If you are waiting for a spouse visa income threshold change, the honest answer is simple. No reduction has been confirmed. The requirement stands at £29,000, and no change has been announced. If you meet it now, applying now is usually lower risk.
The uncertainty is real. An independent review has recommended a lower figure, but a recommendation is not a rule. No timetable exists for any change.
This guide sets out what is known, what is only proposed, and why waiting can cost more than it saves. Our guide to the spouse visa financial requirement explains the current rules in full.
What is the current spouse visa financial requirement?
The financial requirement is the minimum income a sponsor must show to bring a partner to the UK. For new applicants, it is fixed and unchanged since 2024.
- The threshold is £29,000 in gross annual income for new partner applications since 11 April 2024. The rule sits in Appendix FM on GOV.UK.
- Savings can replace income: you need £88,500 held for six months to meet the requirement on savings alone. Our guide to how savings are counted explains the rules.
- Income and savings can combine: the formula is your shortfall multiplied by 2.5, added to a £16,000 base.
- Some sponsors are exempt: those on certain disability or carer benefits meet a lower "adequate maintenance" test instead.
What did the MAC review recommend?
The Migration Advisory Committee reviewed the threshold and published its findings on 10 June 2025. Its conclusion is the reason so many couples are now weighing a possible spouse visa income threshold change.
The MAC range
The MAC recommended against any further increase to the requirement. It indicated that a more proportionate figure would sit lower than £29,000, in a range around £23,000 to £25,000. The MAC review found the current level high by international standards.
Recommendation, not law
A MAC recommendation does not change the rules. The government commissioned the review but is not bound to accept it. You can read the current position in the House of Commons Library briefing on the financial requirement.
Will the threshold be reduced, and when?
No one can tell you if or when the threshold will fall. As of 2026, the government has not responded to the MAC review. The requirement remains held under review at £29,000.
Several outcomes are possible. The government could adopt a lower figure, keep £29,000, or use the review for broader reform. Each is speculation until the Ministers decide.
Because any change is only proposed at this stage, planning around a reduction is planning around an unknown. A wait could last months, or it could deliver nothing.
Why waiting is the riskier strategy
Delaying your application in the hope of a spouse visa income threshold change carries real risk. Recent history shows why.
- Change can arrive with little notice. The jump from £18,600 to £29,000 was announced in December 2023. It took effect in April 2024, about four months later.
- A reduction is not guaranteed. The MAC only recommends. The government may keep £29,000 unchanged.
- New rules may not apply to you. Reforms often start on a set date and may not help applications already delayed.
- You can prepare now. Payslips, bank statements, and savings evidence take months to align correctly.
Who keeps the £18,600 threshold?
Not every applicant faces the £29,000 figure. A transitional group remains protected at the older, lower level.
- The pre-April 2024 group: the £18,600 threshold usually still applies to you. This holds if your first application predates 11 April 2024 with the same partner.
- Child additions apply: you may add £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each further child, capped at £29,000.
- Protection continues: this lower threshold carries through your extension and settlement stages, subject to the rules.
What if you cannot meet £29,000 now?
If your income falls short today, a spouse visa income threshold change is not your only hope. Several lawful routes already exist under the current rules.
You can use cash savings, or combine savings with income, to bridge a shortfall. Our guide to spouse visa income requirements sets out each category. If your partner is already in the UK with permission to work, their income can count too. Where a refusal would cause unjustifiably harsh consequences, the 10-year route under Article 8 may apply.
Our guide t switching to a UK spouse visa explains how in-country income can be combined. If you want more clarity on how the application process goes, use our free Spouse visa practice tool to experience the application form step by step by starting your own.
Frequently asked questions
Will the spouse visa threshold be reduced?
Possibly. The MAC recommended a lower range, but the government has not accepted it, and no change is confirmed.
When might the threshold change?
There is no published timetable. Any change would depend on a government decision that has not yet been made.
Does the MAC decide the threshold?
No. The MAC only advises. The final decision rests entirely with the government.
Am I protected at £18,600?
Only if your first application was before 11 April 2024 and you remain with the same partner throughout.
Can savings alone meet the requirement?
Yes. You need £88,500 held in an accessible account for six months to meet £29,000 by savings alone.
Get expert advice on your timing decision
The decision to apply now or wait is a question of risk. It is yours to make with clear information. A possible reduction is not a promise, while the current £29,000 rule is a certainty you can plan around today. Acting on what is known usually beats waiting on what is not.
A Y & J Solicitors is a Legal 500-ranked and SRA-regulated firm. Our solicitors advise couples on financial-requirement strategy across every income category and route. That grounding helps you weigh timing without guessing at policy. If you are unsure whether to apply now or wait, speak to our immigration team about your options.