Mary C

Hi HKG. Yes, South Africa is the most beautiful country and I have had the pleasure of seeing some of its beauty over the past 30 years that I have been here. Yes, I live in a big house, but do not have a swimming pool as I opted for a property with a self contained flat that I used as an office, and have rented out for the past 5 years. Why do I want to return to the UK, well unfortunately while South Africa is a beautiful place, it has very little oppotunites for people such as myself as I get 'older'.

I have been self employed for the past 16 years as an (this will make you laugh) Australian Immigration consultant. Yep a Brit living in SA and helping people move to Australia. Well the global economic melt down in 2008/9 put my business into a downward spiral which I have been unable to recover from. I have used all of my savings and am running out of time. I have no pension back up, and SA has no Government pension plan that could sustain me here.

Sadly, the situation in SA at the moment leaves little hope for a 56 year old white, non bilingual lady to secure employment.

The sun, space, wonderful scenery will not pay my bills or put food on my table. So I have sold my house and decided that I would be wise to move back to the UK now, when I am still able to be actively employed for the next 10 - 12 years. I will put most of my money into savings and work like crazy to build it up some more. Yes, I have to ensure that I meet the criteria to support my partner for the spouse visa but I know I can do it.

I am a qualified NNEB but if needs be I will clean houses, be a carer, work a till at Tesco's or deliver post. What ever it takes.

Will I miss SA, for sure, will I be a 'when we'.. no. I have a daughter in the UK, and my other two daughters, one with a husband and two of my grandchildren will be returning too.. so we will start the next chapter of our lives with the fondest memories of our adventures in South Africa.

I will even try not to moan about the weather...hehehe.

feelbritish

Nice to hear someone not run down the country but leave in a positive light!

Mary C

Hi Feelbritish..... and absolutely true, I would never run down South Africa. Yes there are problems and issues here as there are in every country. As I tell my clients who want to move to Australia, there is no utopia, if there was I would be there hehe.

So I will say goodbye to South Africa with a heavy heart, but there is nothing to stop me coming to visit. I will return to the UK with an excited heart and face the next chapter of my life with as much enthusiasm as I did when coming to SA.

Fortunately I was in the UK in February of this year and I used my time wisely by taking in as much as I can of the changes that have happened over the last 30 years.

I will have much to learn, I will have much to explore and enjoy. I will have hurdles to cross (please God may they be little ones). But I am a 'glass half full' type of Gal, so my job will be to 'fill the glass' not empty it.

So to all on BE, I raise my glass and say 'Cheers' and have a great day.

spouse of scouse

But people (like me) applying for a spouse visa are from non-EU countries, so I don't know that it needs to be made any harder! I also qualify for an Ancestry visa, as three of my grandparents are from the UK, but I prefer the certainty of the spouse visa.

And I think you'll find that anyone wanting to emigrate to the UK from a non-EU/EEA country already finds it difficult, so I don't know what changes you're proposing to make it even harder. As a comparison, it is far more difficult to enter the UK as a skilled migrant that it is to emigrate to my country of Australia - and we don't care where you're from.

I take it you're an EU supporter, as you've only mentioned that the government should make things harder for people from non-EU countries 'who have no connection' at all to the UK. With respect, I don't know that everyone arriving into the UK from an EU country has much of a connection with it either, other than the political connection and subsequent rights conferred by the EU.

Gozit

Sorry. What I meant (and stated) in my original post is that people without connection to the UK should not be so easily let in. You obviously have a connection to the UK as you are a spouse of a UK citizen, correct me if i'm wrong. I also said that I think they should get rid of the spouse visa. (It is absurd) The Maltese government even still confers citizenship by marriage. Which I wouldn't be opposed to happening in Canada or UK.

So to the contrary of your post I am supportive and advocate for people in your predicament with the spouse visa and such Sorry if it came across otherwise.

Pollyana

I don't think getting rid of the Spouse Visa is the answer. Most countries require the foreign spouses of their citizens to get a visa in order to migrate.However the US, Canada, Australia, NZ and many others have rules and conditions which are a lot easier for couples to meet. Its only the Uk that has such an unrealistically high financial level to be met, and thats what is causing the problem for most couples where the British partner wishes to return home. Before that was introduced it was much more straightforward and far fewer couples had to be separated for long periods of time, which is what happens now. The requirements need to be revisited and reviewed, but I don't think they should be scrapped altogether.

spouse of scouse

Cheers Gozit. I suppose I'm just a bit wary of focusing on one geographical demographic to apply harsher rules to. In an ideal world, the UK's immigration program would only be governed by attracting people to address skills shortages, with allowances for family reunions and humanitarian (refugee) purposes.

spouse of scouse

I agree with that, Polly. One aspect of the current financial requirements that I think is particularly unfair is the failure to acknowledge, or allow for, that some British citizens live in countries where it's impossible to have a salary that meets the criteria, such as some Asian countries.

Gozit

Yeah I see where you're coming from. I don't think they should be letting spouses in like no tomorrow, there needs to be background/criminality checks, etc, but I think they should be given ILR on the dime if they meet the good character requirement. Same goes for Canada/US/Aus/NZ etc. I'd like to see the UK's ridiculous spouse visa scrapped, though.



You see and that's where i'm tongue tied. I think its unfair that EU citizens can move to the UK and take advantage of the benefits systems etc, or even just move there for work without a visa, just by political association, and others who would be willing to contribute to the economy aren't let in because they aren't EU citizens. I think that's unfair, but then again if the opportunity arose for me to move to the UK I would do so in a heartbeat being an EU citizen and able to settle without a visa. I most definitely wouldn't plan on taking advantage of the benefits but i'd definitely move there if the opportunity arose

spouse of scouse

Hey, no need to feel any guilt or anything like it You can no more help being born in a EU country than I can being born in a non-EU one! I'm happy that you have that opportunity and I hope your dream to move over there comes true.

Gozit

Thanks
Cheers

formula

I merely read the requirements. They are published on the government site.