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.

Everyone speaks from their own experience obviously, we live in a majority white small city and the vast majority of EU citizens that came here came with their entire immediate family, I am originally from a major city and going back there I saw a lot of young, single EU citizens who had come for the experience, I think it all depended on their reasons for coming here, on the other hand our hospital has recently had an influx of nurses from India to fill vacancies, I don't know if they came with other family members but they are young so maybe not in a relationship or have elderly parents to think about yet so they may not stay if the this change goes ahead, immigrants are humans too not just a statistic

Exactly this. The media is also to blame with all the sensational anti immigration headlines.

It’s disgusting, but no surprise coming from the laughable Tories. I’m a permanent resident who came in on a spouse visa, and my engineer husband still doesn’t earn that much (though I do), so we could not be together if we had met today. For those saying the income is reasonable and 18k isn’t enough to support 2 people, you should probably factor in location, as well as the fact that the majority of spouses will be working (and having kids—remember how the UK is in a birth rate crisis? Makes no sense to actually discourage residents from procreating).

No, you don’t. You apply for ILR, which makes you a permanent resident. Yes, you can access benefits, but becoming a citizen requires another application and another fee after ILR is granted.

Again, wrong. People on the spousal route can apply for naturalisation and a passport immediately, so it is five years.

How do I know? I’ve been through the process! 🙄

Yes, but it's entirely separate process and expense. You don't spend 5 years on a spouse visa and they just hand you a passport.
Besides, have you seen the current wait times?! Can easily be another year even if you do all the applications the second you are eligible.

You get ILR after 5 years, not naturalization?

I know. Perhaps I have just written it awkwardly. I was just trying to communicate that a lot of people on spousal visas do become British citizens after 5 years because the naturalisation pathway is available immediately.

deleted

That's interesting, weegie. I didn't know that you could skip the ILR. But then I have never seriously contemplated getting a UK passport. Who wants a document with a unicorn on it and which says QUIM at the top?😉

No, but a British spouse on 35k and a foreign spouse on similar absolutely should be able to support a family.

It's not fair. Immigration is necessary, we have plenty of people who also migrate. It ebbs and flows constantly. This country seems to have an absolute irrational hatred of immigrants and the old 'people coming to steal our jobs' mantra which simply isn't true. But what is true that it is easy for a government to leap on this and rile people up. Much like Brexit, nobody benefits.

You can't skip ILR when naturalising as the spouse of a British citizen - ILR is a requirement to apply. But you can apply to naturalise as soon as you have it, because you'll have met the residency requirements.

I sponsored my husband a dozen years ago. I only had to support him for six months after which he obtained the right to work, so my income seems pretty irrelevant. We’re both professionals now but had that rule been in place we wouldn’t have been able to live in the UK which seems a bit pointless? It’s none of the government’s business who I marry.

Yes this. As other posters have pointed out, I worded it awkwardly! But basically you can apply for naturalisation immediately after getting ILR. If I remember correctly, other visa holders must wait a year but those on spousal routes can apply immediately :)

It's not unreasonable for either the government or the public to have views either about the scale of migration or who is allowed to settle @Merryhobnobs . Can you point me at one single country anywhere that has a totally open door?

I didn't say there should be an open door! Just that the scale of migration isn't actually something to get so hyped up about or for the migrants themselves to be demonised!

Yes, they can apply — after they apply and pay for ILR. So yes, you are wrong, and what you wrote is misleading. Applying for ILR and then citizenship are two separate applications and two separate payments. Getting ILR does not automatically confer citizenship.

I too have been through the process, and probably more recently than you, judging by your confusion.

As I have already posted, I wrote it awkwardly. I stand by that you can get citizenship after 5 years as that’s what exactly how long it took me. And no, I was naturalised this year.

It's not that, it's the cost and the lack of housing and too many people in the UK.

And obviously discourages bringing young children who would need constant care and couldn`t be left alone if someone is working?

To be fair, if all the carers leave lots of old people will die freeing up their houses. Bonus.

Perhaps but no one can afford the housing

Working visa and Family visa should not be treated the same way.

Yep.

Brexit has replaced EU migration with non-EU migration.

EU immigrants were net tax contributors (young and healthy), while non-EU are broadly neutral tax-wise, and UK natives werw hugely negative tax contributors.

Replacing EU with non-EU has basically made it impossible for the public purse to keep subsidising the UK natives who are very unproductive.

All of this was predictable. Now the country will keep getting poorer until it reaches a lower standard of living (this means people will have to work more hours, and retiring at 65-67 will be impossible).