Getting LTD Co to pay for HSMP?

[brashquido]

My fiancée is going for her HSMP and I think we have just about everything in order paperwork wise. We were looking to use an immigration agent to manage the entire application, however their fee structure is very significantly more expensive because we use a LTD company over that if my fiancée were just PAYE. I queried our accounts about this to see if we could get the LTD company to pay for the immigration agents expenses, however they say this can't be done as it is a personal expense.

Just wondered if anyone had faced this situation before, and if so how did they approach it? At the moment we are thinking about dumping the idea of using an immigration agent as the cost difference between being PAYE and LTD is prohibitive when (according to our accountants) you can't get the LTD company to shoulder any of the costs.

[vhadiant]

Aren't you a bit too late for HSMP application? It has been retired since 29th Feb 2008. Not sure about Tier 1 (the replacement) but HSMP application is easy. Most, if not all, of my mates (and including me) did it our selves. You just need to be really careful and pedantic about the documents required and the form filling.

Assume nothing and expect that the case officer didn't even finish high school.

[brashquido]

Sorry, yes Tier 1. We started this process back in mid Feb. I'm quite confident that the paperwork is in order as my fiancée has more documentation than what is been asked.

Assume nothing and expect that the case officer didn't even finish high school.

This is what we have heard, and precisely the reason we've been looking at a immigration agent. Especially now that everything has just changed and the changes are filtering through.

[ASB]

I should go to your fiancées country. It's likely better than this dump at the moment.

But, to answer your question. your company can pay for it. There is no problem at all with that (ultimately it can pay for anything it wants. Crack, booze, or wasteful things like subsistence). Your accountant has in fact answered a different question. That is "if my company pays for this is it claimable as an expense".

Now, you can get a bit creative. If your fiancée is employed by your company, and her total income - including benefit in kind and she is not a director - is < 8,500 per annum then the benefit in kind is not chargeable to tax. Thus the company could shoulder the burden on her behalf and her not get assessed.

This is, however, a fairly aggressive strategy and in the event of an investigation is likely to raise some eyebrow and result in a bun fight. It does sound as though you may have some difficulties persuading your accountant though.

[vhadiant]

I'm quite confident that the paperwork is in order as my fiancée has more documentation than what is been asked.

Do it yourself. Having an immigration agent does not increase the success rate. If you are careful enough (do a spreadsheet for the income calculation) reading all the fine prints then you should be OK.

I've heard agents who stuffed up too.

[backlight]

I paid for my HSMP through my LTD company. I have worked in several organisations where the company pays for immigration services and visas for FTE’s as part of hiring a new employee. These were not passed along as a BIK.

Example - if you were going to contract in the UAE for 3 months through your UK limited company and required a visa IMO this would be a legitimate business expense just as your accommodation and transport would be.