cca123

Is the following enough to go through savings route for spouse visa?
Savings-$24,000 (mixture of tax rebait, income that we've saved and inheritance. All came in at different times but held for 6months or more in our names)
Retirement 1- $40,000
Retirement 2-$13,000
Retirement 3- $4,500
Stocks (cashed out)-$10,000

This is all from this month. Do we just prove when we apply in August that its been held in our name for those 6months?
What if we make more and add to it?

I also (UK citizen) have job in states making over £18,600

I just want to be certain that all these different savings will allow us to go the savings route if I don't find a job over there....
Thank you!

Pulaski

If it's all held in USD then you are exposed to exchange rate movements. The USD-GBP rate is moving against you, up to USD1.385 today, up several cents in recent weeks, and if the pound rises above USD1.464 then your USD91,500 would no longer be enough.

cca123

Thank you. At the moment, we have enough? If later, the exchange rate causes is to be a couple hundred off, would our visa be denied? Are they very strict on that?

Novocastrian

I'm afraid they are. But are the three retirement amounts you mention all just one off lump payments or is there an ongoing pension associated with some of them?:

Invisible

Yes they have zero discretion for this.

I know someone who was denied because the account dropped £32 under the threshold briefly during the 6 months leading up to the application.

cca123

They're what's in the pensions account as of this month (I read we have to go by the amount 6months prior to application). Does this still work?

Novocastrian

So, they're not lump sum amounts, but rather what has been paid as pension to date and which you've been saving?

If so, they are enough to apply now and exchange rate fluctuations over the next 6 months would have to be highly dramatic to cancel out the ongoing payments further accumulating during that time.

cca123

Yes its what we have now although 2months ago it was different due to us putting more in this month... If we applied now I thought it had to be in our possession for 6months prior to application? Or is it 6months prior to leaving?

Novocastrian

But you said in your first post that you intend to apply in August?

Some clarity would be helpful.

Pulaski

The pound was up another 1¢ this morning!

cca123

Oh I thought you said it would be enough to apply now? I would love to. That would be the most idea situation but counting from jan onwards that leaves us to apply in August.... :/ Thus is correct right? J still having it in now doesn't mean we can apply now unless we have had that amount for 6months prior which we haven't.
Just want to make sure I'm correct on things...
Thanks!!

Novocastrian

That's OK. I might have been short on clarity too. I said "enough to apply now" when I should have said "now enough to apply (in six months".

Novocastrian

If the OP wants to ensure that FX fluctuations won't be a worry, they could convert the savings to sterling right now and lock in the £65000 or so they have at the moment.

Pulaski

Prescient advice indeed! On Tuesday the pound was up to $1.418, and after a small slip yesterday (Wednesday), it is up to $1.425 today. At the current rate of progress, within two weeks USD91,500 won't be enough to support a spouse visa application.