Spouse Visa Journey

I've been in this website many years ago for my British passport application.

I'm British-Filipino, born in the PH to an English father and Filipina mum. It took me a while to get my British passport coz you know, the UK government has this thing against the PH. lol

Anyway got my Brit passport, had moved to the UK and been working around the country ever since.

It was sort of my journal and stress-reliever during the grueling process.

Fast forward, and now I'm back again for my spouse visa application.

I'll be marrying my fiancee this coming June and then we'll apply for the spouse visa.

My only concern is the financial requirements.

I make £28k+a year which is a couple hundred short from the 29K requirement.

They say though they count the combined income of both partners.

Good thing my fiancee actually already earns as much as me despite being in PH. So if they count that we are good.

If not, I just might have to find another job or get two jobs.
Anyway am I correct in my thinking?

Is this from the government website?

EDIT:

Yeah I've seen it now.

Damn, I didn't read properly before.

I guess I got to do OnlyFans ... that or find another job/get an extra job.
There is also a possibility of salary increase for me next year, though our union is still negotiating with the company.

Thanks for the headsup.

Be aware of the proposed increases for 2025https://rmcentre.org.uk/changes-to-the-minimum-income-requirement/

F*ck 33,500 gbp.

I can't even make 29000 and now a further increased. And they're only going to count my own UK income.

My fiancee is a Project Manager who works for a US company and earns equivalent.

Yet they don't want to consider that.
Plus when she moves here, she'll probs be earning double than me.

She's well-educated and qualified, only thing against her is she's not British.

I thought the UK wants migrants who'll contribute to the economy?

Sigh, got to work two jobs defo.

What about the skilled worker visa route for your Fiancee, this could be a possible way forward if her company could sponsor her ie obtain a work visa for her, Take a look at 3543 seems she would be elegible as a Project Manager.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ed-worker-visa-eligible-occupations-and-codes

Then you could get married anywhere apart from the UK, actually I think you could get married in the UK.

This is why I love this website.

Thanks a lot. We'll discuss this as another option.

Rules surrounding eligibility in the first instance
Your job
To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must:

• work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ (CoS) from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do and the date you got your CoS

@knightstrike the first line is critical

Been reading it now, yeah she will have to look for a job here first to go through that route.

Sigh, it will be a tough one.

I will have to revisit our options.

I had a job offer not too long ago that would have given me 33K a year.
Only thing was, I had to relocate again, it was a lot stressful and I was going on a holiday which is why I didn't accept it at the time.

I feel stupid now for not accepting it.

I either have to find a better paying job or work two jobs.

Don't forget the changes upwards are proposed they may not happen! Also once your on the visa journey the income threshold will not be hiked for your following applications ie spouse visa, FLR and ILR

Can also use cash savings of both you and partner combined with your income. Only the element above 16k gets counted and that is if I remember correctly gets divided by 2.5 before being added on.

If you are 1k short then savings of 18.5k would meet requirement. Aware that isn't a easy option but always worth considering the alternatives.

Skilled worker would actually be a better option if it is available.

Whilst I appreciate that John (mattecube) has made a valid point, can i just point out WWFC are owned by Fosun a Chinese conglomerate our CEO is Chinese how has he got a skilled worker visa?, and many other football teams come have foreign owners so how does that work ?, I realise it's a somewhat different scenario but surely skilled worker visas should follow the same guidance. Happy new year.

This makes it somewhat achievable then if we can use savings to make up for the deficit in income.

https://www.migrate.org.uk/spouse-v...s/#spouse-visa-uk-financial-requirements-2019

I've been checking that and indeed that is very informative.

18.5K gbp is about a 1.3M php so with both of us, we can save up for it.

Thanks a lot guys for the information.

They probably have Global Talent Visa or some special ones just coz they can pay for it.

I know it' s unfair.

But if you are wealthy and influential, normal rules don't apply to you. lol

Have a word in Randy Andy's ear!
On a serious note they probably use entrepreneurial visas or the like
Happy New Year Paul

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but have you considered getting married in the Philippines?
That way, I believe, your "Spouse's" income CAN be included to meet the income threshold.

https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/proof-income-partner

I am getting married in the PH.

My fiancee is from PH.
I'm based here in the UK.

We will be applying for a Spouse Visa so she can come here.

It says in the guides I've read, only the UK-based partner's income counts towards the financial requirement unfortunately.

Fair enough...

My only question would be, where did you read this - it doesn't 'look' like the official gov.uk guidelines?

The attachment you show is correct in the main and in most cases however if the Fiancee or spouse living abroad was working for a UK registered company and the payroll when audited showed the source as UK based then this would be permissible.
@UKDJ and for clarity
The spouse living abroad in general with exception to the above cannot have her earnings taken into account when applying for a spouse. When she has the spouse visa granted and is living in the UK when she starts earning these earnings can be taken into account for future stages starting at FLR then ILR.
The fiancee earnings abroad cannot contribute nor can she work on a Fiancee visa in the Uk till after her spouse visa is granted after she is settled in the UK with a spouse visa and commences work she can have her earnings taken into account for FLR and ILR

Thanks for the clarification... as always, 'the Devil is in the detail'!
I can understand the reasoning of "... if the Applicant was working for a UK company", but living abroad.