Spouse Visa for Self-Employed Sponsors

How self-employment is treated

The figure that counts is your taxable profit for the year: income after allowable business expenses, as reported to HMRC. A strong recent few months does not help if the last completed year was below the threshold.

Relevant financial periods

You rely on the last full financial year, which for most sole traders runs from 6 April to 5 April. If that year was below the requirement, you can instead rely on the average of the last two full financial years.

Sole traders and partnerships

A sole trader counts their own profit. A partner in a partnership counts their share of the partnership profit. Both must still be trading at the date of application.

Accounts and tax documentation

• Evidence of the tax payable, paid and unpaid for the last full financial year
• The latest self-assessment tax return and the tax calculation from HMRC
• Proof of registration with HMRC as self-employed
• Accounts for the year. Audited accounts if you are required to produce them, otherwise unaudited accounts with an accountant's certificate

Bank evidence

Business bank statements for the same twelve-month period as the tax return, plus evidence of ongoing trading such as recent statements, invoices or contracts.

Combining self-employment with other income

Self-employed income can be combined with employment income, pension income and certain non-employment income. It cannot normally be topped up with cash savings.

Combining income

Common evidence problems

• Applying before the tax return for the relevant year has been filed
• Bank statements that do not support the income declared
• Relying on turnover instead of profit
• No evidence that the business is still trading