The required financial evidence for UK Family Visas must be in the name of the applicant's partner, the applicant or both, as appropriate and original documents (not copies) unless otherwise specified.

For employment-related earnings, bank statements covering the period(s) of employment relied upon must be provided.

For non-employment income, only those bank statements which show the income being relied upon must be provided.

This checklist can be printed, or logged in users may tick the boxes to save their own list, just by ticking the boxes. 

See also our UK Family Migration Calculator tool.

Salaried employment evidence:

P60 (if this has been issued) and wage slips for the 6-month period prior to the application, or as appropriate, for the 12-month period prior to the application.

Letter from employer confirming the employment and annual salary, length of employment (and the period over which they have been or were paid the level of salary relied upon in the application), and the type of employment (permanent, fixed-term contract or agency).

Signed contract of employment.

Bank statements corresponding to the same period as the wage slips, showing that the salary has been paid into the person’s account.

Job offer evidence (applicant's partner returning to work in UK):

Letter from employer confirming the job offer and salary or enclosing a signed contract of employment, to commence within 3 months of the applicant’s partner’s return to the UK.

Evidence for statutory/contractual maternity/paternity/adoption pay (in the UK):

P60 and wage slips  for the 6-month (Category A) or 12-month (Category B) period prior to commencement of the maternity/paternity/adoption leave.

Letter from employer  confirming the length of the person’s employment, gross annual salary (and the period over which it has been paid at this level), entitlement to maternity/paternity/adoption leave, and date of commencement and end-date of the maternity/paternity/adoption leave.

Evidence for statutory/contractual sick pay (in the UK):

P60 and wage slips  for the 6-month (Category A) or 12-month (Category B) period prior to commencement of the sick leave.

Letter from employer  confirming the length of the person’s employment, gross annual salary (and the period over which it has been paid at this level), that the person is in receipt of statutory/contractual sick pay, and the date of commencement of the sick leave.

Evidence for Self-employment – partnership, sole trader, franchise:

Tax  amount payable for the last financial year; the amount of tax paid for the last financial year; and the amount of any unpaid tax for the last financial year.

Latest Self-Assessment tax return to HMRC and Statement of Account (SA300 or SA302). If necessary, the same for the previous financial year if the latest return does not show the necessary level of income, but the average of the last 2 financial years does.

Proof of registration with HMRC as self-employed. Proof of registration must be original or certified copy of documentation issued by HMRC only.

Each partner's and/or business Unique Tax Reference Number (UTR)

Any separate business monthly bank statements for the same 12-month period as the tax return(s).

Monthly personal bank statements  for the same 12-month period as the tax return(s). These statements must show that the income from self-employment has been paid into the person’s account.

Evidence of ongoing self-employment:  for self-employed persons, evidence of payment of Class 2 National Insurance contributions. For Directors, Current Appointment Reports from Companies House.

Plus one of the following documents:

Latest annual audited accounts  with the name of the accountant clearly shown. The accountant must be a member of an accredited accounting body (CIMA, CIPFA, ACCA, ACA, etc).

Certificate of VAT registration and latest VAT return  confirming VAT registration number if turnover in excess of £73,000.

Evidence of appropriate planning permission or local planning authority consent to operate at trading address where this is a requirement.

Franchise agreement signed by both parties.  This is a mandatory document for any organisation that is a franchise.

Evidence For Self-Employment limited company based in UK:

Evidence of registration with the Registrar of Companies at Companies House

Latest Notice to File Company Tax Return - CT603 and Company Tax Return - CT600.

Organisations latest audited accounts  with the name of the accountant clearly shown. The accountant must be a member of an accredited accounting body (CIMA, CIPFA, ACCA, ACA, etc).

Monthly corporate bank statements  covering the same 12-month period as the tax return(s).

Monthly personal bank statements  covering the same 12-month period as the tax return(s). These statements must show that the income from self-employment has been paid into the person’s account.

Evidence of ongoing self-employment:  for self-employed persons, evidence of payment of Class 2 National Insurance contributions. For Directors, Current Appointment Reports from Companies House.

Plus one of the following:

Certificate of VAT registration and latest VAT return confirming VAT registration number if turnover in excess of £73,000.

Proof of ownership or lease of business premises.

Proof of registration with HMRC as an employer for the purposes of PAYE and National Insurance. Proof of PAYE Reference Number and Accounts Office Reference Number. Evidence of registration must be original or certified copy of documentation issued by HMRC only.

Proof of registration with the London Stock Exchange or with an international stock exchange approved by the Financial Services Authority in the UK. This is a mandatory document for a company registered on the London Stock Exchange or an FSA-approved international stock exchange.

Evidence For Non-Employment Income:

Property Rental:

Evidence confirming that the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant owns the property for which the rental income is received, e.g. title deeds of the property (if held), mortgage statement.

All bank statements required to show the income relied upon was paid into an account in the name of the applicant’s partner, the applicant or both jointly in the 12-month period prior to the application.

Rental agreement, e.g. tenancy agreement, contract.

Evidence For Income From Investments, Dividends, Stocks, Shares, Bonds or Trust Funds

Certificate showing proof of ownership and amount of investment.

Portfolio report (for a financial institution regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the UK).

All bank statements required to show the income relied upon was paid into an account in the name of the applicant’s partner, the applicant or both jointly in the 12-month period prior to the application.

Profits from the sale of investments can contribute to cash savings and will not be treated as income from investments.

Evidence for Savings Interest

Bank statements showing the amount of the savings held by the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant and that the interest has been paid into an account in the name of the applicant’s partner, the applicant or both jointly in the 12-month period prior to the application.

Evidence for Maintenance Payments

Maintenance payments (from a former partner to maintain their and the applicant’s child or children)

Evidence of maintenance agreement, e.g. court order, voluntary agreement, Child Support Agency documentation.

All bank statements required to show the income relied upon was paid into the applicant’s account in the 12-month period prior to the application.

Evidence for State or Private Pension

Official documentation from HMRC (in respect of the Basic State Pension and the Additional or Second State Pension), an overseas pension authority, and/or a pension company confirming pension entitlement and amount.

At least one bank statement showing payment of the pension into an account in the name of the applicant’s partner, the applicant or both jointly.

Evidence for UK Maternity Allowance, Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance.

Department for Work and Pensions documentation confirming the applicant’s partner (or, where they have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions, the applicant) is or was in receipt of the benefit.

All bank statements required to show the income relied upon was paid into an account in the name of the applicant’s partner, the applicant or both jointly in the 12-month period prior to the application.

Evidence for Cash Savings

All bank statements required to show the cash savings have been held in an account in the name of the applicant’s partner, the applicant or both jointly for at least the 6-month period prior to the application.

Evidence for Exemption from Financial Requirements

Where the applicant’s partner is in receipt of Carer’s Allowance or any of the following disability-related benefits in the UK, the applicant is exempt from thefinancial requirement of that application stage:

• Disability Living Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Attendance Allowance

Applicant must provide:

Official documentation from HMRC confirming the applicant’s partner’s entitlement and the amount received.

At least one bank statement showing payment of the benefit or allowance into an account in the name of the applicant’s partner.

The checklist has been created using the information from UKBA Staff Guidance and is not legal advice.

If you have questions on the general visa/immigration rules, please post them in the discussion forum.