It should be understood that not all sources of income are permissible under Appendix FM and that the UK Home Office has outlined that there are only many different sources of income that are acceptable. If you are applying for a UK Settlement Visa or UK Spouse Visa, you will require a GROSS income of £18,600, or there are other ways to meet the financial requirements.
The permissible sources of income are:
- Income that is derived from salaried or non-salaried employment
- Non-employment income includes rental income and shares dividends
- Cash savings in excess of £16,000 that have been held for a minimum of 6 months (additional calculations are required)
- A pension, which can include a state pension (from the UK or abroad) or a private pension
- Income from self-employment
- Exemptions from appendix FM if you receive certain benefits
It is, of course, possible to use a combination of permissible sources outlined above to satisfy Appendix FM requirements. Cash savings can be used with income from salaried work but they can’t be used be combined with any income that is generated via self-employment. It should also be noted that if the applicant has been residing in the UK and is legally allowed to work, their income can also be taken into account.
If, as is usually the case, the sponsor is required to provide all of the income in order to support the application, they must have been in continuous employment for the previous 6 months and where that is not the case, they must have received £18,600 via income or other permitted sources over the previous 12 months.
Something that is becoming increasingly common here in Thailand is for British nationals to be returning to the UK and wishing to take their Thai partner with them. In these cases, the sponsor must have a job to go to, have signed a contract and commence employment within 3 months of their return to the UK, they must also be able to prove that their income from their previous 12 months in Thailand exceeded the £18,600 threshold. Once again, savings over £16,000 held for over 6 months can be used to top this amount up.
It should be taken as read that proof will be required for any application. This will include letters from employers, wage slips for 6-12 months depending on the length of employment along with personal bank statements. A P60 (UK Tax certificate) and signed contracts may also be requested at the time of application so it is advisable to have these with you.
Here at Thai Visa Express, we are registered with OISC, therefore, we are qualified to give UK immigration advice. We appreciate that this can be a stressful time with your futures depending on the outcome of the application. We deal with applications on a daily basis and, as such, are perfectly positioned to assist you throughout the process. So, if you would like more information, call us on: +66 (0)80 102 2328, +66 (0) 38 420 313 or +44 (0) 20 8133 8059, email us on: info@thaivisaexpress.com or alternatively contact us via our website.