UK Spouse Visa — Financial Requirement Cover Letter (Appendix FM-SE)
UKVI / Appendix FM-SE · Last reviewed 2026-06-07 · Download PDF
The UK Spouse Visa financial requirement is evidenced under the strict specified-evidence rules in Appendix FM-SE. Documents must match exactly (payslips, bank statements, and employer letter aligning). This cover letter indexes the financial bundle so the caseworker can verify each rule.
Template
[SPONSOR FULL NAME]
[UK ADDRESS]
[POSTCODE]
[EMAIL] / [PHONE]
[DATE]
RE: Financial Requirement Evidence — UK Spouse / Partner Visa (Appendix FM)
Applicant: [APPLICANT FULL NAME]
Sponsor: [SPONSOR FULL NAME]
GWF / UAN: [REFERENCE]
Category relied upon: [CATEGORY A SALARIED / CATEGORY B / CATEGORY D CASH SAVINGS / SELF-EMPLOYMENT, ETC.]
Dear Caseworker,
This letter indexes the evidence demonstrating that the financial requirement under Appendix FM is met. We rely on [CATEGORY] and enclose the specified evidence required by Appendix FM-SE for that category.
Exhibit F1 — Employment / Income
- Payslips covering [6 / 12] months: [START MONTH] to [END MONTH]
- Employer letter confirming employment, gross annual salary £[AMOUNT], length of employment, and that payslips are genuine
- Signed employment contract (if relied upon)
Exhibit F2 — Personal Bank Statements
- Personal bank statements for the same period, showing the salary payments matching each payslip
- Statements clearly showing account holder name, account number, and the bank’s name
Exhibit F3 — Cash Savings (if relied upon, Category D)
- Bank statements evidencing cash savings held for at least 6 months, meeting the required threshold
- Declaration of the source of the funds where required
The income figure relied upon is £[FIGURE], which meets the applicable minimum income requirement for our circumstances. All documents are originals or in the format permitted by Appendix FM-SE.
Yours faithfully,
___________________________________
[SPONSOR FULL NAME], Sponsor
Date: [DATE]
Why specified evidence matters
Appendix FM-SE sets out the exact documents required for each income category and how they must correspond. The most common financial-requirement refusal is not about the amount but about a documentary mismatch — payslips that do not match the bank statements, or a missing employer letter. This cover letter forces you to check each specified item.
Categories at a glance
- Category A: salaried employment with the same employer for 6+ months.
- Category B: less than 6 months with current employer, or variable income.
- Category D: cash savings held for at least 6 months.
- Self-employment and pension categories have their own specified-evidence lists.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK Spouse Visa minimum income requirement?
The minimum income (financial) requirement is set by the Immigration Rules and has been rising in stages. Because the exact threshold changes, confirm the current figure on gov.uk before applying. The category you rely on (salaried, variable income, cash savings, self-employment) determines which specified documents you must provide under Appendix FM-SE.
Why do payslips and bank statements need to match?
Appendix FM-SE requires the specified documents to corroborate each other. Each payslip should correspond to a salary credit visible on the personal bank statements for the same period, and the employer letter should confirm the salary and the genuineness of the payslips. Mismatches are a leading cause of refusal.
Does this cover letter replace the relationship statement?
No. This cover letter is specifically for the financial requirement. You still need a separate relationship statement and relationship evidence (communication history, photos, cohabitation/visits) to satisfy the "genuine and subsisting relationship" requirement. Use both templates together.
Official sources
Free to use without attribution. Not legal advice. PartnerProof — document-formatting tool for immigration applications.