1. Understanding the Financial Requirement When Your Sponsor Is Not Working
If your Sponsor is not working, perhaps because he or she is retired, it may initially seem difficult to meet the UK spouse or partner visa financial requirement in Appendix FM, which currently requires a minimum income of £29,000 per year.
In this article, we look at the main ways in which you can still satisfy the spouse and partner visa financial requirement even if your Sponsor is not working.
2. Appendix FM: Using Savings, Pensions, and Rental Income
Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules provides several ways in which the spouse and partner visa financial requirement can be met even if the Sponsor is not working or is self-employed. Some of the most commonly relied on are savings, pension income, and property rental income. You can rely on these sources independently, or on a combination of all three.
As with income from employment or self-employment, there are very specific requirements about the nature of this income and how to evidence it in order to satisfy the Appendix FM financial requirement.
3. Savings as a Route to Satisfy Appendix FM
If you are relying on savings alone to meet the Appendix FM financial requirement for a spouse visa or partner visa (with no other sources of income), it is necessary to hold savings of £88,500. This figure comes from the formula established in the Immigration Rules: a base level of £16,000 plus 2.5 times the minimum income requirement.
If you wish to combine savings with another source of income, such as pensions or rental income, then the required level of savings is adjusted according to the same formula. In such cases, the applicant must hold £16,000 plus 2.5 times the remaining income shortfall after counting any other qualifying income.
You have to declare the source of the savings (e.g. gifts, previous earnings, sale of assets). The source of savings has to be lawful but there are a few other restrictions on the source. Although you generally cannot rely on third party support to meet the income requirement, you can rely on savings which were a gift from a third party. However, you cannot rely on savings which are borrowed.
The savings must always be immediately accessible in cash form, which means they must be held within a bank account which allows withdrawal on demand, whether or not penalties apply. Furthermore, the bank account must be with a regulated financial institution.
Savings have to have been held by the Applicant, Sponsor, or both for six months before the application can be made. Therefore, if the savings are a gift, that gift would have to have been made at least six months before the application date. There are some exceptions to this requirement, including if the savings are from the sale of real property or an investment which was held by the Applicant, Sponsor or both for more than six months before the application is made.
4. Using Non-Liquid Assets to Meet the Appendix FM Financial Requirement
The Home Office does not allow applicants to count the value of investments, stocks, shares, bonds, trust funds, or other investment products themselves as cash savings; the investments must first be sold and the proceeds converted into liquid cash. Once the money has been transferred into a personal bank account, it can be counted as savings provided it meets the usual requirements.
If the shares or investments were held for at least six months before they were sold, the applicant does not need to hold the cash proceeds for a further six months. Instead, the Home Office accepts that the underlying asset was long-held and therefore waives the standard six-month cash-holding requirement. Applicants relying on this exception must demonstrate clear evidence of ownership of the shares for at least six months through a portfolio report or other relevant documentation from a regulated financial institution. Applicants must also evidence the transfer of funds into cash. If the investments were held for less than six months before sale, then the proceeds must be held as cash for a full six months before they can be counted.
Similarly, if the savings are derived from proceeds from the sale of property, they can be relied upon provided that the property, or relevant share of the property, was owned by the Applicant, Sponsor, or both, at the beginning of the period of 6 months prior to the date of application. The funds relied upon as cash savings must be the net proceeds of the sale, after any mortgage, loan, taxes, or professional fees have been paid.
5. Using Pension Income to Meet the UK Spouse or Partner Visa Financial Requirement
Pension income is another major route for meeting the spouse visa financial requirement where the Sponsor is retired or drawing a pension. The rules allow any form of pension, whether state pension, occupational pension, or private pension, to be counted towards the £29,000 income requirement. Pension income is treated much more flexibly than savings in terms of timing. It needs only to have become a source of income at least 28 days before the date of the application. There is no requirement to demonstrate six months of pension receipts unless the applicant is combining pension income with other categories that require a six-month period, such as non-employment income from investments.
If pension income alone reaches or exceeds £29,000, it satisfies the requirement by itself. If it falls below this threshold, it can be supplemented with savings or other non-employment income. Applicants relying on pension income must provide formal evidence from the pension provider confirming the entitlement, along with bank statements showing that the pension payments are being received regularly and at the stated amount.
6. Counting Property Rental Income for Appendix FM
Income from property rental is also accepted under Appendix FM as a qualifying category, and it can be particularly helpful for Sponsors who own investment property or who previously lived abroad and kept a rental home. The rental income must come from a property owned by the Applicant, the Sponsor, or both, and may include properties located in the UK or overseas. If the rental property is jointly owned with a third party, only the portion of rental income corresponding to the Sponsor's or Applicant's share may be included. Importantly, rental income is assessed on a gross basis, which means it is counted before deducting management fees, maintenance costs, or mortgage payments.
The rules do not allow rental income from letting out part of the Sponsor's main residence, such as a lodger renting a room in the home where the Sponsor lives. However, if the Sponsor and Applicant are currently living outside the UK and intend to return to a home they own in the UK, they may use the rental income generated from that property while abroad, provided the evidence demonstrates that the property will become their main residence once the visa is granted. When relying on rental income, the applicant must provide documentary proof of ownership, tenancy agreements, and bank statements showing the rent payments being received consistently.
7. Combining Multiple Income Sources to Meet Appendix FM
Many applications by Sponsors who are not working rely on a combination of two or more acceptable sources. It is common, for example, to combine a private pension with rental income or to supplement a modest pension with cash savings. The rules expressly allow for this, provided the applicant applies the correct formulas for calculating income equivalence and provides the necessary documents. Combining income sources often makes the requirement achievable even when no single source meets the threshold alone.
8. Satisfying Appendix FM When the Sponsor Is Not Working
Even where the Sponsor is not working or self-employed, it is entirely possible to satisfy the spouse or partner visa financial requirement in Appendix FM. The rules recognise a wide range of income sources beyond employment and allow applicants to combine these sources in flexible ways. Savings, pensions, rental income, and other lawful income streams may all be sufficient on their own or in combination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the financial requirement be met if the Sponsor is not working?
Yes. Appendix FM allows applicants to rely on savings, pension income, rental income and other lawful income sources even where the Sponsor has no employment income.
How much in cash savings is required if relying on savings alone?
You must hold £88,500, calculated as £16,000 plus 2.5 times the minimum income requirement.
Can savings be combined with other income sources?
Yes. When combining savings with other income (such as pensions or rental income), the required savings amount is £16,000 plus 2.5 times the remaining income shortfall.
What rules apply to the source and accessibility of savings?
Savings must come from a lawful source, cannot be borrowed, and must be held in an account allowing withdrawal on demand with a regulated financial institution. Gifts are permitted.
How long must savings be held?
Savings must be held by the Applicant, Sponsor or both for six months, unless they come from the sale of property or long-held investments.
Can proceeds from the sale of shares or property count as savings?
Yes. Shares or investments must be sold and converted into cash. If held for at least six months before sale, the cash does not need to be held for a further six months. Property proceeds may also be used if the property was owned six months prior to the application.
Can pension income be used to meet the requirement?
Yes. State, occupational and private pension income all count and only need to have become a source of income at least 28 days before the application.
What evidence is required for pension income?
Applicants must provide formal evidence from the pension provider confirming entitlement, plus bank statements showing regular receipt.
Is rental income accepted as a qualifying source?
Yes. Rental income from property owned by the Applicant, Sponsor or both can be used and is assessed on a gross basis.
Can different income sources be combined?
Yes. Applicants may combine savings, pensions, rental income and other permitted non-employment income sources to meet the threshold.