New Family visa rulings in the UK

[Ashley]

Has anyone else been completely knocked sideways by the sudden changes in UK family visa rules?
We were literally days away from submitting our application before the new rulings came into effect on the 9th of July. The changes make it nigh-on impossible for couples where a partner is from somewhere other than a eu member state, to move back to the UK and either force the couple to remain abroad or for the British citizen to leave their partner for at least 6 months to go and work in the UK...It's horrific!

 

[lwfh]

Hi,

Just looking at this. It is new, isn't it?

Is the bit that you are worried about the income bit. Do the minimum income thresholds apply to the family? Or are they individual?

 

[BednBreakfast]

I wish I'd known, I was eligible to get indefinite leave for my spouse and now it's back to square one!!!

 

[Huxley1234]

any links to this story?

 

[starlucia]

any links to this story?

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/2012/july/15-family-mig

 

[ndcj]

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/2012/july/15-family-mig

Wow, makes you appreciate the extraordinary flexibility of immigration in Argentina, doesn't it? 5 year "probation period" even if you've been married for 20 years???

 

[Ashley]

Hi,

Just looking at this. It is new, isn't it?

Is the bit that you are worried about the income bit. Do the minimum income thresholds apply to the family? Or are they individual?

The problem is that when the couple has been residing abroad together the minimum income thresholds only apply to the applicant's partner! (so the UK citizen part of the couple!). The partner must have earned £18,600 in the past 12 months (which, if living and earning pesos in Argentina is a pretty steep ask). The family income and the applicant's income are not considered AT ALL! In our case, we meet the requirements as a family (and my husband even meets the requirements alone), but the only salary taken into consideration is mine (which falls very short)!

As well as that, the applicant's partner, must have a concrete job offer in the UK (earning above £18,600) before the applicant can even begin to apply!

There are also all of these other stipulations like cash savings can only be used to make up the difference in the partner's income if they're a contracted employee (ie, not a monotributista!) and other assets such as property owned are not considered as part of a couple's "savings".

The salary threshold is even higher if the couple has children!
Its ridiculous that the UK member of the couple is judged alone, financially speaking, and also completely disregards women that may have been taking a career break to bring up small children etc.
I can't believe the changes came out of the blue like that. If we'd have known and submitted our application 2 weeks earlier, we'd have been fine...

 

[scotttswan]

Its a pretty terrible new ruling, would it not be possible to get a visa for another EU country and then to move to the uk with that visa?

 

[KarlaBA]

i'm sorry about how this change in ruling impacts you and others.

I would like to point out to everyone that laws, rulings, regulations, etc...they all change. So never make decisions on the assumption that the laws of man will be the same tomorrow as they are today. There is a perfect old farmers' saying that we all need to remember: Make hay when the sun shines. When you have an opportunity to do something, do it. Don't assume that it will be available in the future.

 

[glasgowjohn]

makes me really happy that i persuaded my better half to get her Spanish passport, last year.

disappointed though for the others who look like having a tough time if they want to go back to the UK.