# UK Spouse visa - Financial issues - do student loans count as income?



## AbiLaser (Apr 3, 2012)

I know I must earn £105 a week after paying utilities and rent to sponsor my spouse.
Thing is I am a full time student with a student loan, that covers my rent, utilities and life costs well for the year.

Is this counted as income? Or will I have to get a job as well as being a student to be considered to be 'able' to support my spouse.

I mean, when my spouse moves here he will be getting a full-time job to support us, and I will have a full loan to cover rent, utlities and uni fees. Won't that be enough to satisfy a visa official, so they will grant me a visa?

My mother and grandmother are also willing to help us financially and have adequate savings if (very unlikely) we do fall into financial trouble.

Thank you for any information you can provide.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

AbiLaser said:


> I know I must earn £105 a week after paying utilities and rent to sponsor my spouse.
> Thing is I am a full time student with a student loan, that covers my rent, utilities and life costs well for the year.
> 
> Is this counted as income? Or will I have to get a job as well as being a student to be considered to be 'able' to support my spouse.
> ...


No loan, either student, bank or payday loan, counts as income as it has to be repaid. Only grant and bursary count as income.
In your case, as a student without income other than student finance and spare-time earnings, it will be very difficult to sponsor your spouse, esp from June when your income may need to be £25,700. You need to have some exceptional skills to earn that sort of money as a full-time student. And any external help may no longer be admissible.


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## fox2005eng (Jan 31, 2012)

Joppa said:


> No loan, either student, bank or payday loan, counts as income as it has to be repaid. Only grant and bursary count as income.
> In your case, as a student without income other than student finance and spare-time earnings, it will be very difficult to sponsor your spouse, esp from June when your income may need to be £25,700. You need to have some exceptional skills to earn that sort of money as a full-time student. And any external help may no longer be admissible.



hi mate,

am in the same situation, as my fiancee is a student for final year, however we have financial support from her father who is British citizen along with his bank statements, plus she is about to receive inherit from her Grand father which is worth 100K GBP, also I have funds around 22K GBP.

I have MSc and BSc in Engineering from UK university. also experience in both UK and home Country.

so what do u think is case ?.

also about the 25K for new income, there is no information yet on the UKBA website.

Thanks in advance.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

fox2005eng said:


> hi mate,
> 
> am in the same situation, as my fiancee is a student for final year, however we have financial support from her father who is British citizen along with his bank statements, plus she is about to receive inherit from her Grand father which is worth 100K GBP, also I have funds around 22K GBP.
> 
> ...


It's a government leak, but is likely to be true.
We just have to wait for official announcement, due I'd think in the next month or so. Otherwise it's just speculation. I'm particularly keen to know about the position of savings and external sponsorship.


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## fox2005eng (Jan 31, 2012)

Joppa said:


> It's a government leak, but is likely to be true.
> We just have to wait for official announcement, due I'd think in the next month or so. Otherwise it's just speculation. I'm particularly keen to know about the position of savings and external sponsorship.


thanks mate for ur reply,

my savings from work and family support, 

as I told u b4 I been to u many times and also during study, work, visit, training, so it is normal to have family support to pay uni fees and living costs :ranger:.

my future father in law has a lot of money as he was a business man, he is not working anymore now btw.

and my future wife have is the process of receiving her inherit, she we have the will copy which has her name inside.

I hope that I have answered ur question.

Thanks in advance 

waiting ur reply.

Bye


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

fox2005eng said:


> thanks mate for ur reply,
> 
> my savings from work and family support,
> 
> ...


As I said, the leak only talks about UK sponsor's income, and nothing about savings, inheritance, help from family and relations etc. Until the full announcement is made, we don't know whether your circumstances will be deemed sufficient or not.


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## fox2005eng (Jan 31, 2012)

Joppa said:


> As I said, the leak only talks about UK sponsor's income, and nothing about savings, inheritance, help from family and relations etc. Until the full announcement is made, we don't know whether your circumstances will be deemed sufficient or not.


Thanks Joppa,

am just asking u about opinion for my case. especially for current financial situation, as I have explained it b4.

am not asking u about the new rules that might or not come into effect.

many thanks .


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

fox2005eng said:


> Thanks Joppa,
> 
> am just asking u about opinion for my case. especially for current financial situation, as I have explained it b4.
> 
> ...


As things stand, you should be ok. Under new rules - less than 2 months to possible implementation - who knows? Are you in a position to apply in April or May?


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## fox2005eng (Jan 31, 2012)

Joppa said:


> As things stand, you should be ok. Under new rules - less than 2 months to possible implementation - who knows? Are you in a position to apply in April or May?


in a few days ya 

April

thanks a lot.

Bye


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## ImmAdvCenLtd (Apr 5, 2012)

Hi 
There seems to be a lot of panic about this minimum income threshold. I am a Immigration Lawyer and have even had a client call this morning from Pakistan concerned about the application he is about to make because it wont meet the limit. 
The limit is simply a recommendation at present from the Migration Advisory Committee and nothing more and there is no time frame for implementation that I can find. 

The government is going to face strong opposition to including this as a requirement in the immigration rules as it will essentially mean that those on moderate incomes will be deprived of the right to bring in a spouse or partner (breach of Article 8 - right to family life).

In my view it will simply open the door to more article 8 claims and be challenged on discrimination grounds as EEA national will be in a better position that UK nationals who want to bring in a spouse as EEA nationals have no financial requirements only that they are workers.

Sarah


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

ImmAdvCenLtd said:


> Hi
> There seems to be a lot of panic about this minimum income threshold. I am a Immigration Lawyer and have even had a client call this morning from Pakistan concerned about the application he is about to make because it wont meet the limit.
> The limit is simply a recommendation at present from the Migration Advisory Committee and nothing more and there is no time frame for implementation that I can find.
> 
> ...


Nothing official, but there was a leaked letter from Theresa May to Nick Clegg, as Chair of Cabinet Home Affairs Committee, revealed in Sunday Telegraph a week last Sunday, that the government intends to set the minimum maintenance requirement at £25,700 to be implemented from June, to cut the family migration route applications by 15,000 a year. There will be no announcement during the current parliamentary recess, but when it reconvenes on 16th April, there may be an announcement within weeks if June deadline is to be met.

Yes, appeals under Article 8 are more than likely, but the government has sat on the MAC report for several months and I assume they have been fine-tuning the new rules to enable them to put up a vigorous defence in the UK and European courts. While the new requirement is higher than those that exist in other EU countries and and up from current £13,800, the government will argue it's a realistic level to reduce burden on public purse and services in times of financial stringency.


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## ImmAdvCenLtd (Apr 5, 2012)

Wonder if the fine tuning you talk about will be as successful as the age requirements imposed on spouses and the certificate of entitlement to marry which were similar attempts to limit the rules but ended up being successfully challenged.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

ImmAdvCenLtd said:


> Wonder if the fine tuning you talk about will be as successful as the age requirements imposed on spouses and the certificate of entitlement to marry which were similar attempts to limit the rules but ended up being successfully challenged.


Maybe, but the new rules are much more drastic and wide-ranging in implications. I think this is the last throw of the dice by the government to make a significant dent in net migration to go some way towards meeting their election pledge to appease a critical public opinion against further mass immigration.


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## sunysign1 (Apr 28, 2013)

Hello, 
Can student loans count towards cash savings? 
Please help.


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

This thread is over a year old and not relevant to your inquiry, as we are now working through the income changes.

Please post your question in a new OP.


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## ImmAdvCenLtd (Apr 5, 2012)

No you cannot use money that is borrowed as you would have to declare the source. You can use maintenance grants or a maintenance stipends which are linked to studies but not loans.


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## sunysign1 (Apr 28, 2013)

*ok thank you, but what about student bursaries *


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