# Spouse visa and scholarships for financial requirements



## terriblewithnames (Apr 30, 2014)

Hi,

I'm a British citizen and I'm hoping that my girlfriend will be able to get a partner of a settled person visa to live in the UK but I had a couple of questions about the financial requirement.

I found an old post on this site saying that scholarships could not be used to satisfy the financial requirement but this seems to contradict what I've read (specifically, Appendix FM, Annex 1.7, para 6.1.1. and FM-SE, para 1.b.iv.) so my first question is:


Can scholarships be used to help satisfy the financial requirement?

And my second question is:


Can *my* scholarship can be used to satisfy my girlfriend's financial requirement

My understanding is that it can: that with a partner of a settled person visa, my income or scholarships and so on can be used to satisfy my partner's financial requirements.

Finally, I'm not due to start receiving this scholarship until October 1. On my reading of appendix FM, I should still be able to count the yearly value of this scholarship toward meeting the financial requirements as long as my girlfriend doesn't apply for the visa earlier than July 1 (3 months before the application date) (Appendix FM, Annex 1.7, para 6.1.8. and 6.4.2. and FM-SE, para 10.g.i.). So my final question is:


Can a scholarship contribute to meeting the financial requirement if I'm not yet receiving the scholarship but will be receiving it within 3 months of the application date?

Thanks for any help that people have time to give!

Cheers,

Adam


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## _shel (Mar 2, 2014)

You must meet the requirements at the time of applying. You realise there is more to meeting the requirements? If applying outside the UK you need a job offer starting within 3 months of your return. 

You say girlfriend, do you live together?.


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## terriblewithnames (Apr 30, 2014)

_shel said:


> You must meet the requirements at the time of applying. You realise there is more to meeting the requirements? If applying outside the UK you need a job offer starting within 3 months of your return.
> 
> You say girlfriend, do you live together?.


Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I'm aware that there's more to the requirements than simply the financial requirement. Yes, my girlfriend and I live together and have done for many years so I think we'll be okay in that regards.

I am indeed applying outside of the UK. I was planning to take up a university spot within three months of the date of application and this spot comes with an associated maintenance grant. Is this not enough? Would I also need a job lined up to satisfy the requirements? (If so, is there any chance you can point me to where the legislation or guidance notes talk about this as I haven't come across this requirement?)

Thanks


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## _shel (Mar 2, 2014)

Yes you would need a job that pays £18,600. A university place even with scholarship is not a job.

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/britain-expat-forum-expats-living-uk/326929-uk-spouse-visa-category.html


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Yes, your maintenance grant can be put towards the financial requirement under non-employment income (Cat C):


> 6.4.1. Where an academic maintenance grant or stipend is, or will be, paid on a tax-free basis, the amount of the gross equivalent can be counted towards the financial requirement. The person must be currently in receipt of the grant or stipend or will be within 3 months of the date of application, and the grant or stipend must be payable for a period of at least 12 months from the date of application or from the date on which payment of the grant or stipend will commence.


https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...3/Financial_Requirement_Guidance_20140324.pdf

You can apply up to 3 months before your grant payment is due to start.

Remember you can't use tuition fee loan or maintenance loan towards meeting the financial requirement - only grant, bursary and scholarship which you don't have to repay. Any shortfall must be met by income from a job or savings (min £16k), for example


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## terriblewithnames (Apr 30, 2014)

_shel said:


> Yes you would need a job that pays £18,600. A university place even with scholarship is not a job.


Hi all,

Thanks for the responses (and sorry for the slow reply).

_shel, I've been looking through the legislation and haven't been able to find this anywhere. Do you have any pointers (for example, is it part of the financial requirement or is this a distinct requirement)?

I can find something very similar (in Annex FM 1.7) but this only applies to people who are satisfying the financial requirement via category A whereas I am intending to satisfy it via category C (where I can't find notification that any such requirement exists).

Thanks


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## _shel (Mar 2, 2014)

Joppa said:


> *Yes, your maintenance grant can be put towards the financial requirement under non-employment income (Cat C):*
> 
> https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...3/Financial_Requirement_Guidance_20140324.pdf
> 
> ...





terriblewithnames said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Thanks for the responses (and sorry for the slow reply).
> 
> ...


 See above


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## terriblewithnames (Apr 30, 2014)

_shel said:


> See above


Thanks again for the reply.

I read the quoted message but I'm not sure how it answers my question. The quoted message tells me that I can count my grant (not loan) toward the financial requirement but it doesn't tell me whether there is also a second requirement that I have a job lined up.

So my uncertainty is about whether I have to:


Meet the financial requirement via my grant; *AND*
Meet some other requirement by having a job lined up

Or


Meet the financial requirement via my grant; *OR*
Meet the financial requirement via having a job lined up (and having earned enough over the last year)

Thanks


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

I believe what others are telling you is that you can use your grant towards the financial requirements.

If the grant is over and above the financial requirement then you don't need to have other income and/or savings/investments to meet any shortfall.

If the grant is below the financial requirement you will need either income or savings/investments to make up the shortfall.


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## terriblewithnames (Apr 30, 2014)

Crawford said:


> I believe what others are telling you is that you can use your grant towards the financial requirements.
> 
> If the grant is over and above the financial requirement then you don't need to have other income and/or savings/investments to meet any shortfall.
> 
> If the grant is below the financial requirement you will need either income or savings/investments to make up the shortfall.


Cool, thanks all.


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