Final checks before applying for ILR

[artfunk23]

Hello All,

Been a while since I posted. Hope you are all well?

FINAL CHECKS BEFORE WE APPLY FOR ILR!

My situation:

- I'm born and bred in the UK. My husband is from Brazil and successfully got a spouse visa Aug 08 from Rio (took 5 days to issue - go Rio!). We now have a beautiful 1 year old son, born here in Scotland, and my husband and I are still happily married. I am self-employed now (don't earn very much but allows me to stay home with my son). Husband is the main bread-winner - he has worked in a variety of jobs. Just been made redundant as an International Credit Controler for AT&T but now has a permanent full-time job with Santander which he starts 7th March. Thus he will continue to be the main bread-winner of the family.

My questions are thus:

1 - I rented my flat from a local housing association for 3 years before I met my husband. Its still my name on the tenancy. The Housing Association gave permission for my husband to live here (they checked his passport and sent a letter confirming this).

------ Will this be a problem when applying for ILR? Does this count as 'having recourse to public funds'?

Ihave the right to buy our property at a substantial discount from April this year and that was our plan. Should we do this? Postpone? If we purchase before applying for ILR will this again count as having recourse to public funds because of discount? (The mortgage will obviously be in my husbands name as he earns the money!)

2 - Am panicking (as I we all do!) after reading other posts about WTC. I've double/triple checked this with the WTC department but they're not the most efficent department in the governement (!) so just to quadriple check again...

----- Was told that my husband and I had to jointly claim Working Tax Credit/Child Tax Credit. Was told it made no difference him having no recourse to public funds because he is married to me. His name is on the WTC benefit award letter. Does this count as 'recourse to public funds'?

3 - Our son is Scottish and doesn't have to apply?!?

4 - Confliciting information on Home Office website with regards postal and premium fees - anyone know what the current fees are?

5 - Is a premium service worth the extra money? How long do postal applications take?

6 - What do we need to prove with regards to finances? We have savings etc which is always a good thing! My self employement - what would I need to provide as evidence for this? I idn't earn much last year and I'm changing careers this year - I don't plan to make any profit next tax year as is a completely new venture and will take a year to build momentum. Will this affect ILR?

7 -I have a mental health condition and receive DLA. Wasn't a problem for the spouse visa - will it affect ILR?

8 - If I decide NOT to be self -employed next year (give up work), and then my husband becomes only person working and is in respect SOLE claimant for WTC, is this wrong? Will it affect ILR?

Hope you can all help ease my mind!

Thanks in advance!