UK Spouse Visa Category A vs B: Payslips and Bank Statements
Category A and Category B are two ways the rules count income from a job. The difference in documents is the period they cover:
- Category A: payslips for the 6 months before the date of application, and bank statements for the same 6 months.
- Category B: payslips for any job held in the 12 months before the date of application, and bank statements for the same periods. That can include more than one employer.
Both need a letter from the employer, or from each employer, who issued the payslips. This post covers which documents go with each category, and for how long. It does not cover whether the income is enough. For the £29,000 figure and how the parts add up, see our spouse visa financial requirement calculator.
All figures and rules were checked on GOV.UK on 17 October 2026. Rules can change, so confirm on GOV.UK before you apply.
Where the names come from
The words "Category A" and "Category B" do not appear in Appendix FM-SE. They come from the Home Office caseworker guidance on the minimum income requirement (version 13.0). The rules themselves are in Appendix FM-SE: paragraph 13(a) is Category A and paragraph 13(b) is Category B. The evidence list is in paragraph 2.
Category A vs Category B at a glance
| Category A | Category B | |
|---|---|---|
| How the rules describe it | With the current employer for at least 6 months, and paid at the salary level relied on for the whole 6 months | With the current employer for less than 6 months, or for 6 months or more but not relying on Category A |
| Payslips | 6 months before the date of application | Any period of salaried employment in the 12 months before the date of application |
| Bank statements | The same 6 months | The same period or periods as the payslips |
| Employer letter | From the current employer | From each employer who issued the payslips |
| Salary figure used | For salaried work, the lowest annual salary paid in the 6 months | Two parts: the annual salary at the date of application, and the actual gross income earned in the 12 months |
| Cash savings | Can be added | Can be added to part 1, not to part 2 |
The caseworker guidance says Category B can also be used by someone with 6 months or more at the same employer who earns a variable income and wants to be assessed under Category B.
Category A: the 6-month set
Paragraph 2(a)(i) of Appendix FM-SE asks for payslips covering a period of 6 months before the date of application. Paragraph 2(c) asks for personal bank statements for the same period, showing the salary paid into an account in the earner's name, or a joint account with their partner.
The guidance explains why every month matters. For salaried work, the person "must have been paid throughout the period of 6 months" at the level relied on, so the figure used is the lowest annual salary in those 6 months. The guidance gives an example of a pay rise halfway through the period: the lower salary is the one counted. So send every payslip in the period, not only the latest one.
For non-salaried work (hourly pay, or pay that changes with the work done), the guidance takes the total gross income over the 6 months, divides it by 6 and multiplies by 12.
The payslips need to cover the whole 6 months.
Category B: the 12-month set
Paragraph 2(a)(ii) asks for payslips covering "any period of salaried employment in the period of 12 months prior to the date of application". The guidance says Category B is assessed in two parts, and the documents support both:
- The salary now. The annual salary at the date of application. The guidance says this is shown by the latest payslip, or by the signed contract of employment if the payslip does not show it.
- The last 12 months. The actual gross income earned from employment in the 12 months before the date of application. Paragraph 15 says savings cannot be used for this part.
Because part 2 looks at all employment in the 12 months, the set often includes an earlier job. One example in the guidance: a person started a new job 3 months before the application, and worked for another company for 7 months before that. Their 12-month figure counts both jobs.
In that situation the set has:
- payslips from the current employer, from the start of the job
- payslips from the earlier employer, for the months they worked there inside the 12-month period
- bank statements for the same months as those payslips, showing each salary paid in
- a letter from each employer who issued payslips
If there were months with no job, there are no payslips for those months. The bank statements follow the payslips, so they cover the same periods.
The employer letter
Paragraph 2(b) asks for a letter from the employer or employers who issued the payslips, confirming:
- the person's employment and gross annual salary
- the length of their employment
- the period over which they have been or were paid the salary relied on
- the type of employment: permanent, fixed-term contract or agency
GOV.UK also says the letter should confirm the payslips are genuine. In Category B, a letter from a past employer confirms the salary they "were" paid. For a full list of what to ask for, see our guide to the spouse visa employer letter.
Paragraph 2A adds two optional documents for UK jobs: P60s for the period, if issued, and a signed contract of employment. The caseworker may ask for them later.
Rules that apply to both
- 28 days. Paragraph 1(l) says evidence for a period ending on the date of application must be dated no earlier than 28 days before that date. So the latest payslip and statement must be recent.
- Statement format. Statements on official bank stationery, or electronic statements with the bank's stamp on every page or a bank letter confirming they are genuine. Our post on bank statements and payslips covers format and stamping.
- Both partners working. If the applicant is in the UK with permission to work and their income is included too, the guidance says the income of both must be calculated under Category A or under Category B. The two categories cannot be mixed.
- Partner working outside the UK. For salaried work outside the UK, the guidance says the evidence should be a "reasonable equivalent" to paragraph 2. One more rule applies only to a partner who is returning to work in the UK. They also need a letter from the new employer confirming the job offer, salary and start date (within 3 months of their return), with a signed contract.
Frequently asked questions
How many payslips do I need for Category A? Appendix FM-SE paragraph 2(a)(i) asks for payslips covering the 6 months before the date of application. The payslips need to cover the whole 6 months.
How many months of bank statements are needed for Category B? The statements cover the same periods as the payslips. For Category B, the payslips cover any salaried employment in the 12 months before the date of application, so the statements cover those same months.
Do I include payslips from a previous job? Under Category B, paragraph 2(a)(ii) covers any period of salaried employment in the 12 months before the application, so payslips from an earlier employer in that period are part of the set. A letter from that employer is also listed in paragraph 2(b).
Can savings be added in Category B? The guidance says savings can be added to part 1 (the salary at the date of application), but not to part 2 (the income earned in the last 12 months).
Where do the names Category A and Category B come from? From the Home Office caseworker guidance on the minimum income requirement. The matching rules are paragraphs 13(a) and 13(b) of Appendix FM-SE.
How Stratovisa helps
The hard part of Category B is often the size of the set: two employers, up to 12 months of payslips, matching statements and two letters. Stratovisa gives you a slot for payslips and a slot for bank statements, each organised month by month, and a slot for the employer letter and P60. You upload as you go and can see which months are still missing. When the set is complete, you download one organised package for the online application. See how it works for the spouse and partner visa.