Temporary versus permanent income

[chinadavester]

Hi all

I'm a British citizen in the first year of a PhD, funded by a scholarship. My fiancee is Chinese and we are planning to get married in China (I'm going there for research) and to apply for a visa for her to come with me when I return to the UK in the last year of studying. The problem is, while the scholarship is an income which could support her (with careful budgeting...), at that point it would only last for a year. Even if we waited until I got a postdoctoral position (which are better paid that the scholarship), that too would be temporary (at most I think 3 years).

Does anyone have any experience or information on whether a temporary income is a major problem for applications? The wording of the regulations mentions the need for enough income to support the couple, but it seems like if that income is temporary it gives the visa officers a chance to turn the application down...