Thank you, this helps reassure us!
I might not have been super clear, we have proof of where we will be living in the UK (with her parents, we have the letter from them and copies of their passport pages).
You also need to include:
- their Land Registry document
- their latest mortgage statement (if they have a mortgage)
We're just not sure of how to prove our shared financial obligations from the past year as none of the bills for this apartment are in either of our names. Would any post addressed to both of us work for proof of living together, or would it have to be a certain kind of post? Would that also indicate proof of shared financial obligation?
You don’t need to prove shared financial obligations (they don’t care if you answer yes or no to that question and it will have no bearing on the application), so don’t worry about that part
For the proof of living together, you should provide official documentation addressed to both of you at the same address (either joint or separate mail), so things like:
- utility bills
- bank statements
- tax returns
- rental agreements
- mortgage statements
- letters from government departments
- letters from your doctor/hospital
Given the type of documents you will use to show Cohabitation, you’ll likely be covering the shared finances in the proof of relationship section anyway.
She's self-employed so I don't think she has a traditional contract but she's gathered all of the required information (pay stubs, employer letter, bank statements, etc).
Ah, self-employment is a whole other category and quite tricky to get right as it requires a lot of specific documents.
She can only use the last full financial year of year income, so if she is a contractor for a U.K. company, I assume that will be the 5 April 2020 to 6 April 2021 tax year. She must have filed her taxes for 2020/2021 with HMRC and have the paperwork back from it before you can apply.
She must provide ALL of the following:
7. In respect of self-employment in the UK as a partner, as a sole trader or in a franchise all of the following must be provided:
(a) Evidence of the amount of tax payable, paid and unpaid for the last full financial year.
(b) The following documents for the last full financial year, or for the last two such years (where those documents show the necessary level of gross profit as an average of those two years):
(i) annual self-assessment tax return to HMRC (a copy or print-out); and
(ii) Statement of Account (SA300 or SA302).
(c) Proof of registration with HMRC as self-employed if available.
(d) Each partner’s Unique Tax Reference Number (UTR) and/or the UTR of the partnership or business.
(e) Where the person holds or held a separate business bank account(s), bank statements for the same 12-month period as the tax return(s).
(f) personal bank statements for the same 12-month period as the tax return(s) showing that the income from self-employment has been paid into an account in the name of the person or in the name of the person and their partner jointly.
(g) Evidence of ongoing self-employment through the provision of at least one of the following: a bank statement dated no more than three months earlier than the date of application showing transactions relating to ongoing trading, or evidence dated no more than three months earlier than the date of application of the renewal of a licence to trade or of ongoing payment of business rates, business-related insurance premiums, employer National Insurance contributions or franchise payments to the parent company.
(h) One of the following documents must also be submitted:
(i) (aa) If the business is required to produce annual audited accounts, such accounts for the last full financial year; or
(bb) If the business is not required to produce annual audited accounts, unaudited accounts for the last full financial year and an accountant’s certificate of confirmation, from an accountant who is a member of a UK Recognised Supervisory Body (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) or who is a member of the Institute of Financial Accountants, The Association of Authorised Public Accountants, The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, the Association of International Accountants and The Association of Accounting Technicians;
(ii) A certificate of VAT registration and the VAT return for the last full financial year (a copy or print-out) confirming the VAT registration number, if turnover is in excess of £79,000 or was in excess of the threshold which applied during the last full financial year;
(iii) Evidence to show appropriate planning permission or local planning authority consent is held to operate the type/class of business at the trading address (where this is a local authority requirement); or
(iv) A franchise agreement signed by both parties.
(i) The document referred to in paragraph 7(h)(iv) must be provided if the organisation is a franchise.
8. In respect of self-employment outside of the UK, evidence should be a reasonable equivalent to that set out in paragraph 7.From:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidenceSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
