roaringmouse

I notice you just make vague references to other categories, without specifically mentioning them and what the requirements & restrictions are for each of them...

formula

The Home Office UKBA website has the long list of visas and their requirements.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/

roaringmouse

Well go on then... specify the ones that you vaguely refer to, rather than putting forward a lazy argument with nothing to back it up with.

formula

You asked about a non-EU spouse who earned a high income. Rather than look for those visa links, you asked me. Now you want me to specify what visas, rather than read the link yourself. And you accuse me of being lazy

BristolUK

So the reasons for these changes can be summarised as follows:

To stop the importing of non genuine spouses through marriages of convenience. By excluding people of long term marriages.

To ensure UK taxpayers don't fund the foreign spouse coming into the UK - except that plenty coming in will be taxpayers themselves, probably even paying more than other UK taxpayers, given the required income is above what most people earn.

And many coming in will have paid decades worth of taxes prior to leaving.

And the refusal to allow spouses into the UK will result in monies being paid to the Brit that wouldn't have to be paid if the spouse came with them.

Makes perfect sense. Not.

manny1980

Good points Bristol. There are quite a few rules that, if implemented, can be considered illogical especially, as you quoted, excluding people who have been married for a long time. I also think not including savings, if that really does happen, would basically close doors to anyone who wants to come together with their spouse having lived abroad i.e. the UK spouse must first come to the UK and get a job and then seek permission to bring in their foreign spouse. Although I wonder scenario where a UK millionaire (with no job) who wants to bring in their foreign spouse will then need to look for a job that crosses the requirement threshold and fulfill the requirement

Maybe the emphasis should primarily go on genuineness in the relationship as well as money but not to ridiculous levels for the latter. I can only assume politicians make decisions not based on rationality but how to win votes and stay in power

just_jenn

I am kind of hoping that this is some horrible joke. About to put in for DH's spouse visa and I make around 22K...what happens if we put the application in now and some massively high threshold comes in before a decision has been made?

Or even if a decision has been made for that matter??? Can it be revoked?

formula

Put the application in before the new rules (whatever they may be) comes in.

formula

Have you worked out what their income (interest) is per year, from 1 million?

1 million also gets an Investor visa.

manny1980

I doubt anyone with so much money may necessarily feel comfortable investing it somewhere however your former point is excellent, I like that. From my calculations, at 4% I.R one can earn £40,000/ year...not bad at all

Ethelred_the_Unready

Well, this officially rules out me ever returning home, unless my wife cheats on me and we get a divorce.

Are there other EU countries we could move to that aren't so strict? Trust me, "home" would also be one of several European countries.

I'm not rich. I could never command a £26k salary anywhere.

Englishmum

The 'Daily Mail' would absolutely love to do a story on this.....native Brits who are alarmed that they can't take their spouses home to the UK....

manny1980

You are funny I enjoy reading Daily Mail and they can be 'Conservative' but not as bad as they are potrayed . However, the issue of immigration is a problem considering the population of the UK is increasing primarily from immigration. However, what the politicians fail to point out is that most of these immigration problem is not caused by family immigration but from other means of immigrations such as bringing foreign workers into the country (EU and non-EU) and ignoring the influx of migrants from within the EU because they are helpless in enforcing any rules. Student immigration is the only one I believe has been fairly targeted. Non-EU immigration is only one they can scrutinize because the Govt is helpless in enforcing any rules on immigrants from EU countries. Had UK Govt able to dictate all means of immigration then immigration control would not come across so harsh on family immigrants but evenly and fairly applied across all means of immigrations. This is the consequence of being a part of the EU.

Ethelred_the_Unready

So my American wife of 9 years would be less welcome than someone coming on a boat from Lithuania? Even though as soon as she got a work permit, we would both be working legitimately and paying taxes? Seems a bit ridiculous, but it most likely means that I'll never be able to return home, especially when we have kids.

roaringmouse

Oh dear, looks like I'll have to take this slowly, and hold your hand through what's been said already...
From which I asked: The above indicating that it could easily be the non-EU spouse who earns enough, or makes a substantial contribution, to support the family. This is easily possible without being eligible for other visa categories - I know this, because my non-EU wife made the bigger contribution in supporting us the last time we lived in the UK, but there would be no other visa category for her.

You followed up with the following: So at this point you've introduced other visa categories, without mentioning what they are, without indicating what the requirements are for applying, and without any restrictions to those visas that could make it unsuitable to the situation of a non-EU spouse with a British family.

The term "high income" that you used is also unclear on whether you mean an income above the possible threshold already mentioned in this thread, or if you mean a different, higher income (such as the £150,000 income mentioned for Tier 2 (General) which means there are no limits on number of that kind of visa issued in a year for people earning that much).

Because of that, I wrote: You replied with this rather lazy statement: So I asked again for you to back yourself up with information you seem to be using as a basis for your comments: If you want to indicate other visa categories, which you did, but then you're not even able to indicate which ones you mean then this is a very lazy argument on your behalf.

Yes, it is you being lazy by introducing something into the conversation, and when asked to clarify you cannot be bothered to provide further information about what you're referring to, and then try and turn that laziness onto the person asking for that information. Even attempting to make fun of that person.

I know what the website address for the UKBA is, thank you. However I'm sure people will be interested to witness your knowledge and wisdom in other visa categories - yet unnamed, and yet to be decided as suitable or unsuitable for the situation you suggest in which they could be used.