Financial evidence for Student visa dependant

Overview of the requirement

A Student visa dependant (your partner or child applying under Appendix Student) must normally show that there are enough funds to cover their living costs in the UK, on top of the money the main Student applicant has to show for themselves and their course fees. This falls under the maintenance (financial requirement) rules in Appendix Finance of the Immigration Rules.

The dependant funds are additional to, and separate from, the main student’s own maintenance money and unpaid tuition fees. You cannot count the same money twice.

How much money must be shown

Each dependant must have a set monthly amount available for up to 9 months (the amounts are fixed regardless of how long the visa is actually granted, capped at 9 months):

If the student is studying in London (an institution wholly or mainly in inner or outer London boroughs): £845 per month per dependant, so up to £7,605 for the full 9 months.

If the student is studying outside London: £680 per month per dependant, so up to £6,120 for the full 9 months.

If the course or remaining leave is shorter than 9 months, the amount is multiplied by the actual number of months remaining rather than the full nine. The London or outside-London rate follows the main student’s institution, not where the dependant lives.

The 28-day rule and timing

The funds must be held for a consecutive 28-day period. The closing balance shown in the evidence must be dated no more than 31 days before the date of the dependant’s application. Within that 28-day window the balance must never dip below the required total, even for a single day, or the application can be refused.

The 28 days is counted backwards from the date of the most recent closing balance in the evidence you submit.

Whose money can be used

The funds can be held by the main Student applicant, the dependant, or the couple jointly. If a partner is applying, money held by either the student or the partner can be used. The account must be one the holder controls and the money must be immediately accessible (for example a current or savings account, not a pension fund or shares).

The money must have been obtained legally. It cannot, for example, be money earned from working illegally.

Acceptable forms of evidence

You can prove the funds using any of the following, provided they show the required amount held for the full 28-day period:

1. Personal bank or building society statements (paper or electronic downloads).

2. Building society passbooks.

3. A letter from the bank or building society confirming the funds.

4. Certificates of deposit.

Each document must show the account holder’s name, the name of the financial institution, the account number, the date, and the balance. If the money is in a foreign currency, the Home Office converts it to sterling using the OANDA spot exchange rate on the date of application, so keep a buffer above the minimum in case of currency movement.

When you do not need to show dependant funds

The financial requirement is waived in certain situations. The most common is where the dependant (or the main student) has been lawfully in the UK with valid permission for 12 months or more on the date of application. In that case the Home Office accepts that you are already established in the UK and does not require the maintenance evidence.

You also do not need to show the standard maintenance funds if you are exempt for another reason recognised in the Rules, such as certain government-sponsored applicants.

Interaction with student loans and sponsorship

If the main student has an official financial sponsor or student loan that expressly covers the dependant’s living costs, that can be used to meet the requirement, but you must provide a letter from the loan or sponsorship body confirming this. If the loan or sponsorship covers only the student and not the dependant, you must still show the separate dependant funds from bank evidence.

Practical points to reduce refusal risk

1. Hold a comfortable margin above the minimum throughout the whole 28 days, not just at the start and end, to absorb any dip or exchange-rate fluctuation.

2. Make sure the closing balance date is within 31 days of the online application date, and submit the application promptly after obtaining the statement.

3. If using a parent’s or third party’s money for the student, note that for dependants the funds should be held by the student, the dependant, or jointly, so plan the accounts accordingly.

4. Confirm whether the institution counts as London or outside London, as this changes the figure.

5. Check the current amounts on the date you apply, since the maintenance figures are periodically updated.

Missing information that could change the answer

The exact figure and whether any evidence is needed at all depends on a few facts: whether the study location is in London, how long the leave being sought is, whether the dependant or student has already been in the UK for 12 months or more, and whether an official sponsor or loan covers the dependant. If you tell me the institution, the length of the course remaining, and how long the dependant has been in the UK, I can set out the precise amount and whether any exemption applies.