How much do I need to earn to sponsor my partner's visa?

The Minimum Income Requirement for a spouse, partner or fiancé(e) visa is £29,000 gross a year, introduced on 11 April 2024 by Statement of Changes HC 590. The rises to £34,500 and then £38,700 that were announced at the same time were never implemented — the Migration Advisory Committee's June 2025 review recommended lowering the threshold rather than raising it, and no change has been made since. Do not plan around £38,700: it is not the rule.

One change that helped larger families came with the same statement — the old child element (£3,800 for a first child, £2,400 for each additional child) was abolished. £29,000 is now a flat figure however many children are included.

The five ways to meet it

• Category A — salaried employment held for at least six months at £29,000 or more. Evidence: six months' payslips, contract, employer letter.
• Category B — variable income, judged on the 12 months before the application. Overtime, bonuses and shift premia count, as does self-employment (with SA302s and accounts).
• Category C — non-employment income such as rent, dividends, pensions or maintenance. Evidence rules are strict and usually need a recent tax return.
• Category D — cash savings of £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall, held for six months. Replacing the income outright therefore takes £88,500. Joint savings count; your parents' savings do not.
• Combinations of income and savings, which is how most borderline cases are built.

Two things people miss

First, it is the sponsor's income that is assessed, not the couple's. Your partner's overseas earnings generally cannot be counted at the entry clearance stage, though their UK income can be added at extension. Second, transitional protection: anyone who first applied under the old £18,600 regime before 11 April 2024 continues to be assessed under those rules at extension and at ILR. Many applicants have wrongly applied against the higher figure — check your first application date and argue the point explicitly.

If you genuinely cannot meet the threshold, refusal can be challenged on Article 8 family life grounds under paragraph GEN.3.1, but the bar is high and the cases that succeed usually involve British or settled children.