Self Employed FLR visa with Paypal statements as evidence of income - Pls advise

Hello all

My wife will apply for FLR(M) visa in Sept. I'm her sponsor and self employed, with all earnings being paid directly into my Paypal account from around five different clients I work with. These earnings are then mostly held or spent within Paypal, with occasional transfers to my bank account when needed. However, we've recently learnt that the HO may not accept Paypal statements in evidencing income, as Paypal themselves are not a bank and will not issue official statements, so we'll have to print online statements from my account. Realise now I should've been transferring my Paypal income to my bank each time I got paid, but now we're out of the 2015-2016 tax year I understand it's too late to do this to show earnings during that year. We've spoken to HO advisers on phone on several occasions, receiving conflicting advice ranging from it being likely visa will be denied, to being advised to have a qualified accountant write up accounts and certify online printed statements, in which case they say HO should be able to accept the statements. My earnings are legitimate, I'm registered with HMRC, pay NI contributions etc. We wonder if anyone here has experience regarding Paypal and HO, and of submitting online printed Paypal statements in a FLR application? Is there anything beyond having an accountant write up accounts and certify online printed statements that we could do to ensure the HO is happy with the earnings evidence we provide? We're obviously worried, so if anyone has any advice, insights or suggestions on how we can make this work with the HO, it'd be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hello all

My wife will apply for FLR(M) visa in Sept. I'm her sponsor and self employed, with all earnings being paid directly into my Paypal account from around five different clients I work with. These earnings are then mostly held or spent within Paypal, with occasional transfers to my bank account when needed. However, we've recently learnt that the HO may not accept Paypal statements in evidencing income, as Paypal themselves are not a bank and will not issue official statements, so we'll have to print online statements from my account. Realise now I should've been transferring my Paypal income to my bank each time I got paid, but now we're out of the 2015-2016 tax year I understand it's too late to do this to show earnings during that year. We've spoken to HO advisers on phone on several occasions, receiving conflicting advice ranging from it being likely visa will be denied, to being advised to have a qualified accountant write up accounts and certify online printed statements, in which case they say HO should be able to accept the statements. My earnings are legitimate, I'm registered with HMRC, pay NI contributions etc. We wonder if anyone here has experience regarding Paypal and HO, and of submitting online printed Paypal statements in a FLR application? Is there anything beyond having an accountant write up accounts and certify online printed statements that we could do to ensure the HO is happy with the earnings evidence we provide? We're obviously worried, so if anyone has any advice, insights or suggestions on how we can make this work with the HO, it'd be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

How much is your taxable income - the amount you declare to HMRC to be taxed on after all your allowed deductions?

Exceeds the 18,600 GBP income threshold for FLR, but issue is evidencing this through Paypal statements, and not bank statements which is what the HO want. The HO do not accept online printed statements, and Paypal won't issue official statements. I guess this is because amount of taxable income declared to HMRC needs to be independently verified by HO. 

Does your wife work, and if so, does she meet the £18,600 through her employment?

If she does, and can meet the requirement without your income, then you could apply using her income and not even mention yours... so you wouldn't need to worry about it.

Self-employment is a tricky category because there are so many required documents and we have seen a few visa refusals because documents are either missing or not in the correct format. If the statements are printed from the internet, they need to be either stamped/signed by the bank/financial institution on every page or accompanied by a letter from them verifying their authenticity.

The Financial Requirement document states the following:

3.3.3. Income can be paid into, or cash savings held in, any bank/savings account in the name of the applicant, the applicant’s partner or both jointly, provided that the account is held in a financial institution that is regulated by the Financial Services Authority or the appropriate regulatory body for the country in which that institution is operating; and the financial institution does not appear on the list of excluded institutions under Appendix P to the Immigration Rules.

3.3.4. Bank statements must be on official bank stationery. Alternatively, electronic bank statements can also be accepted for all bank accounts (the account itself does not have to be exclusively online) as long as they are either accompanied by a letter from the bank on its headed stationery confirming that the documents are authentic or which bear the official stamp of the issuing bank on every page.

3.3.5. The bank statements must cover the specified periods as described in the Immigration Rules for each of the sources of income relied upon.

3.3.6. As an alternative to a bank statement we will also accept:
- a building society statement or pass book; or
- a letter from the bank or building society; or
- a letter from a financial institution regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority or, for overseas accounts, the appropriate regulatory body for the country in which the institution operates and the funds are located. The financial institution must not appear on the list of excluded institutions under Appendix P to the Immigration Rules.

Just doing a search on the Financial Conduct Authority website, it does look as though PayPal is regulated by them: https://register.fca.org.uk/shpo_searchresultspage?search=PayPal&TOKEN=7hr6kms7a9gm

I checked Appendix P and that only lists financial institutions in certain countries (mainly Asian countries) so it doesn't seem to apply here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-p-lists-of-financial-institutions

Does your wife work, and if so, does she meet the £18,600 through her employment?

If she does, and can meet the requirement without your income, then you could apply using her income and not even mention yours... so you wouldn't need to worry about it.

Self-employment is a tricky category because there are so many required documents and we have seen a few visa refusals because documents are either missing or not in the correct format. If the statements are printed from the internet, they need to be either stamped/signed by the bank/financial institution on every page or accompanied by a letter from them verifying their authenticity.

The Financial Requirement document states the following:

Just doing a search on the Financial Conduct Authority website, it does look as though PayPal is regulated by them: https://register.fca.org.uk/shpo_searchresultspage?search=PayPal&TOKEN=7hr6kms7a9gm [nofollow]

I checked Appendix P and that only lists financial institutions in certain countries (mainly Asian countries) so it doesn't seem to apply here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-p-lists-of-financial-institutions [nofollow]

Thank you ksand24. My wife is enjoying being a new mum, so no she doesn't have an income for specific time-frame required for application.

We're in contact with Paypal, but so far their response has been disappointing, and have been informed they will only send statements in same format as online printed statements without a letter and without an official stamp, so no different from if I printed them myself. I'm still trying to stress to them the importance of a cover letter verifying statements, but slow progress and not too hopeful. That's why we wonder if online statements certified by my accountant would suffice, or maybe another trustworthy party? Even our local authority Councillor? So really wondering what else we could do to ensure HO are happy in the event self printed online statement is all we can provide.

I'm now transferring everything to my bank account as soon as it hits Paypal, so will be able to show bank statements for current tax year up to point of application, but of course I can't do this retrospectively for the last tax year - wish I'd foreseen this issue earlier!

The clients (all reputable within media/publishing/education industries) I work with are also providing letters confirming amounts paid on given dates, so this all backs up the Paypal statements, though of course self employed and can't show actual pay slips .

Thanks, we've checked excluded institutions in Appendix P, and can't see Paypal. Also do believe Paypal is regulated by an appropriate regulatory body, so shouldn't be any worries there.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

Thank you ksand24. My wife is enjoying being a new mum, so no she doesn't have an income for specific time-frame required for application.

Is she on paid maternity leave from her job? If she is, and she was earning at least £18,600 before she stopped working, then she can use the 6 months of income leading up to when she started the maternity leave... so she would send the bank statements and payslips for the 6 months prior to stopping work.

From the financial requirements document:

5.5.19. Where the applicant’s partner (and/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; or
- The date of commencement of the maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave.

But the specified time periods for any other sources of income that are being combined with the employment income will remain as otherwise set out in Appendix FM-SE and this guidance.

and a case study:

5.5.23. Case studies – Maternity, paternity, adoption, parental and sick leave
Example (a)
The applicant’s partner is in the UK, has recently had a baby and returned to work from maternity leave 2 months prior to the date of application. Her contracted salary is £19,400 a year. She has been with her current employer for 2 years but, as she has not been earning the required level of income for all of the last 6 months because of her maternity leave, the period to be assessed can be the 6 months before she began her maternity leave.

We're in contact with Paypal, but so far their response has been disappointing, and have been informed they will only send statements in same format as online printed statements without a letter and without an official stamp, so no different from if I printed them myself.

This is the same with a lot of bank statements... however, if the company has sent them to you in the post, they are considered official (even if they look the same... I suppose you could include the envelope they were sent in as well).

That's why we wonder if online statements certified by my accountant would suffice, or maybe another trustworthy party? Even our local authority Councillor? So really wondering what else we could do to ensure HO are happy in the event self printed online statement is all we can provide.

I don't think anyone else except the financial institution can do it, because the letter must be on their official letterhead and/or the stamp must the the official financial institution stamp.

I'm hopeful for you that your wife had income prior to her maternity leave, as that will ease a lot of stress for you.

You have to be mindful of the UK visa system.  It is a tick box visa.  You tick the boxes you get the visa.  Where this gets hard, is that the case worker isn't necessarily going to use logic.

Do you have an accountant?

This lists the exact items UKVI will use to evaluate your application:

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

Is she on paid maternity leave from her job? If she is, and she was earning at least £18,600 before she stopped working, then she can use the 6 months of income leading up to when she started the maternity leave... so she would send the bank statements and payslips for the 6 months prior to stopping work.

From the financial requirements document:

and a case study:

This is the same with a lot of bank statements... however, if the company has sent them to you in the post, they are considered official (even if they look the same... I suppose you could include the envelope they were sent in as well).

I don't think anyone else except the financial institution can do it, because the letter must be on their official letterhead and/or the stamp must the the official financial institution stamp.

Thank you for your help. Afraid maternity leave doesn't apply as she left her work before coming to UK, and we thought we'd be fine on my income, which we are, just evidencing it is the difficulty. Sorry should've pointed out from beginning that no maternity leave in our case, and saved you the time. So guess really hinges on exactly what Paypal will send in terms of statements/letter, and yes will keep envelope if they can only send statements in same format as ones printed online by myself. Thanks again   

I'm hopeful for you that your wife had income prior to her maternity leave, as that will ease a lot of stress for you.

You have to be mindful of the UK visa system.  It is a tick box visa.  You tick the boxes you get the visa.  Where this gets hard, is that the case worker isn't necessarily going to use logic.

Do you have an accountant?

This lists the exact items UKVI will use to evaluate your application:

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

Thank you for your reply. No maternity in our case. Yes aware it's a 'tick box' system, which is frustrating.

I do have a qualified accountant, who will do my accounts and certify online printed Paypal statements. So guess really all depends on how we can make this work for HO, and exactly what Paypal will supply in form of statements.   

UKVI list is useful, taking a while to digest it all, but many thanks.