FAQs: The Sponsor Returning to the UK with the Applicant

Meeting the Financial Requirement

Alan is a British citizen living in the UK together with his Canadian spouse and two children in Toronto, Canada. Both children are Alan’s children and were born in Toronto.  Alan has been working as a Civil engineer on a part-time basis at the same company for nearly 8 years. His gross annual salary is £23,000. This family wants to start a new life in the UK. Alan has a confirmed job offer to start in the UK in 8 weeks of their return, with an annual starting salary of £30,000. Will they qualify?

Minimum Income Requirement
Minimum Income Requirement

The answer is ‘YES’! The minimum income requirement for this family is £18,600. Alan’s children are British citizens by descent (provided Alan’s  British citizenship is otherwise than by descent). So, there will only be one applicant in the family – Alan’s spouse.

FAQs: The Sponsor Returning to the UK with the Applicant

The Test

Alan will be the sponsor in this application. Where a sponsor is outside the UK and wants to return to the UK, he needs to pass a two-stage test:

  1. The sponsor must be employed at the date of application and have been with the same employer for at least 6 months prior to the date of application. His annual gross salary should be above the Minimum Income Requirement throughout the entire 6-months period.

As we know, Alan was with the same employer for over 8 years and his gross annual income was over £18,600. Therefore, Alan meets the first stage of this test.

  1. The Sponsor must also have a confirmed offer of salaried or nonsalaried employment in the UK, starting within 3 months of their return. The Sponsor’s rate of employment should be at the same level or above the Minimum Income Requirement.

Alan has a confirmed job offer with a salary of over £18,600. His employment will commence within less than 3 months of his arrival in the UK. For this reason, the second requirement is satisfied.

The financial requirement of this application is satisfied. However, please bear in mind that Alan’s wife will also need to meet the relationship and accommodation. There is no need to meet an English language requirement as Canada is a majority English speaking country and therefore English language requirement will be met automatically, by producing a passport.

FAQs: The Sponsor Returning to the UK with the Applicant