BritInParis

Although the numbers of EU migrants to the UK has risen, so has the numbers coming from outside the EU.

Despite what the media and the main political parties (and UKIP) would have you think, immigration to the UK from outside the EU remains higher than immigration from within the EU.



However out of the 583,000 people who came to the UK between June 2013 and June 2014 only 55,440, less than 10% of the total, were non-EU citizens accompanying or joining family members in the UK. The majority of migration to the UK is from people from outside the EU who come to work or study.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migrat...migration.html

theoldgit

The problem as I see it, having retired from the UKBA, is that Entry Clearance Officers are no longer allowed to use their judgement when deciding on an application for settlement.
In the old days, only a couple of years ago, an ECO would look at the bigger picture, could the applicant afford to settle in the UK without being a drain on public finances, bare in mind that a person settling from outside the UK cannot claim benefits anyway, nowadays is just a box ticking exercise, if they can prove an income of £18,600 from the sponsor then they will be granted a visa.
So you could have a person earning £18,605, having to rent a house costing £8,500 a year, leaving them with a balance of £11,000 a year to live on, and they would get a visa. You could have somebody with a pension of £18,500, own their own home in the UK so a nett income of the full salary, and they wouldn't be granted a visa.
So to the poster who says £18,600 isn't enough to live on, look at the bigger picture.

Vexcore

But if the husband or wife is on a spouse visa.... that ONLY lets them work.. they cannot claim from the public purse on that visa... so what the hell are they so worried about?

my wife comes to uk on a spouse visa she either works or doesnt... she cannot claim AT ALL.

on ILR that's another story.

as for the British citizen he/she have every RIGHT to claim

JSA,IS.CB,CTC,CTB,HB,DLA, etc

it cleary states on the spouse visa (no recourse to public funds)

and isn't £18,600 around 350 a week or something like that?

Giantaxe

NHS use?

The bigger picture is that the British see the current level of immigration as a big issue. You only have to see the rise of UKIP to see that. Cameron can't touch the level of EU immigration per-se, so he goes after non-EU spouses and tries to deny benefits to any immigrant for as long as possible. I think the latter is perfectly reasonable, the former not so much. And the fact that it is screwing so many British citizens in the process is unconscionable.

scot47

The income rules are unfair and inequitable, BUT rules are rules !

rebeccajo

Thanks for this, BinP.

Novocastrian

But as someone else said, rules are challengeable in a democracy through the courts.

I have no personal dog in this race, but the present rules are stupid, insensitive, discriminatory and likely motivated by closet racism in the first place.

Vexcore

rules are rules yes scot... but when it comes to separating babies from mothers or fathers separating families that is just plain wrong and you know it.

Of course, but did you hear the recent story of a brit who had enough of the courts the UKBA etc, and in the end let his wife stay illegally? to be with him and his son? after 1 year of home office bollocks and mither etc, she is now allowed to stay.

Pretty ironic don't you think? i'll try n find the link later.

scot47

Open the gates ! Let them ALL in ? I think not.

Vexcore

Did i say let them all in?..... don't twist words fella, it doesn't suit you.


it's like your saying EVERY british citizen is married to every eu/none-eu citizen... lol

Editha

I've looked at this thread for the first time today. I'm a little surprised at the animosity shown towards the couple. I can understand the resentment that they ignored the rules that others are struggling hard to comply with.

They were certainly foolish, but the case has brought the unfairness of the rules to the public attention, and I don't think that is a bad thing.

Vadio

With all due respect, IMHO there is a difference between animosity and lack of sympathy. There's a wealth of information out there, and nowadays there's very little excuse for simply 'being foolish'.

If I had struggled to meet the criteria, finally managed it through persistence and hard work, then paid a LOT of ££, I would likely resent anyone trying to get a free pass. Usually with these sob stories there's an element of truth and a lot of economy with the truth.

michali

True Vadio! I don't feel any animosity but having gone through the procedure to get my husbands visa, I do not like the attitudes of people who feel they have more rights than others and that moderators on this and other boards know less than some solicitors and immigration advisors, which is usually not true.

Editha

With due respect to the board's moderators, I don't think there is any reason to think they know more than professional immigration lawyers and advisors.

Vadio

There's a couple of folks on here who are extremely knowledgeable and over on UK-Yankee there's one person (ksand24) who devotes a LOT of time to answering questions and providing links to correct information and has done for 8 years. I would venture to say that Ksand knows more than 99-44/100s of the 'professional immigration lawyers and advisors'.