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

[zendeveloper]

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.

The London market is just a giant Ponzi Bubble, it was inflated by giving people far too much cheap debt with the expectation that interest rates would never again rise (LOL, who on earth would actually fall for that?) If rates stay where they are or go up again the London bubble is going to pop like a bad cooking experiment. Anything that limits people coming here puts downward pressure on rents and house prices and although unfortunate for some individuals and their families it is overall good for society.

I’ve emailed the infographics of the average pay for different age groups and the difference between sexes to my local Tory MP. And also pointed out that living in a poorly paid, northern rural area his constituents will also be disproportionately affected. I sense he won’t give a fuck.

Can you please take your house price nonsense somewhere else. Not the thread for it.

The point I was making was that £37k is the median in the 30-39 age group so many people will be earning that. It’s not some unachievable figure as people on this thread are making out. Also, I earned £29k as a 29 year old and £38k as a 30 year old.

But 37k is not 38k.

and even if it was half of people won’t be on it in that age group.
what about people in their 20s?
if you get married over 35 it may be too late to have kids, the average wage in the 30s bracket will be increased by people in their late 30s.
what about women who will earn less?
what about people in the north who will earn less?

I know very few people (as in families) who earn £35k. Including my own family household income! No where near £35k.

Any policy that excludes most women is inherently discrimatory. Don't really see how you can argue otherwise. Unless you think most women just don't matter?

I guess in effect what they're doing is setting an income threshold that represents what you need to live on without requiring a taxpayer subsidy to live here.

The factors that led to this state of affairs are miserable, namely that this is a rentier economy, with housing and energy costs being so high that the state has to subsidise every person on minimum wage. It's perverse.

Ironically, despite this, there are still lots of advantages here compared to other countries, including a very open lightly regulated market economy and an open job market.

However, each family on average wages costs more money to support than they pay in taxes, because of the free health service, free education, very different to most places that are similarly open.

In reality it's unsustainable. We can't keep importing people that are a net drain on the country's finances, when they are in such terrible shape. Housing shortages alone mean there just isn't the capacity to house people.

Employers will have to pay a living wage that allows people to pay for their own housing costs rather than import cheap labour from abroad. It's all a terrible imbalance anyway, with a lot of jobs needing the subsidy of council housing to make them viable.

Sad state of affairs but this country is now apparently 20% poorer than it was 15 years ago, a legacy of the financial crash followed by austerity then Brexit then COVID. We need a new government with some better ideas.

That’s people you know, a very small group of people. You’ve seen the median figures.

People on spousal visas are banned from accessing any type of Public Funds (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-funds--2/public-funds). Their NHS needs are covered by additional NHS contributions (now an extra £1k a year) on top of regular tax contributions.

Do you really think the crumbling state of the UK is down to people coming to join their husband/wife to live and work here?

Health and care workers are exempt. Not fair for other people coming here to work though.

Exempt from the income requirement changes. But can't bring their family.
Hostile environment indeed. None of it is designed to be fair.

I'm gutted about it. I'm a British citizen, my child is a British citizen, but this makes it so much harder to bring my husband here and reunite our family. I earn an ok salary, I own property outright, my husband has the potential to earn a good salary, but I'm now 5k short of the 38k.

I'm more worried about how social care is going to be affected by care workers not being able to bring their families which is already quite a long drawn out process. Sometimes I'm the only British member of staff at work, 7-8 staff all the rest being immigrants who have their family here as well already. New people simply won't come if there's never going to be a possibility their families can join them. I'm dreading what's going to happen to an already short staffed situation. British people don't want the care jobs 🤷

Well, just from my experience, typically it's common for migrants to need a while to adjust and it's uncommon for both people, with kids, to go into full time employment immediately. In fact, I'd say it's very rare.

Even a single person wouldn't survive well on £18k currently with the cost of living (without benefits) in the UK. They'd need top ups which just isn't sustainable.

If I wanted to move to Canada, I'd understand if I didn't meet all the criteria, I'd either look at other countries or stay where I am. Whilst it's ethically uncomfortable that there's not open migration across the world, in reality we need limits to protect population management.

Where were you living together as a family previously?

I think it's a bigger change than some realise; what it says is both parties need to work, the UK is no longer interested in people who don't, and that is part of the economics of this. Immigration is about supporting the economy. I note Labour haven't said they will undo this. That indicates to me underlying agreement even if they said it should be referred to the Migration Committee.

There seem to be two exceptions on exceptional circumstances which might mean this requirement is waived or you have savings. So it is not s complete bar but it is very tough.

blah blah blah

@WhichIsItWendy Yes

Whilst I understand your rhetoric, I think you're ignoring the outcome of unlimited migration of people with low or no income. It's just completely unrealistic.

So you think affordable housing for people who work and contribute is "nonsense"? The reason people are pissed off at immigration is that they think it inflates rents and house prices, why do you think the majority of voters voted Leave after being told by Remain that it would crash house prices, LOL.

I think it has been repeated to death on this thread. This requirement only applies to the British party, not joint income, unless the other party is already in the country independently of marriage, then joint income can be taken into account. Both can work and the "foreign" partner can actually outearn the British several times over, but only the latter counts.

But there are already additional income requirements for foreign children. Any British children aren't subject to migration law. The foreign spouse and children aren't entitled to claim any benefits.
It's ethically uncomfortable? Yes it is, and I don't think unethical migration policy is ok just because other places are the same or worse.

No, I think you can fuck off with your crash agenda on a thread where it is entirely irrelevant. Surprised you aren't too busy buying all the mega cheap houses to be on mumsnet by now. LOL.

The wages will need to go up and people in the UK on benefits who are fit and healthy will need to be "compelled" to pick up these jobs, their benefits will need to be cut until they feel the urge to work for a living.