Ancestry to ILR with a Dependant (Married Partner, also main income earner)

[Peachie]

Hello

I would be very grateful if there is someone out there that can shed some light on my visa application please?

A little background:
I am a New Zealand citizen living in the UK on my SECOND Ancestry visa.
The reason I am on a second/extended visa is that during my first visa I had to spend 8 months out of UK for emergency family reasons and was therefore not eligible for ILR.

My husband, also a NZ'er, is my Dependant on my Ancestry visa (as well as the previous ancestry visa) and we have both been here in the UK continuously for 9 years. We are coming up five years on the current ancestry visa, therefore certainly meeting the length of stay requirements for ILR).

Two years ago I became self employed and went from quite a decent salary to a very low income (artist life). My husband, my dependant, has been the main income earner in our relationship since then.

Our visa is expiring in June and so we are both applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

We will soon be making this application together, with myself as the main applicant and he, once again, as my dependant. Given the current Covid-19 situation my work (as for many) has mostly had to stop temporarily and so my income is even lower than before. Despite this however, I would not be able to prove that pre-virus I could support my husband/dependant anyway.

As far as I am aware, the employment/finance requirement is quite different for Ancestry visa holders compared to most other applicants applying for ILR, however we're very confused as to whether there are any set financial requirements - mainly with a dependant who is a spouse not a child relying on their parents income.

My Questions

- From a financial perspective, since we are married, can we base our ability to support ourselves on our combined income/savings? If so are there any set amounts?

- Does the fact we are both self-employed change the savings amount (if any is required)
We have accountants who can prove self-employment/tax returns etc.

Also to clarify, at no point have either of us stopped working or seeking employment in our time here but my income dropped significantly two years ago.

Really appreciate any advice from someone who understands this application senario!

Thank you so much
P

[CR001]

There is no minimum income requirement. You as the main visa holder is simply required to prove that you work and can maintain yourselves.