Tier 1 (General)
Scoring points for your maintenance (living expenses)
This page explains how we award points under Tier 1 (General) of the points-based system for your maintenance (living expenses).
You must read the policy guidance before you apply. You can download the guidance from the right side of this page.
If you have enough money to cover your living expenses in the UK, you will score 10 points. You must:
- be able to support yourself throughout your stay in the UK. You will not have access to most state benefits (also known as 'public funds') during your stay; and
- show that you have £900 available in personal savings.
Your personal cash savings must:
- have been in your bank account for 90 consecutive days before your date of application;
- not include earnings made from UK employment while you were in breach of UK immigration laws (because, for example, you were in an immigration category that did not allow you to work);
- be held in an account (including savings accounts and current accounts, even if you need to give notice to withdraw money from those accounts). Other accounts, shares, bonds, overdrafts, credit cards, pension funds or agreed overdraft facilities are not acceptable; and
- be held at a financial institution that can be verified by us. See the List of financial institutions which do not satisfactorily verify financial statements.
If any of your savings are in overseas currency, we will calculate their value in pounds sterling using the exchange rate published on the OANDA website on your application date.
Terms explained
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Public funds
Public funds are benefits, paid by the UK government, that are related to your income. Claiming public funds when you are not entitled to them is known as 'benefit fraud', and is a criminal offence. For a list of public funds, see the Public funds page.
Policy & Law
Related documents
- Tier 1 (General) policy guidance PDF 439KB opens in a new window