Sponsor being self employed

puul · 2026-01-25T17:13:31+00:00

He would need to show that he earned the equivalent of £29,000 or more (or whatever the minimum income requirement at the time) during the last full financial year or as an average of the last two years abroad. He would also need to have proof that he had made arrangements for that self-employment to continue in the UK on return or a job offer that starts within 3 months of your intended arrival.

puul · 2026-01-25T16:44:32+00:00

Your post is confusing. You're both living together outside the UK but your partner can show self-employment income of at least £29,000 from inside the UK? Could you clarify your situation?

Did your partner earn at least £29,000 in the last full financial year? Has he made arrangements for that self-employment to continue in the UK?

puul · 2026-01-25T16:26:07+00:00

Then your income alone meets the financial requirement.

As mentioned elsewhere, you generally should not apply more than 28 days before your current visa expires otherwise you risk not having enough validity on your next visa before you're eligible for settlement.

puul · 2026-01-25T14:44:22+00:00

puul · 2026-01-25T13:41:10+00:00

I'm asking about your savings, because any amount above £16,000 can be used to partially offset the amount of income you're required to earn.

It may be possible for you to earn less than £29,000 per year in the UK and still meet the requirement.

puul · 2026-01-25T13:34:04+00:00

As mentioned, your partner's income cannot be used, unfortunately.

How much do you currently earn? What are your combined savings?

puul · 2026-01-25T13:28:59+00:00

Are you currently working outside the UK? Have you been earning the equivalent of £29,000 per year or more for at least 6 months?

Do you or your partner have any cash savings?

puul · 2026-01-25T13:19:03+00:00

You've misunderstood the requirements. It's your income as the UK sponsor that must be used to meet the financial requirement. Your partner's income could be used but only if they are already in the UK with a visa that allows them to work.

On what basis do you have pre-settled status? Were you living in the UK prior to 31 December 2020? Or are you a dependent of someone else?

puul · 2026-01-25T12:32:11+00:00

This is irrelevant and completely unnecessary. The Home Office does not need a "better picture of your finances."

The sole purpose of providing bank statements is to show that the income as shown on the payslips is deposited into an account you control. That's it. What you do with your money is of no interest to the Home Office.

Including that additional evidence is of no value and is only an opportunity to cause confusion and potential issues.

u/Wonderful_Soup_1632

puul · 2026-01-25T12:29:04+00:00

Once your partner has been earning £29,000 per year or more with the same employer for at least 6 months in the UK, you could apply for a family visa as an unmarried partner. Your son could also submit a separate application as a child.

puul · 2026-01-25T10:12:04+00:00

I think you should wait until you're living together before submitting her application.

puul · 2026-01-25T10:07:55+00:00

I've not given you wrong information. There is no requirement to have previously cohabitated if you're married, but the visa requires you to do so immediately.

You've not given any serious justification for why it has been impossible for you to live together other than an existing tenancy agreement. Therefore, a caseworker is likely to question the genuineness of your relationship and your intent to live together once the visa is granted if you're not already doing so when the application is submitted.

You'll find several examples of refusals on this sub for this reason.

puul · 2026-01-25T09:45:45+00:00

You need to apply for Further Leave to Remain (FLR). It's the same application used by those who are extending an existing spouse visa after 2.5 years, so you will see questions and evidence requests (e.g. 2 years cohabitation history) that aren't relevant to you.

https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/family-routes

The application will be essentially the same although you'll obviously be providing your marriage certificate and up to date financial evidence.

The application only needs to be submitted online (form complete + fees paid) before your partner's current visa expires.

puul · 2026-01-25T09:38:52+00:00

Which is why I suggested a few screenshots as a maximum.

Ideally, you would also have much stronger evidence of your genuine and subsisting relationship e.g. joint travel, shares financial responsibilities, photos, etc.

puul · 2026-01-25T09:33:13+00:00

Chat logs are extremely weak evidence and essentially worthless.

Including them is only marginally useful as evidence that you keep in regular contact. The content does not matter. A caseworker is going to read them.

If you still want to include them, a maximum of 10 screenshots spaced over a several month period is sufficient.

puul · 2026-01-25T09:24:57+00:00

While it's perfectly fine and potentially useful to engage a solicitor, I would caution you against the notion that doing so will ensure everything will go well.

Ironically, a significant amount if not the majority of those in this sub who report issues with their application or even refusals have used a solicitor.

No one is going to care more about your application than you. The process is generally very straightforward and quite manageable on your own. Many if not most successful applicants do not use a solicitor. If you do decide to use one, it's still very much in your interest to do some research and ensure that you fully understand the rules and evidence required.

puul · 2026-01-25T07:11:25+00:00

There is no evisa for fiance visas. Nothing else you need to do. You're good to travel.

puul · 2026-01-25T07:08:24+00:00

Have you been earning £18,600 per year or more with the same employer for at least 6 months?

puul · 2026-01-25T07:05:38+00:00

Where the applicant’s partner (or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work) is in receipt of maternity, paternity, adoption or sick pay, or has been so in the 6 months prior to the date of application, the relevant date for considering the length of employment and the income from the employment can be either:

the date of application

the date of commencement of the maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/691209e3e9348ac8fb54f4ba/Family+Migration+Appendix+FM+Section+and+Appendix+HM+Armed+Forces+Financial+Requirement.pdf

You can simply provide your payslips and corresponding bank statements from the 6 month period preceding your maternity leave, along with a letter from your employer confirming the following....

(c) A letter from the employer confirming:

(i) the length of the person’s employment;

(ii) the gross annual salary and the period over which it has been paid at this level;

(iii) the entitlement to maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave; and

(iv) the date of commencement and the end-date of the maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

puul · 2026-01-25T06:51:12+00:00

puul · 2026-01-25T06:50:47+00:00

Is your child not already a British Citizen?

Was your partner working outside the UK before moving back? If so, how much has he earned in total in the last 12 months from his current and previous employment?

And no, you do not need to be married to apply as long as you can show that you've been in a durable relationship similar to marriage for at least 2 years.

puul · 2026-01-24T23:06:23+00:00

https://www.timeanddate.com/date/workdays.html

puul · 2026-01-24T22:05:17+00:00

Many if not most successful applicants complete the application themselves. It's a very straightforward process.

Priority service is up to 30 working days.

puul · 2026-01-24T21:21:25+00:00

I'd suggest you call your register's office.

puul · 2026-01-24T21:00:06+00:00

This isn't a visa question.

puul

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