Skilled Worker Dependant Financial Requirement
A partner or child applying as the dependant of a Skilled Worker may need to show that enough money is available to support them in the UK. The amount depends on who is applying — but not every dependant has to show funds at all. Work out whether maintenance applies to you before calculating an amount.
Where funds must be shown
Additional to the worker
Additional
Additional
On this page
In brief
- A dependant partner or child may need to show enough money is available to support them.
- Not every dependant has to show funds — work out whether it applies first.
- The amount depends on who is applying.
- An A-rated sponsor may be able to certify maintenance instead — the guide gives worked examples.
The amounts
Where the financial requirement must be demonstrated, the specified amounts are (as at April 2026 — confirm current figures on GOV.UK):
| Applicant | Maintenance |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker (main applicant) | £1,270 |
| Dependant partner | £285 |
| First dependant child | £315 |
| Each additional dependant child | £200 |
The dependant amounts are additional to any amount the main worker must show. But this doesn't mean every family holds the combined total — the next step is to work out which applicants actually need to demonstrate funds.
Step 1 — Does the dependant need to show funds?
A dependant applying for permission to stay meets the financial requirement without showing the specified funds where they have already been in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application.
Has the dependant been in the UK with permission for 12+ months? +
No → check whether the sponsor is certifying maintenance (Step 2).
Step 2 — Can the sponsor certify maintenance?
Check the Certificate of Sponsorship. Where the sponsorship conditions are met, an A-rated sponsor can certify that it will maintain and accommodate the worker and their dependants during the relevant initial period. Where valid certification covers a dependant, separate personal funds don't need to be shown in the usual way. The main applicant should check whether the sponsor has certified maintenance for the worker and the relevant dependants.
Step 3 — Worked examples
These illustrate the calculation where every listed applicant needs to demonstrate maintenance. The real amount depends on which applicants still need to show funds.
| Family applying | Illustrative total |
|---|---|
| Worker + partner (£1,270 + £285) | £1,555 |
| Worker + partner + 1 child (+ £315) | £1,870 |
| Worker + partner + 2 children (+ £315 + £200) | £2,070 |
| Worker + 3 children, no partner (£1,270 + £315 + £200 + £200) | £1,985 |
Family maintenance calculator
Answer the questions to estimate the maintenance that still needs to be demonstrated. This is an estimate to help you plan — it doesn't replace advice on your specific case.
The calculator reads the current figures from the site's central data. Amounts and the core rules are also shown in the tables above so they remain readable without the tool.
Personal funds & the 28-day rule
Where personal funds are relied on, the evidence must satisfy the applicable financial rules. In particular, the required funds must have been held for the 28-day period calculated in accordance with Appendix Finance.
It's not enough for the required balance to appear only on the day you apply. Where personal funds must be shown, the evidence has to meet the holding-period and financial-evidence rules.
→ UK visa financial evidence & the 28-day rule
Whose money can be used?
The required maintenance doesn't necessarily have to sit in a separate account for each dependant. Qualifying family funds can be considered together where the applicable financial rules allow it. How the funds are held and evidenced follows Appendix Finance — see the financial evidence guidance.
The requirement is assessed per applicant
Families don't all have the same financial position, so the requirement is worked out applicant by applicant — not by simply adding everyone up:
- Some members already here 12+ months — e.g. a worker and partner settled here for over a year applying for a newly-arriving child: only the child's amount is assessed, not the whole family.
- Applying at different times — the assessment reflects who is applying now, who already has permission, and whether the 12-month or sponsor provisions apply.
- Sponsor certifies for some or all — certified applicants don't need to show personal funds; only the remainder are calculated.
The calculator above works this way — it only adds the applicants who still need to demonstrate funds.
Financial evidence
What you need to provide depends on how the requirement is met:
- 12-month provision applies — you may not need to provide maintenance funds under this requirement.
- Sponsor certification applies — maintenance may be satisfied through the sponsor's certification.
- Personal funds required — evidence must satisfy Appendix Finance, including the holding-period rules.
Common mistakes
- Adding every family member automatically — first work out who actually needs to show funds.
- Forgetting the 12-month provision — some in-country applicants already meet the requirement without showing funds.
- Missing sponsor certification — check it before preparing personal bank evidence.
- Using £315 for every child — the first child and additional children have different amounts.
- Looking only at the closing balance — where funds are required, the holding-period rules must also be met.
- Confusing maintenance with the cost of applying — it's separate from the visa fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge and professional fees.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a dependant partner need? +
Where the maintenance requirement must be shown, the specified amount for a partner is £285 (as at April 2026 — confirm on GOV.UK), additional to any amount the main worker must demonstrate.
How much does a dependant child need? +
Where applicable, £315 for the first dependant child and £200 for each additional dependant child.
Does every dependant need to show money? +
No. A dependant applying for permission to stay who has already been in the UK with permission for at least 12 months meets the financial requirement without showing the specified funds.
Can the employer cover the maintenance requirement? +
An eligible A-rated sponsor can certify maintenance in qualifying circumstances, which can remove the need to show separate personal funds for the applicants it covers.
Do the funds need to be held for 28 days? +
Where personal funds are relied on, the applicable 28-day holding period and Appendix Finance must be satisfied.
Is the maintenance money paid to the Home Office? +
No. The requirement is about demonstrating that funds are available — it's separate from application fees and other government charges.
Your maintenance journey
- Who is applying? (worker, partner, children)
- Has each applicant been in the UK with permission for 12+ months?
- Has the sponsor certified maintenance?
- Which applicants still need to demonstrate funds?
- Calculate the required maintenance
- Check the 28-day / evidence requirements.
- Prepare the financial evidence.
Related guidance
Disclaimer. The information on this page provides general information about UK immigration law and does not constitute legal advice on any individual immigration application. The calculator gives a planning estimate only. Immigration requirements depend on your individual circumstances and may change. You should seek professional advice before making an application or relying on the information provided.
Source basis: the UK Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker and the related work-route Appendices, together with the Home Office caseworker guidance published on GOV.UK. Immigration Rules and guidance change; confirm the current version on GOV.UK before applying.
Work out your family's maintenance requirement
Whether — and how much — your dependants need to show turns on the 12-month provision, sponsor certification and who is applying. We can confirm your position and the evidence you'll need.