Unmarried partnership visa - financial queries

[Arialtemomo]

Hello amazing people who can shine some light on this topic if not.. you're still amazing.

Heres my situatuon. I'm from NZ and in NZ I met this wonderful Brit hunk who after a year smuggled me to this side of the world.
I've been here for a year and a half on a Tier 5 mobility visa. I've fallen in love with this place and don't want to leave and potentially have many babies and study to finally become a nurse. I know I can do it cheaper in NZ but my heart is set at living in the UK.
Heres the problem.. My partner joins the army in Januaury and my visa runs out in April. There is no way we meet the financial requirement due to myself running a bar and being paid cash in hand and him working at tescos. We have extensively travelled around Europe so a soild job wasn't on our mind. Super silly I know! I've asked quite a few different people and everyone answers things differently. Can I work from Oct to March earning the 18600 required or does my partner, essentially my sponser have to be the one earning it? I assumed it'll be fine but I was told its not ok. He's not opposed to working but by the time Jan hits, it won't be the required six months it says on the application form. Or can we both work from Oct to March (I dont think he'll be able to change his application date) and we do a co joint income to meet the threshold or does it have to be just him earning that amount. I've read and heard many conflicting stories that I'm stumped. If I go home in May and wait till he makes the required amount continuously for six months, you know how pay changes a few months, it could be a year till he finishes his training to fully be earning the right amount in REMI. What do I doooooo. Time is of the essence!

[CR001]

If you are applying within the UK, your income can be used.

Do you have rock solid evidence of 2 years cohabitation 'in a relationship akin to marriage'?

[Wanderer]

If you are applying within the UK, your income can be used.

Do you have rock solid evidence of 2 years cohabitation 'in a relationship akin to marriage'?

Surely not cash in hand though?

@OP, you mean paying no tax?

[secret.simon]

You may have multiple issues with your application.

a) The part highlighted by Wanderer about "cash in hand" income. The Home Office requires the income to be evidenced by two independent sources, such as bank statements and salary slips, or bank statements and accountant letters certifying your income. And of course the tax receipts, etc. Merely stating that you earned a specified income "cash in hand" is not sufficient.

When you state that you earn cash in hand and running a bar, if you run the bar as a business, you will need the paperwork for the bar operations to be up to date and well-kept.

b) The part highlighted by CR001 about proof of "being in a relationship akin to marriage" for a minimum of two years. While you have been blessed with the love of a "wonderful British hunk", unfortunately the Home Office uses severe grey-tinted glasses rather than romantic rose-tinted ones. Think of the Home Office as a sour, dour, acid-tongued spinster aunt.

What they look for is things like joint bank statements, joint mortgages, joint bills etc for the whole two years. If you have been traipsing around Europe for a large part of the past year and a half, you may not have sufficient documentary proof of "a relationship akin to marriage". Remember that the Home Office is looking for proof of a relationship more serious than a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.

As an aside, do you have a UK born grandparent? That may simplify matters.

[Arial]

Thank you for reading my story of woe. You people are truly amazing! I absolutely love the comment about Home offoce being a sour aunt. NZ equivalent is super laid back so we don't worry about it so much.
I have more questions..

1) Can I work Oct to March earning 18600 and use that as my financial requirement? Since he's basically on holiday till Army starts in Januaury his contribution will only be from Jan-March

2) If I can't be sole provider as I've been told could I get a job from OCT-MARCH say 16000 and use his tescos work date from Aug 16 to Aug 17? Its provably like 10000 salary.

3) Would mariage work at all?!

If you can tell, I'm stuck on the financial requirements, my own fault for managing a bar and being paid in cash for a year and a half. Just so you know, the pay was amazing and the landlord couldn't afford me otherwise. I'm obviously paying for it now.

Everything else is fine. Joint bank accounts. Proof. The whole 3/4 years of being together there is solid proof of us living together for two years + but the money wise is worrying me.

Any thoughts?

The other bits and pieces are good. We have joint bank accounts and the whole shabang

[Arial]

Also. My Nanas father and mother were born in the UK but it doesn't count.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[CR001]

You can use your income alone provided you meet the requirements and have 6 months payslips and 6 months bank statements.

Being married has the same requirement, no special advantage other than you don't have to prove 24 months cohabitation.

[Arial]

Awesome. Is it true that I could use my partners previous jobs that haven't been continuous for six months as Category B? Say I make 17500 but he worked tescos for a year when I wasn't working on 10000 but will be doing 4 months part time and then another 4 months in training at the army. Does that seem like a problem? Its quite difficult finding a job for 18600 within the next three weeks in an area with not many job opportunities.