I married an illegal immigrant - AMA

[Annie834]

I married a man who entered the UK as an illegal immigrant. After 5 years of relationship and two years of living together, we applied for his visa on grounds that he is my ‘durable life partner’ (this was while EU law was still applicable in the UK, I’m a EU citizen with settlement status). We went via an immigration lawyer and were upfront about the fact that he entered the UK illegally (not that this could have been concealed anyway). The application was successful and he was granted pre-settled status. We then got married a couple of years later and had a child.

I will answer any questions, but might not engage in wider discussions about illegal immigration, there are enough threads about that topic and this is an AMA.

I think it’s not so black and white…
I came as a legal immigrant to the UK. I don’t see myself as a burden to the state, I never claimed any benefits, I work and - after my student years when I earned over the threshold - pay my taxes. But so does my husband - he didn’t came here to claim benefits (never did and never will) and he’s also working and started to pay taxes when he was in a position to do so. Literally the only difference between us is that we have different passports. So you might see why I can’t judge his character, I’d be judging my own character.
I’m aware that some people will say that I’m just as bad as him anyway and we’re a good fit because they don’t agree with immigration in general and have no interest in EU citizens being settled here, which I have to accept. But I can’t see how he is a burden to the UK and its taxpayers and I’m not, I’d be a real hypocrite because we literally cause the same impact (positive as well as negative if you like) on the UK.

This thread is infuriating.

Don't want to be too outing so some details altered but someone in my family met someone who was here on a student visa from a South American country on a Masters STEM scholarship programme and they dated while they were here.
When their visa ran out they left and continued in a long distance relationship.

They came back legally to visit and became engaged.
They then had to leave again.
In order to get a visa to marry they had to pay £4500 for two and a half years.
Approx £3000 of that was to pre-pay into NHS.
Had to provide mountains of proof of bank accounts, residence etc.
They married and they got a very good job from which of course they paid taxes and national insurance/NHS etc for that same 2 1/2 years.
So essentially paying into the NHS twice, but the only ppl who can get that refunded apparently work for the NHS.
The visa is coming up for renewal and they have to do it all over again-provide bills to address, bank details, etc and paying £4500 for two and a half more years-whilst working and again paying double.
Hopefully when the 5 years are up they can apply for right to remain? not quite sure of the terms here.
But have paid £9000, plus flights to and from home country as required to exit by terms of visa etc.

So yes I judge ppl who come illegally, cheat the system and then reap the benefits.

I know a few immigrants two illegal, one was my brother’s ex gf, Albanian and her brother. Both Muslim and she was worried she’d be married off. No idea where her brother is now but he worked in a clothes shop, she was deported and now lives legally in Germany.

I worked for a solicitors who had immigration cases (before rules changed) and basically this is how it should work, if you do want to remain here you should pay and follow the rules. We all know of the Indian and other nationality relatives brought over who can barely speak English yet claim benefits.

I suppose though a country should have rules and right to decide who does come into their country.You came legaly he didn't.

Exactly. The Albanians I knew did train, ferry and got false Italian passports.

I agree with that. I can see why people object to it from a moral point of view, because a rule was broken. I think I find it more difficult to get my head around the suggestion that he is living a better life on costs of UK taxpayers when he’s doing the same I’m doing.

That was my point. What's baffling about agreeing?

The conversation around paperwork relates to OP's husband, who had paperwork but wouldn't have qualified to come here either for economic or asylum reasons - he is the very definition of an illegal immigrant.

I agree with you. I have just quoted badly!

Paperwork is absolutely black and white for economic migrants. Economic migrants who come illegally without papers ARE criminals, and OP's DH engaged with criminal gangs, and committed fraud and tax evasion - those are not minor crimes, although so many on here seem to dismiss them easily. Nowhere have I intimated that asylum seekers (the genuine ones, not the gimmigrants), are less genuine without papers; the fact that my family came with papers was simply as statement of fact.

Asylum seekers present with or without papers, and I haven't come across anyone, either on MN or IRL, who would reject those we can see as genuine (ie fleeing war, escaping concentration camps). However, it is obvious to anyone with any awareness, Europe is currently being overwhelmed by economic migrants who have just found a new way to beat the system.

Well he might not be on the thread, but the OP is, and is happy to be profiting from his continued ignoring of UK laws,since as she says, he gives cash in hand work to people in a similar situation to him ( I assume she means people working illegally) so he is still stealing NI contributions and tax revenue and the OP sees nothing wrong with this.

Firstly, I’m not profiting, I have my own work. And secondly, my husband might offer someone without status the occasional day of work (I don’t know tbh) but he also provides an invoice to all his clients and has paid several thousand £ income tax last year. I don’t know if you ever had contractors over for work, but sadly it’s rather unusual in the construction industry, cash in hand is the preferred way for British contractors (and immigrants with visa.) Yet somehow we can get upset about the occasional day of black work by an immigrant but not about day to day black work by British contractors that cost the economy far more.

Yesterday at 15.38 you seemed to think that he would employ someone “ in a similar situation” for several days cash in hand. I am talking about your husbands disregard for UK laws, not other peoples disregard.

Yes, today at 14:08 I still think he would. My point was that giving someone without visa days of work won’t damage the UK industry as much as most of the construction industry working cash in hand on very well paid jobs (and without need because they could pay their taxes). Not to mention countless clients who ask my husband if he could accept cash and charge less. I’m pointing out the hypocrisy of people shrugging the shoulders and saying ‘well, that’s the construction industry’ and then pretending to be shocked about the scenario I described.

Everyone who comes illegally- unless they are refugees or asylum seekers- ARE criminals

I think I've seen this posted twice on here. Just to clarify, asylum seekers are lawful temporary 'residents' while their claims are being processed. Once granted asylum, their status change to refugees, which is a legal status.

So I fail to see why people mention them at all, even as a caveat, when talking about illegal immigrants. Different categories entirely.

He didn't claim benefits, but he evaded tax by working cash in hand, and committed fraud by using somebody else’s ID, which would have given them (and possibly him) access to benefits and services they otherwise would not have been - any NICS paid on the fraudulent NINO will have given pension entitlement, and possibly access to contribution-based welfare benefits.

What's the country?

All I know about Albania is from DH working there a while back and merely from that I can understand people wanting to leave. He spoke to a man once whose sole means of earning a living was ONE cow.

Lashing out at the nearest target makes weak people feel powerful.

If you think this doesn't and hasn't always happened with UK workers then you are either purposely naive or just knee jerk anti immigrant.

You don't see why they shouldn't be allowed to stay when they entered illegally. Seriously?

Yes it is customary for traders in the construction industry to offer cash in hand alternatives and to pay staff on that same basis - it is still illegal. Moreover it is illegal as clients pay cash in hand. In my DH’s profession if he was ever found to have paid a contractor cash he would lose his job and professional memberships (he’s a tax specialist). Inland revenue could also prosecute him for assisting/abetting in a crime. Conviction would involve a prison sentence. Just because it is commonly done does not mean it is acceptable, or NOT a crime. We reject offers to pay cash for this reason and document every transaction and invoice.

The cash economy deprives the government of legally entitled taxes that in turn deprive the NHS and education system. The blase way in which many here dismiss this as though tax evasion is a sport is shocking really.

I've probably answered that in the rest of that post.

I think you’ve missed the point of my post. You’re focusing only on the fact they entered illegally. I’m focusing on how to remove the incentives some of them come for and people keep complaining about, while still dealing with the reality of those who are already here and only contributing. Yes I think the latter should stay with conditions. I’m not saying illegal entry is fine or that people should be rewarded for it.

Doesn’t anyone else find the idea that having no clue who a person really is ( if they are using false documents, and are in a country without the knowledge of the legal authorities) just a bit worrying? Isn’t that what used to be called the Fifth Column?

Theres more to worry about than tax avoidance and service use IMHO