It's been a long time...

And after 4 years together and a year and a half of being married, we still aren't together. However, there is a bit of good news... and I'm not getting my hopes up but I'm trying to stay positive.

With that being said, I'm a bit rusty on the visa process.

My partner is still working on the railway but is technically self employed. With that, we are trying to determine how much he needs to be making and if someone could link me to the proof of income visa papers again that would be amazing. Is it harder if he is working through sponsors/self employed?

I just want to be over there with him. I hate that this has been so trying for us.

Sarah

Edit:
I just read over the income requirements again, and under self employment it seems way more official than what he is doing? He does not own a company, etc.  But in the terms of how he works through railway companies, he still considers it self employment because there is no contract and he picks up shifts as needed. 

Hello!
Here are the links you're going to need.
Be very careful with self employment, it's the trickiest category to get right.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/525708/Appendix_FM_1_7_Financial_Requirement.pdf

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

Edit:
I just read over the income requirements again, and under self employment it seems way more official than what he is doing? He does not own a company, etc.  But in the terms of how he works through railway companies, he still considers it self employment because there is no contract and he picks up shifts as needed.

He is probably not self employed then. Do his taxes and NI get taken out of his cheque?

He is probably not self employed then. Do his taxes and NI get taken out of his cheque?

They get taken out through the umbrella company he gets paid through? That's what he just told me.

They get taken out through the umbrella company he gets paid through? That's what he just told me.

Then he is possibly classed as an employee of the umbrella company for immigration purposes.

If he is paid via PAYE, he's not self-employed.  For visas, that makes things a LOT easier.

£18,600 is the magic number to sponsor you.

Then he is possibly classed as an employee of the umbrella company for immigration purposes.

Is that something I should see in the list of financial requirements? This was so much easier when he had a contracted job! Haha

If he is paid via PAYE, he's not self-employed.  For visas, that makes things a LOT easier.

£18,600 is the magic number to sponsor you.

Thank you for your reply!

He is not paid through PAYE, so i'm not sure what that means.  Basically, he has a railway company that sponsors him and they send him off to do jobs.  There's an umbrella company that he gets paid through.  It doesn't seem like self employment to me, it just makes it harder to know exactly what financial appendix we'll have to apply under when the time comes.

Thank you for your reply!

He is not paid through PAYE, so i'm not sure what that means.  Basically, he has a railway company that sponsors him and they send him off to do jobs.  There's an umbrella company that he gets paid through.  It doesn't seem like self employment to me, it just makes it harder to know exactly what financial appendix we'll have to apply under when the time comes.

PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is when your income tax and National Insurance is taken out of your paycheque by your company before it is deposited into your bank account. Pretty much everyone who is employed in the UK will pay their taxes this way, so if this is happening to him, then he is NOT considered to be self-employed.

If he was self-employed, his taxes would not be automatically taken out of his paychque each month and instead he would need to register as self-employed with HMRC and file his taxes manually at the end of every tax year (i.e. April) and pay his tax that way.

it just makes it harder to know exactly what financial appendix we'll have to apply under when the time comes.

It will be category A or B and Appendix 2.

PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is when your income tax and National Insurance is taken out of your paycheque by your company before it is deposited into your bank account. Pretty much everyone who is employed in the UK will pay their taxes this way, so if this is happening to him, then he is NOT considered to be self-employed.

If he was self-employed, his taxes would not be automatically taken out of his paychque each month and instead he would need to register as self-employed with HMRC and file his taxes manually at the end of every tax year (i.e. April) and pay his tax that way.

Okay that makes sense! Because they're taken out by the umbrella company he gets paid through, am I right to assume we'll go about applying under the standard appendix? He doesn't have a contract, but makes the needed amount to sponsor me.

Thank you!

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Okay that makes sense! Because they're taken out by the umbrella company he gets paid through, am I right to assume we'll go about applying under the standard appendix? He doesn't have a contract, but makes the needed amount to sponsor me.

There is only one Appendix: VAF4a Appendix 2, which contains all the questions about qualifying for a spousal visa... you just have to select the correct category on that form.

For Category A (with company for more than 6 months AND earning at least £18,600 for more than 6 months), he must provide:
If he is salaried:
- 6 months of original payslips showing a pre-tax salary of at least £1,550 on each one
If he is non-salaried:
- 6 months of original payslips showing an average pre-tax salary of at least £1,550 each month (all 6 months added together, then divided by 6 and multiplied by 12 to give total annual salary)

- 6 months of original bank statements showing the deposit of each payslip

- A letter from his employer stating ALL of the following:
1) Current employment and salary
2) Length of employment
3) Length of time earning that salary
4) Type of employment (full-time, permanent, temporary etc.)

Optional but recommended:
- original job contract (if he has one)
- latest P60 (end of tax year summary of tax and NI paid)

For Category B (not with company for 6 months yet/not earning £18,600 for 6 months yet, or variable salary):

- As above, but with 12 months of payslips and bank statements showing total pre-tax earnings of £18,600 or more in the 12 months AND that his current income is at least £18,600 per year.

There is only one Appendix: VAF4a Appendix 2, which contains all the questions about qualifying for a spousal visa... you just have to select the correct category on that form.

For Category A (with company for more than 6 months AND earning at least £18,600 for more than 6 months), he must provide:
If he is salaried:
- 6 months of original payslips showing a pre-tax salary of at least £1,550 on each one
If he is non-salaried:
- 6 months of original payslips showing an average pre-tax salary of at least £1,550 each month (all 6 months added together, then divided by 6 and multiplied by 12 to give total annual salary)

- 6 months of original bank statements showing the deposit of each payslip

- A letter from his employer stating ALL of the following:
1) Current employment and salary
2) Length of employment
3) Length of time earning that salary
4) Type of employment (full-time, permanent, temporary etc.)

Optional but recommended:
- original job contract (if he has one)
- latest P60 (end of tax year summary of tax and NI paid)

For Category B (not with company for 6 months yet/not earning £18,600 for 6 months yet, or variable salary):

- As above, but with 12 months of payslips and bank statements showing total pre-tax earnings of £18,600 or more in the 12 months AND that his current income is at least £18,600 per year.

Thank you so much! It's all coming back to me! Because he doesn't currently have a particular employer, will a sponsor company letter work?

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There is only one Appendix: VAF4a Appendix 2, which contains all the questions about qualifying for a spousal visa... you just have to select the correct category on that form.

For Category A (with company for more than 6 months AND earning at least £18,600 for more than 6 months), he must provide:
If he is salaried:
- 6 months of original payslips showing a pre-tax salary of at least £1,550 on each one
If he is non-salaried:
- 6 months of original payslips showing an average pre-tax salary of at least £1,550 each month (all 6 months added together, then divided by 6 and multiplied by 12 to give total annual salary)

- 6 months of original bank statements showing the deposit of each payslip

- A letter from his employer stating ALL of the following:
1) Current employment and salary
2) Length of employment
3) Length of time earning that salary
4) Type of employment (full-time, permanent, temporary etc.)

Optional but recommended:
- original job contract (if he has one)
- latest P60 (end of tax year summary of tax and NI paid)

For Category B (not with company for 6 months yet/not earning £18,600 for 6 months yet, or variable salary):

- As above, but with 12 months of payslips and bank statements showing total pre-tax earnings of £18,600 or more in the 12 months AND that his current income is at least £18,600 per year.

I'm just worried bc he can change sponsors within these 6 months and I don't want anything to not look legit.

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Thank you so much! It's all coming back to me! Because he doesn't currently have a particular employer, will a sponsor company letter work?

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Whoever is paying him is his employer. He is your sponsor.