# UK Spouse Visa - Income + Savings on the financial requirement?



## v15ben (Feb 19, 2014)

Hi there,

I'm a British citizen, my girlfriend is a US citizen.
Currently looking at a spouse visa so she can move here.

I'm currently back at uni studying to be a teacher. I will have a job earning over £18,600pa at the end of the course, but that won't be until July at the earliest, probably September 1st.

As far as I understand it, I need to be working in a job earning £18,600 or more for 6 months before we can apply if we base the application just on my income to support us. Is that correct? UKBA hotline advised we could apply earlier, but that it would be up to the discretion of UKBA as to whether they'd accept less than 6 months income, but with proof of an ongoing, permanent job contract.

I get some student grants (which I don't have to pay back) from my university at the moment. These add up to approximately £13,500 over the duration of my course. I also have around £19,000 in savings. As I understand it, if I was to combine my current income and savings and these totalled over £62,500 in my account for 6 months, we'd be able to apply on that basis. If for example, my father gave me a gift of c.£30,000 today to top up my savings and I had that, plus existing savings + grants - in total more than £62,500 in my own accounts for 6 months, we'd be able to apply in 6 months from today.

If we ignore the grants and just say my father topped up my £19,000 savings to £62,500 and I had that in my accounts for 6 months, we would also qualify then?

If I wait until my job starts in July or September, we couldn't apply until 6 months after I've been earning £18,600 or more pa, so that'd be the end of 2014 or early 2015?

Apologies for the long post, just looking at the best option to look at for financial requirements as we don't want to be apart for a year or more, waiting for me to do 6 months in a job that might not start until September!


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## AmyD (Jan 12, 2013)

I'm not sure if the grants can be used (Joppa or Nyclon will weigh in with that answer) but I do know if you don't count any income at all, and you can keep £63,500 untouched in a savings account for six months, you can apply in August (six months). If you apply with income, you need to have been earning the required amount for six months. 

I have no idea why anyone at the UKBA would say it was up to the discretion of the ECO whether to issue a visa based on just three months of income. That is totally against the specified evidence in their own documents, so please don't pay attention to that. It will just cost you money in failed applications if you try that.

Good luck.


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## v15ben (Feb 19, 2014)

Thanks, Amy. I thought as much and that I just had someone a bit daft on the other end of the phone at UKBA when I called!

I've been researching more and it seems like grants/student maintenance don't count any more since the July 2012 rule changes.

My only option to speed things up it seems is to have £63.5k in savings for 6 months. If I had a gift from my dad that topped up my savings to £63.5k and I could prove this was a gift, not a loan, could we apply within 6 months of my accounts being at £63.5k or more continuously? I thought my £19k in savings wasn't too bad for someone in their 20s, but apparently UKBA disagree


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## bluesky2015 (Sep 3, 2013)

AmyD said:


> I'm not sure if the grants can be used (Joppa or Nyclon will weigh in with that answer) but I do know if you don't count any income at all, and you can keep £63,500 untouched in a savings account for six months, you can apply in August (six months). If you apply with income, you need to have been earning the required amount for six months.
> 
> I have no idea why anyone at the UKBA would say it was up to the discretion of the ECO whether to issue a visa based on just three months of income. That is totally against the specified evidence in their own documents, so please don't pay attention to that. It will just cost you money in failed applications if you try that.
> 
> Good luck.



Just a small correction, its not 63,500 GBP, the actual amount is 62,500. Yes, you can have more then that but as long as you have 62,500 untouched for 6 months, you will be ok.
Best of Luck..


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## v15ben (Feb 19, 2014)

Thanks waiting.stars. 

So to confirm, if my father said, "Here's £45,000 to top up your savings as a gift" tomorrow, we could apply in 6 months provided I leave it untouched in my savings and remain above the threshold of £62.5k in total? Would UKBA not look upon this as a bit dodgy, or would they accept that I have over £62.5k in savings and that is all that matters regardless of the source?

It would be a gift, but in say 2 years time when my wife is in the UK and I am earning over £18,600, could I give my dad some money back if he needed it, or would that be seen as breaking the terms by which we got the visa? At the 30 month mark when the visa expires and comes up for renewal, if I am earning £18,600 or more anyway, will UKBA be bothered about my savings or just go off the income as my meeting the financial requirements?


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

It's supposed to be a no strings attached gift which is not expected to be paid back. You are describing a loan.

You will need a letter from your father saying it is a gift and that he does not expect repayment. You will need his bank statement showing the money leaving his account and your statement showing the money being deposited.


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## v15ben (Feb 19, 2014)

Thanks for clarifying, Nyclon.
The money could be in the form of a gift, a kind of early inheritance or similar, rather than a loan.
If this is the case, would bank statements for the both of us and a letter from my father be sufficient to show this is a gift rather than a loan?


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## v15ben (Feb 19, 2014)

Just a further couple of questions on this.
On the savings route, is it only my savings that count as the sponsor or would my partner's savings (held in the US) count as well?
Does it matter if the account where the savings are held is only in my name?
Does it have to be in joint names?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

v15ben said:


> Just a further couple of questions on this.
> On the savings route, is it only my savings that count as the sponsor or would my partner's savings (held in the US) count as well?


Yes, it does but will be converted into sterling at Oanda closing spot rate ruling on the date of application, so can fluctuate. Important if your total savings are on the borderline.



> Does it matter if the account where the savings are held is only in my name?
> Does it have to be in joint names?


Either in your name, in applicant's or in joint names.


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