Abstract
We show that the global nonlinear stability threshold for convection in a couple-stress fluid with temperature and pressure dependent viscosity is exactly the same as the linear instability boundary. This optimal result is important because it shows that linearized instability theory has captured completely the physics of the onset of convection. It has also been found that the couplestress fluid is more stable than the ordinary viscous fluid and then the effect of couple-stress parameter (F) and variable dependent viscosity (Γ) on the onset of convection is also analyzed.