Wayfaraway

Hello all,

My wife and I have decided to move back but we are slightly confused regarding our options. So after reading the UK gov't guide I can see self employment is an option for fulfilling the financial requirement.

So my father owns a numbered company here in Canada. For tax purposes I am a self employed contractor for this numbered company. My father has been retired for the past 8 years but for tax purposes I have remained as a contractor because of my accountant. This situation could change. I could have the company signed over to me in name.

In terms of trying to get a spouse visa my wife is British, I am Canadian. What is the easiest route forward? She is currently unemployed.

Should she become a self employed contractor for the company? Should I sign the company into her name and she starts paying herself from the company?

Am I missing some other options? I admit the differences between Canadian and British self employed terminology confuses me immensely.

We intend to continue running this business once we arrive in the UK.

Thanks for reading!

SanDiegogirl

You should take a look at the following document carefully to see how you are going to qualify:

https://assets.publishing.service.go...2.0-gov-uk.pdf

Your wife being self employed in Canada is not sufficient. You need to show income in the UK and that would mean setting up an equivalent company in the UK to show registration, income, taxes etc etc.

Other options to fulfill the financial requirements are savings, pensions, non employment income .

The document provides all the info regarding options.

Wayfaraway

Thank you for your reply. I guess I was a little confused by this paragraph here on page 56:

Where the applicant’s partner is in self-employment overseas and is returning with the applicant to the UK to work, they may rely on continuing their self-employment in the UK or on a confirmed offer of employment in the UK in order to meet the financial requirement.

I thought perhaps that meant she could be self employed in Canada and we set up a UK company when we arrive.

SanDiegogirl

In your visa application you would need to show that you have set up an equivalent company in the UK, with business plan etc and how that new company would provide income. (i.e. you don't set up the company when you arrive; you show in the application how the new company would generate income)
Otherwise, you might not bother to set up a company in the UK, but continue to just take income and pay taxes from the Canadian company.

Wayfaraway

Right that gives me a lot to think about. Thank you very much for your help!