Key Points
- Work out whether the problem was the income or the evidence.
- Check which financial category the decision maker applied.
- A missing or mismatched document is often fixable in a new application.
- Refusals over the wrong period or category can sometimes be challenged.
Typical reasons
- Payslips or bank statements missing for part of the period
- Salary on payslips not matching deposits in the bank account
- Employer letter without the required details
- Less than six months in the job and no evidence of twelve months of earnings
- Self-employed income assessed on a year that fell below the threshold
- Savings not held for the full six months, or their source unexplained
- A combination of sources that the rules do not permit
Evidence problem or eligibility problem?
If you genuinely met the requirement on the date you applied, the refusal is about proof. A fresh application with the full specified evidence, or an appeal relying on that evidence, may resolve it.
If you did not meet it, look at whether you do now, whether another category or combination would work, or whether wider family life arguments apply.
Should the Home Office have asked for the missing document?
The rules give decision makers a discretion to request a missing document from a sequence, or one in the wrong format, before refusing. Where that was not considered, it can form part of a challenge.
Exceptional circumstances
Where refusal would cause unjustifiably harsh consequences for the couple or a child, other credible sources of income or support can be taken into account. These cases are fact specific and usually lead to the longer route to settlement.
Official Sources
This page is general information, not legal advice. The rules and figures are set by the Home Office and can change.