Financial Requirement for Fiancé Visa

Take out the pension and get£62500 into savings d account for 6 months then apply this is straightforward and less risk adverse.
Also bear in mind you will be doing it all again in 6 months or so for the spouse visa and work on the principle that what got me the fiancé visa will get me the spouse visa.
Once you have the spouse visa do all your financial adjustment then as you have 2.5 years to the next visa application.
Keep it easy for yourself don’t over complicate to try and be smart, simple gives them less to fail you on and think of the timescale between the 2 visa applications.( Fiancé and Spouse)

Hehe glad your not my FA, a better argument, given Aki says his partner will find another job easy, is for Aki's partner to get another job and then they apply again later after he's got 6months payslips etc!

But he would not need to obtain 6 months payslips, there is a way of a 2 part application that covers where the sponsor has been in the job less than 6 months.
Part 1 covers hid current earnings( with new employer)
Part 2 covers the rules of if part 1 is not enough then part 2 will consider and calculate earnings from previous employer in the current last 12 months.
Paragraph 2(a) ((I) App FM SE

Well, we decided to wait till Feb 2024. We'd rather risk the tb test than the visa fee. So, for now we're withdrawing the pension pot and put it in an ISA and let it sit there for 6 months.
By the way, since the pension pot covers the whole required 62,500£, does this mean we don't need to submit a P60? And in case he get a job this year, we can opt not to submit a payslip, right?

Hehehe... you guys... do seem to be making it complicated - I'm sure there'll be a limit on the ISA £20,000 ?

Just tell your partner to put £62,500 in a simple instant access UK Bank Account with monthly statements and leave it there for 6 months - then it's all very clean and simple and you won't need to worry about him finding work or the P60 etc.

And nice and clean for the spouse visa within 6 months

Im pretty sure @Heathen did it based on his post by moving 62500 from shares into cash within his personal pension scheme (SIPP). Has the advantage that way that don't need to wait six months with money in a savings account. Then had option to move back into shares after application. As only have to show cash at point of application.

Can only put 20k a year into ISA but as money for visa application can be in cash ISA can move into share ISA layer after application by doing a transfer.

There are significant limits on what can put into SIPPs after take tax free lump sum so should be aware of that for any future pension contributions.

You need to consider your spouse visa application once you are married therefore your saving are going to sit in the bank till post your spouse visa application.
As I stated previously if whatever works for your fiancé visa then take it it will work for your spouse visa a few months later.
I would recommend you don’t over complicate this and don’t try to get close to the edge by trying to be clever.
The decision maker has a set of rules that they cannot deviate from so if something doesn’t look right or intricate close to the wind they will reject the application they cannot interpret what maybe going on.
Doing what your doing you may lose a few quid on interest but it won’t come anywhere near losing a fiancé application fee. Keep it simple you will have a lot going on2 visa application, marriage, settling in etc in a short space of time.
Good Luck

So you mean, he just needs to move the pension pot to his main account(which already has more than 30k cash held for 6 months). Thus, it will reflect as a new deposit? Yeah? And we can escalate the application in September which would save me from doing another TB test.

In summary guys... we got 30k in February and 73k in August. Proceed with the application in mid-September. I know that's more than enough. But we're unsure if that's qualified in the 6-month cash-held rule.

This link answers your question https://www.connaughtlaw.com/using-investments-to-meet-spouse-visa-financial-requirements/

From @Mattecube link. You will need to be very clear on the evidence trail and have evidence that the pension pot had more than enough six months before hand. Last pension value statement at least six months before application and any statements since then. Also need to show the movement of the money to where it will be when you submit application.

@Heathen application failed as he had money invested as opposed to sitting in cash within the pension pot. Requirements as detailed in the guidance was that it needed to be in cash within the pension pot. Guidance is pointless in that regard but it is stated that is the way it has to be.

Key bit you want from the link although I advise reading all of it.

Evidence must be provided showing that:

• the investments, stocks, shares, bonds or trust funds were in the ownership and under the control of the applicant, their partner or both jointly for that part of the 6-month period prior to the date of application before they were liquidated into cash savings
• the value of the investments, stocks, shares, bonds or trust funds at or before the beginning of that 6-month period was at least equivalent to the amount of the cash savings relied upon in the application
• the cash savings meet the requirements of Appendix FM-SE

I guess we really should wait till March next year then...

Talk it through with your partner and go through the guidance and make sure you have the evidence trail to show the pension values, money movements and where it is now. As you need six months of cash savings then can apply in November.

The entire process is about providing an evidence trail and should have that or be able to ok get it. Pensions should normally have regular statements on values and considering the pension pot is normally 4 times the value of cash taken out should be no issues. Need to be able to show the cash taken out and where it is now.

The easy option is to leave it in a savings account for six months. Less chance of issues with keeping it simple and showing money (£62500) sat in same account for six months. Still need to answer the question on where the money came from so not really that much difference.

I have said all along keep it simple straightforward and less risk adverse and remember you will do it all again within 6 months from your marriage for your spouse visa.
Simple straightforward Good Luck