Do you think the new £38K income visa threshold for UK spouse visas is fair?

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It is set at the same level as for work visas.

Feels completely crazy to me, but then, I am also an immigrant (although the changes don't affect me), so probably too sensitive to the topic. Would be interesting to hear MN opinion.

I hope that an unintended side effect of this is that someone working in a dementia care home makes more than 18k a year.

Lots of people are saying that 18k isn't enough to support a family, how do we expect people working in care to live decent lives?

@Groundhoghcg they don’t. Hence why they go to countries like Australia which pays healthcare workers a slightly more decent income. So UK is losing healthcare workers to other countries offering more money AND now will be losing some because foreign healthcare workers can’t afford to bring their family over so will return to their home country.

No matter how much money UK spends on education, it won’t make a difference unless they increase salaries to attract younger generations.

Edit: obviously as a previous nurse I’m focusing on healthcare but no doubt that also affects teachers and other essential jobs!

There was another thread with people annoyed at the high recent figure

Granted they may be different pp but either way high net migration figures get people going too

If we have another conservative government, I'd unfortunately expect that standards of care will just continue to decline. They don't care about anyone, but especially low income people, or elderly/disabled people.

The changes aren't coming in until April next (so maybe not at all) & don't affect care or NHS in regard to min income.

Its just another smoke screen, which all the Tory media are picking up on as Sunak getting tough on immigration, he has zero intention of controlling migration, if he did, he wouldn't have let it balloon to 3/4 million people.

145k care workers came to UK last year, they then bought in an additional 174k dependants plus there is nothing to say they stay as care workers either.

Its a crazy system.

One thing I approve of is the scrapping of the 20% less for workers on shortage occupation lists. It shouldn’t matter where you are from you should expect to be paid the same as the British person standing next to you doing the same job.

Quite.

The care system collapse is why we have a failed NHS, people can't get care packages, so stay within the NHS.

By making the changes just before the (probable date of the next GE) they make it a Labour problem, assuming Lab don't screw it up.

Have you now moved from moneysavingexpert forums after years of nonsense protestations that house prices are going to crash and that why you are not buying. Honestly, your obsession with the non existent housing crash is unhealthy. Not to mention that this nonsense details a thread.

Not where I live. Probably around 17k about average.

These visa restrictions are not for people already living here. These are for bringing spouse over. So foreigner already living in UK can "date lower income Brit" because this restriction doesn't apply. Jnless something changed

It will affect people already here. It will also affect people not already here who have been planning and working towards the current rules. This new income requirement will come in in April (in theory), a Visa application must be planned for at least 6 months in advance. Some people due to renew their visas in the spring/summer will have to leave and there will be absolutely nothing they can do about it. Are you able to change your entire career and life plan in 4 months? Because that's what this is asking of people.

@EasternStandard Quite. Seems people want it reduced, but of course not in any way which might affect them personally.

Well I guess moving forward it’s less likely that a foreigner will be able to be here seeing as they’re also increasing the amount needed to be earned for a working visa. But yes some foreigners will still be able to come if they earn 38k or more.

But no idea what happens if then they meet a low earning Brit and get married, I assume they can’t convert their working visa to a spouse visa? So no long term security because if they lose their job do they have to leave? Even if they have kids?

@CormorantStrikesBack no it doesn't include healthcare! Permanent residents have all the same entitlements as citizens, including healthcare.

I looked up the rules and the actual rule is that you have to promise to financially support them for 3 years. If there is a breakup and the spouse goes on welfare/benefits in the first three years, the government can claw that money back from the sponsoring spouse.

Yes they do. For the spouse visa when you apply the spouse has to remain overseas for up to a year (more than 90% of applications which are 3 month long in theory are rejected, then you appeal). Then you reapply about halfway through your 5yr visa. Then at the end you have apply for leave to remain.

The new 38k also applies to leave to remain after five costly years of spousal visas (leave to remain currently costs nearly 3k to apply for, doubtless this will jump too). This has to be stable salaried income for more than 6months before application date (proved with wage slips, bank account statements and an employer letter). You can't just find another quick side job to make up the shortfall before applying.

My family have woken up today and the kids are oblivious but my husband's mind is all - where shall we go? Because these arbitrary huge and ever-growing requirements (this one more than doubling overnight!) can't be met. A foreign spouse/parent now a luxury item, like dental care. 38k overnight from 18.5k? We own our house and have never claimed any sort of benefit but it's irrelevant.

The hasn't a pool of young A Level students sitting around doing nothing, if you attract these students into Health or Education they wont be going into other sectors.
Having seen the stresses NHS workers are under, no surprise they move to countries that offer more money, less hours and lower stress.

We need face facts, we haven't enough younger people but do have a lot more older people but allowing workers to bring in dependent parents is a bit stupid.

So we either need to import more people to do these roles or find better ways to use existing workers through tech/working practices.

@WhenLoveIsDone in an earlier post someone said that once you are in the UK and applying for spousal visa the spouses salary can be used to make up the 38k. I think at the moment we have to wait for the details as only headlines have been published so far?

Once you are in the UK, yes both incomes are counted. But that doesn't help if you are not already in the UK, if your spouse is on a visa that doesn't allow work, if circumstances change before gaining ILR. It could affect families who have already been through 5 years of visas, just because they can't redesign their entire lives in a matter of months.

If everyone goes mad over high net migration then obviously the next stage is new policies to stop that outcry. (Nearly everyone for those who say I didn’t)

Not sure what people expected when they were annoyed saying it’s too high etc

So we either need to import more people to do these roles or find better ways to use existing workers through tech/working practices.

or funnel some of the bottomless pit of cash we have for controlling immigration into paying decent money for care work. If care paid decently and offered a career path it would appeal to school leavers.

This is like Brexit all over again. Numbers make good headlines but the consequences haven't really been thought through. Anyone who thinks fewer carers, fewer nursers and more single parents is a good thing hasn't got the brain capacity to vote. But then, that's what they're relying on isn't it.
I'm all for reducing immigration, but not like this.

This. Improve pay and conditions and we wouldn't need to import people in the first place.

Surely if your DH is earning 120k he could still come to uk but would have to be via a worker visa and job? Not saying I agree with the policy but it does at least seem that there would be a way for some spouses to still come?

I'm all for reducing immigration, but not like this.

How would you reduce it?

And as for nursing, who would want massive stress, awful conditions and a big student loan for 28k? A small uplift would make a big difference, and I'm confident it would be cheaper than importing nurses who the existing nurse workforce have to train to UK standards.

I value my Nigerian colleagues but nursing in Nigeria is VERY different and it takes at least a year of on the job teaching for them to be able to work independently. It's exhausting.