FLR(M) - Spousal income from self-employment (URGENT)

[alexblue00]

Hi all,

Firstly, thank you so much for all the great advice we have been reading on this forum as we have been getting ready for our premium service appointment at the Home Office on Friday.

I thought I had all of the documents I needed to show for my husband's FLR(M) visa application RE my self-employed income for the past financial year e.g. accounts verified by a chartered accountant etc.

However, we have just realised that the application form states that if any income from the financial year is from employment income then this needs to be from an ongoing contract! We are so worried!

I have been a sole trader (Art Therapist) for 10 years but often take on contracts for employment depending on the service within which I work.

Last financial year I had a full time contract with a school April-September then took on a free lance contract October-April (which is still ongoing).

I only earned about £20,000 last year in total so I am worried that my employment income will not be counted as the contract has ended.

Although I now earn enough per month from my ongoing free lance contract to meet the £18,600 requirement I'm worried that the Home Office will only count the 6 months income from October-April last financial year when I didn't earn as much from my free lance work (only £8,700 over the 6 months). Might the Home Office also take my current contract into account?

We have also realised that I cannot use my savings along with my self-employment income and I do not have enough savings to cover the full amount needed to exclude any other income.

Has anybody got any experience or knowledge which can help us either prepare for the appointment or make the decision to cancel it?

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

Extremely hopeful yet very worried,
alex

[CR001]

Does your husband work?

we have just realised that the application form states that if any income from the financial year is from employment income then this needs to be from an ongoing contract!

This refers to PAYE employment not self employment.

[alexblue00]

Does your husband work?

He is currently on a PhD student visa so is only allowed to work 20 hours per week. He does teach 20 hours per week for 2 terms of the year.

[alexblue00]

This refers to PAYE employment not self employment.

Yes, my full time employment contract with the school was paid through PAYE... so does the Home Office discount this income because the contract is not ongoing?

[alexblue00]

I have been a sole trader (Art Therapist) for 10 years but often take on different salaried employment or free lance contracts (full-time or part-time) depending on the service within which I work.

I'm worried I can't count the full-time salaried employment earnings for 6 months of the last financial year (April-September) because the contract finished in September.

I do now earn enough per month from my ongoing free lance contract (which I started in September) to meet the £18,600 requirement (over 12 months), but this only covers a 6 month period in the last financial year.

Just to update so as not to waist anyone's time:

We think we can apply under category A 'non-salaried employment' instead of F 'self-employment' using my current ongoing free lance contract plus my bank account statements from the last 6 months to show that: Earnings from the last 6 months, divided by 6, multiplied by 12, totals over £18,600 (Appendix FM 1.7)

[alexblue00]

I have been a sole trader (Art Therapist) for 10 years but often take on different salaried employment or free lance contracts (full-time or part-time) depending on the service within which I work.

I'm worried I can't count the full-time salaried employment earnings for 6 months of the last financial year (April-September) because the contract finished in September.

I do now earn enough per month from my ongoing free lance contract to meet the £18,600 requirement

Just to update so as not to waist anyone's time:

We think we can apply under category A 'non-salaried employment' instead of F 'self-employment' using my current ongoing free lance contract plus my bank account statements from the last 6 months to show that: Earnings from the last 6 months, divided by 6, multiplied by 12, totals over £18,600 (Appendix FM 1.7)

[alexblue00]

Just to say that we got the FLR(M) visa - I took the requirements, including my free lance contract for non salaried employment (category A) and also the requirements for self employment (category F). The Home Office asked to see both then granted my husbands visa.

Thanks for the help preparing for category F - it was great having everything they asked for ready with me.

Best of luck to those still applying.