Impact of extensive Travelling on HSMP Extension

Hi all,

I tried to search the forum for this type of question. But was unable to find any such post, hence I am posting this question.

I recently got my HSMP approval. Now the question is that say I work as a contractor based in the UK, and a few of my clients are based elsewhere (somewhere in West Europe). Due to the requirements of the clients I have to travel frequently to their sites. The visits will be very short but very frequent. Say 1 week in every month.

Will this absence from the UK have any impact / importance when I go for my HSMP extension after the first year???

Thanx in advance.
S_M

1. Will you be working for a company registered in the UK
2. Salary in sterling (GBP)
3. Pay NI and UK income tax ?

If you can answer yes to all the above I can't see why it might be a problem.

tgs wrote:If you can answer yes to all the above I can't see why it might be a problem.

I wouldn't be so sure even in this case, as I remember, how it is stated in HSMP booklet, one can spend only 3 months outside UK within the 1st year and it doesn't matter if he visit his motherland or travel to clients outside UK.

tgs, the answer to all of the questions you asked would be YES. I was hoping it would be just like you are suspecting as in this particular case I would be UK based, and paying all taxes in the UK. And most of the travelling would be client oriented. But one can never be sure.

Regards,
S_M

One of my friends did that on a work permit.

He worked on and off on a project in France for almost 1 year out of the 4 years on his work permit plus his normal vacations to his home country. He was employed by a UK based company and got paid and taxed in UK. In France he would just bill the expenses to his company.

He got his indefinate leave without any fuss at the end of 4 years. This was about 2 years ago. I dont know if there are any changes to the rules since then.