Post
by asktocharlie » Fri May 04, 2018 3:16 pm
Hi, I am a silent member of this forum and advice from senior members on the cases of others helps me a lot to prepare my application and also this forum provides me the better understanding of immigration matters. My recent application is refused and AR is due with in few days, if possible i would request forum members to guide me.
Initial entrepreneur Visa Granted Switched from PSW
50 K Route as a Team in 2013
Nature of Business: Business Consultancy, Marketing Consultancy, IT Consultancy incorporated in 2013
Incorporated other business 2014, Catering business,
Principle business in consultancy business and also submitted supportive documents of catering business with the application.
Timeline:
First extension application, May 2016
Interview was done both directors in Nov 2016,
Another interview taken from director 2 in Feb 2017 as home office lost the transcript of director 2 and then they evaluate the answers with director 1 transcript that was conducted 6 months before.
Refusal received, March 2017 (Genuineness)
Applied AR, AR Rejected in April 2017,
File another extension application in May 2017 within the 14 days of AR decision, provided explanation and more supportive documents, which they have not considered in AR.
Thought we would be getting the decision sooner.
Complex letter received June 2017
Interview conducted on 8 March 2018
Refusal received 1st May 2018
We have not awarded points for:
Required investment made in UK business(es)
The applicant is engaged in the business activity at the time of application
Creations of jobs in the UK.
On the basis of a balance of probabilities of genuineness.
Following reason have given to us by caseworker:
The credibility of the financial accounts of the business or businesses;
Director Loan Agreement.
When interviewed during the visit you were asked when you had invested the £50000 into your business and you stated it is a gradual process from you when we got the visa until may 2016, which we spent as a form of director loan
In response to the same question, your team member stated, “various investment dates shown on bank statements already submitted”
The bank statements and director loan agreement you have provided with your respective applications show that you did not begin to invest in your business until 2016 which was 3 years after the date that you have incorporated your business in January 2013
You were asked during your interview to provide an explanation for this delay and you stated its not like all the money came in one lump, we were investing it all the time in small amounts from 2 personal accounts of us.
In response to the same question, your team member stated “invested money since 2014 in installments. Brought money in as required - the visa conditions say we have three years in which to invest money, initially, during business setup we did not need much money, business took time to take off, very low expenses at the start of business”
Whilst it is acknowledged that you have met the requirement of having invested the £50000 within the permitted time frames as outlined by the immigration rules, it is concerned that the funds were not invested until 3 years after the date your business was incorporated. You have provided a director loan agreement in support of your application concerning the invested funds. This agreement is dated 9 may 2016. Therefore the fact that you appear to have only invested the funds 3 years after setting up your business casts a doubt on the credibility and viability of your business.
This argument is also present in our last refusal on the basis of genuineness for that in AR we had filed and explained that we have made director loan agreement in 2013 just after the incorporation of the company of £50k, however on the advice of accountant we have updated the director loan agreement in may 2016 and sum up the invested money as it was well above than £50 k (Mentioned in SAR report also by the previous caseworker in notes )
We have also sent the previous director loan agreement but they have not considered the new document in AR and maintained the decision as it was not a caseworker fault, so we have made a new extension application within 14 days after the AR decision and mention in the cover letter and send these documents again.
However the case worker still raising the same issue, moreover we have provided our personal bank statements and company business bank statements with the application, which is clearly mention the transfer of money to business bank account since incorporation of business till the extension application showing regular investment by the directors, as we were in loss in all those years and to cover up the company expenses as sales were low, we were injecting the money since then. We have employees from 2014 and also set up the office for company hence the investment is gradually increases from 2014 and then we set up another office in high street in 2016 for which we have transferred bigger amount in company bank account and invested for such caseworker is only considering the year 2016 as an investment, that too the date of direct loan agreement, which is may 2016.
Business Bank Account
You have provided bank statements from a business account held in the name of your company, the bank statements show that you (or your team member) regularly make cash withdrawals from locations in London shortly before or after money you claim is from clients is paid into your business account. You were asked to explain the purpose of these cash withdrawals at your interview and you stated: “This could be answered by director 2 as he is the one taking money out.”
In response to the same question, your team member stayed “I pay for any cash expenses”
Both yourself and your team member were also asked to evidence any of these expenses by way of receipts or documents during the visit; however, you did not have any documentation that may have corroborated your claim that the regular cash withdrawals were due to expenses. The frequency and pattern of cash withdrawal from your business account are therefore a concern in consideration of the fact that they are for similar sums of money that you claim to have received from clients and explanations provided at interview do not credibly account for these transactions, this information casts further doubt on the credibility and viability of your business.
Cash withdrawals were around £ 100 pound in like every 2 months or so, which is not even taken out on regular basis and for cash travelling expenses and food voucher since director 2 and employee in London visit client sites regularly for which we use our own money and later claimed from company bank account when the clients paid us or if enough money in account for expenses. We charge our clients around £1800 – 2000 per month for the services not sure how we can rotate that £100 pounds to make up to 2k.
We didn’t have the documents then, as the premises (mentioned in the transcript as well) where the interview was conducted belongs to our different business which is a catering business, surprisingly they did not ask anything about catering business apart from that we own that business since 2014,
We have given the explanation of cash withdrawals with the supporting documents after the interview, which is not been considered.
IV )The credibility of your business activity in the UK
Market Research
When asked to explain what market research you had carried out before deciding to invest in a business you stated “ I had a business plan at that time” however when further question about the market research you claim to have carried out, you could not recall what you did and requested that we speak to your business partner about the matter. You were also asked to describe the results of the market research and you stated, “Not sure what they were”
Your team member was asked the same questions and stated that you took “Advice from a company to set up the marketing plan for our business, identified local competition and how business would grow. We're planning to do IT services but changed once set up business” when asked to explain what the results of the market research was, your team member stated” there is scope for growth – need to invest more money to reach the certain level”
The information you and your team member provided at interview with respect to market research was indistinct and lacked detail, you failed to provide any information about market research. Information provided by your tram member lacked detail. We are therefore not satisfied that you have been able to provide a credible account of any market research you claim to have undertaken.
For my understanding I thought officer is asking for exact findings of research which we conducted around 5 years ago, for that I have mentioned that we had business plan and research details in it, which we have also submitted with our initial entrepreneur application and I have referred to director 2 if he knows about that document as we carry few documents requested in email by caseworker and business plan was not in the list of requested document.
Clients
You have provide copy of invoices and contracts for x enterprises limited, Y solutions LTD, Z Limited.
During your interview you were asked to describe the services provided by your business and you stated that for X enterprises you provided advice on how to train and recruit staff making sure that staff follow guidelines in a ABC franchise. You also stated that you “research for them for price comparison, we design the brochures, leaflets and own employees are distributing them.
The contract you have provided in support of your application for X entreprises limited specifically states under schedule the assignment, that you will “device and advice on seasonal and promotional offers for client products, drafts and design marketing material and run supervise marketing campaigns, Design and implement surveys on pricing, demands and quality and advice clients based on results. Develope training modules for staff and train staff as per requirements”
It is notable that the contract you have drawn up has several errors in the document. This is a concern as it would be reasonable to expect that you and your client would have read and checked the document in detail before signing the document.
Additionally, All ABC franchise holders contribute an annual fee 4.5% for marketing services to ABC advertising fund and it’s there role to ensure make marketing decisions and to benefit all ABC franchisee
The fact that you claim to have provided these services to ABC franchise holders is therefore questionable, you, your tem member and the contract all state that you designed marketing material for ABC but when asked to provide evidence of you having engaged in any communication with the ABC franchise or the franchisee advertising fund you could only evidence an email from director of xxx enterprises relating to a customer complain.
The ABC marketing material is designed by ABC, Your claim to have designed marketing material for ABC therefore lacks credibility in view of the fact that you have had no contact with the ABC franchise or franchisee advertising fund, Similarly your claim to have developed training modules for ABC staff also lacks credibility.
It is not clear why your clients would incur additional costs by employing your business (at a cost of £1800 - £ 2000 per month) to provide services already provided by ABC franchise, it is also not clear whether you have been granted permission to alter or design any of marketing and training material.
It is also concern that when asked to evidence actual work you have carried out for any of your clients you were not able to present any documentation that may have corroborated work you claim to have carried out for your clients, it is noted that you have invoices and contracts which you have submitted in support of your application. However you also provided a detailed list of services you claim to have provided and the services outlined in contract, however with the exception of an email from the director of X entreprises, you did not hold any documents, emails or correspondence that related to any work you claim to have carried out. It would be reasonable to expect that you would have retain this documentation on file and that it would be easily accessible whilst you were visited at your business premises. The fact that it was not casts further doubt on the credibility and viability of your business.
I have said recruit staff making sure that staff follow guidelines in a ABC franchise and follow standards also make promotional deals and our staff distributing them” which can be seen in transcript and not added in this argument also we providing services to this client from last 4 years which recently went in to liquidation and we have also submitted the liquidation document forwarded by a solicitor for x entreprises in which client details like business premises, his two ABC franchisee is mentioned also our consultancy company is mentioned in the list of debtors for that client owed us good amount of money.
We were providing services to his two branches and also some point to branches of his business associates for which we were billing the client.
Initially the contract for x entreprises made in 2014 for two years later it is updated on regular basis as per the need of client and services they have asked for. The director of x enterprises has also gave us a letter on his ABC letterhead that our contract has renewed and we are providing him consultancy services, we have already submitted that with our application. Further more caseworkers ignore other clients, which we have provided services and documents submitted.
Coming back to ABC marketing material, it is true that franchise pay 4.5% to their own advertising fund but this fund mostly target national endorsement, which benefit to all, However ABC franchise based on different areas could need local promotion to market them for which ABC headquarters encourage the franchise owners to do it by their own means, ABC provide marketing materials to franchise which franchise has to customize with in the variations that ABC allowed and franchise have to buy the material from their authorised printer for that we also help client to select and customise from the options and design which means in term of (pricing, layout, meal deals, combos, offers, participation in the regional and national campaign, discounted vouchers), and these services are the part of overall services we provide to the client, we also help client to run their business and supervise his both stores. Since we are the third party, we can advise to the client and it is up to the client that he may request or make contact with ABC headquarter. Also there were no computers on the premises where the interview was conducted as I have mentioned before as it for different business, so whatever we could find on our phones we have shown to compliance officer and then he advice to submit the rest later which we have submitted by post such as more emails from our client, work for other clients such as artwork for leaflet, brochures, mobile app design, spot evolutions report for client premises.
v) The credibility of the job creation for which you are claiming points;
You claim to currently employ 2 employees; however when compliance officer visited your business premises only you and your team member were present you were asked to evidence employee documents but failed to produce one item of documentation for your employees during the visit. It is noted that you informed the immigration officer that you would submit employee documents by post after the visit, however, the fact that you did not have access to this information at your business, furthermore it is also notable that when asked to produce attendance records for your employees you stated that you do not record staff attendance. This information adds further weight to our concerns about the credibility of your business
In interview transcript I have mentioned that they are no record kept which is true as it was a different premises and we did not have those documents there and I have referred to director 2 which is already requested to officer to submit it later which officers seems ok as he understands the situation and gave us 14 days to submit, for them we have submitted attendance records for employees since incorporation, annual performance document, screenshot of email contact with employees. One of the employees is working with us from last four years.
Employees were not there as this catering business trading hours from 4 pm till 11 pm and the interview concluded around 3 pm almost 4 hours grilling, had they waited long they could have met the employees, we have submitted the leaflet also in our premises trading hours are displayed which can further check on Google or other associated sales sites.
Also if they could visit the other site they could probably meet the employee which we have offered to officers to visit our other sites so that they could understand our business activity better but the officers decided to conduct the interview at first site due to bad weather and time constraints.
The interesting part was that they visited our catering business and did not ask anything about it but focused on consultancy business as per instructions on transcript by caseworker and we would not able to produce documents their as they were in another office and also not requested in the email, even though we have submitted later and still caseworker did not try to understand the situation.
We have claimed the points through our consultancy business and also requested to consider our catering business which we have set up in 2014, currently catering business has 4 employees and in profit from last two years, this business has more than 1500 reviews by local customers and also we have attached performance letter by just eat for last year, growth of business and also a certificate that we have selected in one of their nominations for award.
Council bill, utility bill, letter from HMRC, letter from two banks stating the business and both the director as authorised signatory, business bank statement, premises leases, invoices, photographic evidence and many more documents have been submitted with the applications for both businesses, still the caseworker cast a doubt on our business activities and refused on credibility.
We have sent the documents TMT 11 in 14 days as requested by compliance officers, also further explanation has sent by us after receiving the interview transcript, but we have received refusal letter from TMT 12.
I request to forum members to give the view and help me to provide the better explanation in AR and please point out any missing information which I could not find in the letter.
Are There any chances that decision could overturn in AR as somewhere I have read success rate is very low only few cases overturned in country AR.
Apart from AR and there JR is there any options left for us? We are exhausted in this visa process from last two years and business struggled a lot since. Could we apply JR and also another application as we have invested a lot of time and energy to establish both businesses, cannot think of losing all just like that.
Sorry for the long and detailed explanation