a supplement. Please note that third-party sponsorship is not allowed and that the money must be either in your bank account or your spouse’s account. Also, the money must have been held in the bank for at least six months prior to making the application.
*Please note that Don’t use this calculator if you already earn £18600 and above!. Also, whereas great care has been taken in creating this calculator, this is not a legal guide and not a substitute for proper legal advice. The income threshold has many complex aspects that I could not list here (e.g. if it is a new job, varying incomes, self-employment e.t.c.); if you want to be certain, why not call about your case today; everyone gets a free initial consultation.
If you have been affected by this issue or any other UK immigration matter, please contact Tito, a UK Immigration and Human Rights Solicitor, for a Free Initial Consultation about your legal options – it’s free! Call 07544 669131 Or on Skype: tito.mbariti.