Moving back to the UK in a few years
Jan 16th 2012, 5:40 am
#31
Sidecar Falcon
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,504
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
Fair enough, but they have basically put it out of my price range.
Fyi, have been reading the spousal visa thread and it seems that I would need to have a surplus of around 105 pounds per week after all bills to support my fiancee/wife.
It just so happens that she lived with me here for four months and we were able to get by comfortably with far less than that. I only earned 200 a week at that point. Of that, 120 per week went towards bills, 15 per week on travel and the rest went on feeding the two of us and on our entertainment budget. Edit: Shouldn't forget my ten pounds per week for Tobacco.
In this climate, the chance of me getting a job that pays considerably better is unlikely. But what I have already done is proven it is possible for me to support her for far less than our government believes.
Edit2: If the government believes that it costs 105 per person per week to live after all bills are paid, then why is the jobseeker allowance much lower?
Fyi, have been reading the spousal visa thread and it seems that I would need to have a surplus of around 105 pounds per week after all bills to support my fiancee/wife.
It just so happens that she lived with me here for four months and we were able to get by comfortably with far less than that. I only earned 200 a week at that point. Of that, 120 per week went towards bills, 15 per week on travel and the rest went on feeding the two of us and on our entertainment budget. Edit: Shouldn't forget my ten pounds per week for Tobacco.
In this climate, the chance of me getting a job that pays considerably better is unlikely. But what I have already done is proven it is possible for me to support her for far less than our government believes.
Edit2: If the government believes that it costs 105 per person per week to live after all bills are paid, then why is the jobseeker allowance much lower?
I think unfortunately for you, and a lot of other people though, those figures (such as 105 post-bills) is based upon a median range taken from the office of statistics and since most people in Britain live in and around the South East of England, it tends to push that figure upwards often unnecassarily since a lot of people can live quite comfortably in parts of England, Scotland and Wales on a salary which would technicially considered to be below the national average income.
Jan 16th 2012, 5:43 am
#32
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 208
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
I can remember a few years ago when I was working for the DWP, there was a news story about the national average wage and most of us had a laugh about it as we weren't close to it.
As I said in my email to my mp, the government does not care one bit for the little guy. That is another reason why I start to use words like "greedy"
As I said in my email to my mp, the government does not care one bit for the little guy. That is another reason why I start to use words like "greedy"
Jan 16th 2012, 5:52 am
#33
Sidecar Falcon
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,504
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
I can remember a few years ago when I was working for the DWP, there was a news story about the national average wage and most of us had a laugh about it as we weren't close to it.
As I said in my email to my mp, the government does not care one bit for the little guy. That is another reason why I start to use words like "greedy"
As I said in my email to my mp, the government does not care one bit for the little guy. That is another reason why I start to use words like "greedy"
It is highly likely that you didn't earn what they considered to be the national average wage at that time but it is also highly likely that you didn't need to because you didn't live anywhere near London. That is why a minimum income of 25k for the purposes of spousal immigration sponsorship would be fundamentally flawed in my opinion. I've told my OH on a number of occasions that if she wanted me to move the South East then she would need to drag me there kicking and screaming.
Jan 16th 2012, 6:14 am
#34
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 928
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
I did not have anywhere near £105 left (more like £1.05!) and my husband's visa was approved fine. But you do what you like.
Jan 16th 2012, 6:22 am
#35
Sidecar Falcon
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,504
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
Depending upon when you applied and under which category, it could have changed since then. I sponsored my girlfriend for FLR(M) inland a little over 1 year ago before we came to Canada so that we could just go straight back to the UK with no hassle if Canada didn't pan out and her application was approved within 5 weeks just on our bank statements, utility bills, and her biometric appointment/interview alone (which incidentally I was not even permitted to attend) but we had a look at the process for renewing her visa recently and now they will want additional paperwork and proof of her English skills, which is no problem for her because she did 2 degree courses there and is now a professional language translator, but could cause problems for a lot of other applicants and bear in mind that FLR isn't even technically an immigrant visa.
Jan 16th 2012, 6:25 am
#36
Sidecar Falcon
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,504
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
I agree though that in Craig1987's case though, there probably wouldn't be too much of a problem. His OH is a J-girl who presumably speaks English and, assuming that she has no criminal past or issues with a poor immigration history in other countries, probably wouldn't struggle to secure at least temporary UK resident status, especially if they were already married beforehand.
Jan 16th 2012, 7:08 am
#37
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 928
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
DigitalGhost, the rules have not changed since my husband's application (at least not in terms of finances needed. Some things have changed like needing biometics to be done). Proof of English is also new since then although coming from a majority English speaking country that would be waived for him anyway. The only other thing I can see that's changed doesn't come into it until ILR, which is the Life in the UK test.
Really all countries have rules that have to be followed and I don't think the UK is particularly onerous, in fact I think it is easier in some respects. There is no medical, (just TB tests if you come from certain poor countries with high incidence of TB), whereas every other English speaking country requires a thorough medical examination at the applicant's own considerable expense. Some countries will not allow in an immigrant with a medical condition that might be expensive to treat. So if you marry a Canadian and you've ever had cancer, you would not be allowed to move to Canada to live with them. The UK has no such rules and even a terminally ill person could theoretically move to the UK to live with their UK spouse.
Really all countries have rules that have to be followed and I don't think the UK is particularly onerous, in fact I think it is easier in some respects. There is no medical, (just TB tests if you come from certain poor countries with high incidence of TB), whereas every other English speaking country requires a thorough medical examination at the applicant's own considerable expense. Some countries will not allow in an immigrant with a medical condition that might be expensive to treat. So if you marry a Canadian and you've ever had cancer, you would not be allowed to move to Canada to live with them. The UK has no such rules and even a terminally ill person could theoretically move to the UK to live with their UK spouse.
Jan 16th 2012, 7:11 am
#39
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 928
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
I have to say, it makes me laugh the amount of moaning that people do about UK immigration but any other country can impose whatever rules they like and nobody complains, they just get on with it. I expect if other English speaking countries introduced a rule that you have to donate a kidney to get in you'd get people, for example, posting in US Immigration 'Do I have to use an approved doctor to remove my kidney and how much should I expect to pay?' 
Jan 16th 2012, 7:20 am
#40
Sidecar Falcon
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,504
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
I have to say, it makes me laugh the amount of moaning that people do about UK immigration but any other country can impose whatever rules they like and nobody complains, they just get on with it. I expect if other English speaking countries introduced a rule that you have to donate a kidney to get in you'd get people, for example, posting in US Immigration 'Do I have to use an approved doctor to remove my kidney and how much should I expect to pay?'
Most of the leniances in UK immigration law are handed down from Europe though I think which is one of the reasons why the UK wouldn't even entertain the Schengen agreement.
Last edited by DigitalGhost; Jan 16th 2012 at 7:22 am.
Jan 16th 2012, 8:46 am
#41
The Kwisatz Haderach
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: North Wales
Posts: 8,080
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
If they are asking people to have a higher income to sponsor a spouse to come to the UK, are they also going to allow people earning less than the 18k or 25k or whatever to have a co-sponsor, so that a parent or sibling with a high income could add to the application? Thats how they do it here in the US, you can have a co-sponsor to bump the income over a set amount, of course you would then live on your lower income and do your best to find the new spouse a job asap.
I thought the new rules didn't apply till April anyway, and so applying before April means you'd get the wife in on the old rules.
Craig1987 I think you are just making excuses to be dramatic and move elsewhere. When you could quite easily move your wife to UK under the old rules as they still stand just like Squirrel did.
I thought the new rules didn't apply till April anyway, and so applying before April means you'd get the wife in on the old rules.
Craig1987 I think you are just making excuses to be dramatic and move elsewhere. When you could quite easily move your wife to UK under the old rules as they still stand just like Squirrel did.
Jan 16th 2012, 8:50 am
#42
Sidecar Falcon
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,504
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
If they are asking people to have a higher income to sponsor a spouse to come to the UK, are they also going to allow people earning less than the 18k or 25k or whatever to have a co-sponsor, so that a parent or sibling with a high income could add to the application? Thats how they do it here in the US, you can have a co-sponsor to bump the income over a set amount, of course you would then live on your lower income and do your best to find the new spouse a job asap.
I thought the new rules didn't apply till April anyway, and so applying before April means you'd get the wife in on the old rules.
Craig1987 I think you are just making excuses to be dramatic and move elsewhere. When you could quite easily move your wife to UK under the old rules as they still stand just like Squirrel did.
I thought the new rules didn't apply till April anyway, and so applying before April means you'd get the wife in on the old rules.
Craig1987 I think you are just making excuses to be dramatic and move elsewhere. When you could quite easily move your wife to UK under the old rules as they still stand just like Squirrel did.
Jan 16th 2012, 9:47 am
#43
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 928
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
No, actually he probably couldn't unless he went to Korea or another 3rd country and got married within the next month or so and then filed his application before 1st April making sure that they met all of the requirements beforehand. It's definitely possible but wouldn't be cheap and I can sympathise with him that it seems like a lot of hoops to jump through just to appease the British government and the alternative would be for him to involve his parents or someone else which is something that he may not be willing or able to do.
The fact is, British people are first class at bashing their own country. Look at our papers for example. All doom and gloom, full of horror stories about the NHS. Do you see stories about medical incompetence in US papers? Of course not, even though we know they happen and million dollar lawsuits are paid out all the time. But Americans mustn't read about bad things happening in the US must they?
I'm not saying we are great and other countries aren't, because all countries have good and bad points. It's just that other countries trumpet their good points and we trumpet our bad points. And Brits like Craig buy into that, so do other Brits that emigrate to other countries. I'm quite a poistive person so I find it very irritating to take. And I do not agree that the UK is only lenient because it is made to be by the EU. Our visa was dictated purely by UK law, not EU law, as I have only UK nationality, and quite frankly it was a piece of cake and amazingly quick to get. Yet people happily post about how great the US process is, even though it takes 8-10 months and the UK process is often as quick as one week. And actually if you add up all the fees for US immigration for Fiances/Spouses, including the medical fees, it is comparable to the UK fees. I don't know about other countries but I'd like to bet that Canadian and Australian Spouse visa fees are not cheap either.
Last edited by Squirrel; Jan 16th 2012 at 9:49 am.
Jan 16th 2012, 9:53 am
#44
The Kwisatz Haderach
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: North Wales
Posts: 8,080
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
Many countries have a minimum income requirement, I know the US does. Craig was saying the UK was asking for 2 years' worth of saving, which is nonsence. And people do moan about UK immigration more, I've been on other forums and it's moan moan moan, but nobody ever moans about other countries, regardless of original nationality. For example, you need a visa to even visit the US if you have a record for shoplifting, even if it was 50 years ago, which people meekly apply for without saying they think that is OTT. Can you imagine if a Brit with a Canadian/Australian/American etc girlfiend/boyfriend found out that person needed to apply for a special visa to visit them in the UK because of a minor record that old? They'd be screaming about their human rights before you could count to 10.
The fact is, British people are first class at bashing their own country. Look at our papers for example. All doom and gloom, full of horror stories about the NHS. Do you see stories about medical incompetence in US papers? Of course not, even though we know they happen and million dollar lawsuits are paid out all the time. But Americans mustn't read about bad things happening in the US must they?
I'm not saying we are great and other countries aren't, because all countries have good and bad points. It's just that other countries trumpet their good points and we trumpet our bad points. And Brits like Craig buy into that, so do other Brits that emigrate to other countries. I'm quite a poistive person so I find it very irritating to take. And I do not agree that the UK is only lenient because it is made to be by the EU. Our visa was dictated purely by UK law, not EU law, as I have only UK nationality, and quite frankly it was a piece of cake and amazingly quick to get. Yet people happily post about how great the US process is, even though it takes 8-10 months and the UK process is often as quick as one week. And actually if you add up all the fees for US immigration for Fiances/Spouses, including the medical fees, it is comparable to the UK fees. I don't know about other countries but I'd like to bet that Canadian and Australian Spouse visa fees are not cheap either.
The fact is, British people are first class at bashing their own country. Look at our papers for example. All doom and gloom, full of horror stories about the NHS. Do you see stories about medical incompetence in US papers? Of course not, even though we know they happen and million dollar lawsuits are paid out all the time. But Americans mustn't read about bad things happening in the US must they?
I'm not saying we are great and other countries aren't, because all countries have good and bad points. It's just that other countries trumpet their good points and we trumpet our bad points. And Brits like Craig buy into that, so do other Brits that emigrate to other countries. I'm quite a poistive person so I find it very irritating to take. And I do not agree that the UK is only lenient because it is made to be by the EU. Our visa was dictated purely by UK law, not EU law, as I have only UK nationality, and quite frankly it was a piece of cake and amazingly quick to get. Yet people happily post about how great the US process is, even though it takes 8-10 months and the UK process is often as quick as one week. And actually if you add up all the fees for US immigration for Fiances/Spouses, including the medical fees, it is comparable to the UK fees. I don't know about other countries but I'd like to bet that Canadian and Australian Spouse visa fees are not cheap either.
Jan 16th 2012, 9:54 am
#45
The Kwisatz Haderach
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: North Wales
Posts: 8,080
Re: Moving back to the UK in a few years
No, actually he probably couldn't unless he went to Korea or another 3rd country and got married within the next month or so and then filed his application before 1st April making sure that they met all of the requirements beforehand. It's definitely possible but wouldn't be cheap and I can sympathise with him that it seems like a lot of hoops to jump through just to appease the British government and the alternative would be for him to involve his parents or someone else which is something that he may not be willing or able to do.
