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Original poster

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

936 replies

zendeveloper · 04/12/2023 19:32

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.

OP posts:
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22
WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 17:37

They are bound to raise it.

We own our home outright, no mortgage. We could get a massive mortgage for no other bloody reason than to appease the Home Office, I suppose- but chances are the goalposts would move again.

Oliotya · 08/12/2023 17:42

WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 17:37

They are bound to raise it.

We own our home outright, no mortgage. We could get a massive mortgage for no other bloody reason than to appease the Home Office, I suppose- but chances are the goalposts would move again.

You're not allowed to use loans. You'd have to sell your house.

WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 17:44

Great! 😅

CrashyTime · 08/12/2023 18:13

Oliotya · 08/12/2023 17:16

So, my original question, if they can force a pay increase, why aren't they starting with that? DM headlines is why.

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Because their voters dont like the extra council tax or holiday home tax to pay for it, they would need to print up some money again, but that takes us ever closer to the point where peoples belief in the money system (The Hamster Wheel) collapses, they need to make people believe it is normal to graft 8 hours a day for minimum wage, or to spend 40 years paying a debt on a very average pile of bricks. It is a fine balancing act between keeping people stupid and keeping people sweet.

Papyrophile · 08/12/2023 20:18

The recent increase in NMW that takes effect next spring and brings min wage to £11.44 per hour will mean that my chef DS with several years of five star kitchen experience is going to be earning £0.06 pence per hour more than the newest hire? He's not going to help that novice chef learn his trade and improve his skills. The going rate for a chef de partie (who runs a section of the kitchen but is not a senior) is £11.50 per hour, and the shifts are 11 am to 11 pm.

Papyrophile · 08/12/2023 20:35

You wonder why eating out anywhere nice costs so much? Because if the food is prepared on site for you, instead of being bought from a supply company's factory, then you have to pay wages. If you can't taste the difference, or don't care what you are eating and just want lots of it, then you will never ever pay the true cost of your plate's preparation.

Crispedia · 08/12/2023 21:13

EasternStandard · 06/12/2023 14:34

The 750k was pretty high, various sectors do need people atm so some visas are necessary, there was discussion on here from some around dependants being too high

If it goes down to say 450k (everyone will have their own it’s too high number) I reckon pressure for policy change would decrease

Where not to decrease is around shortage occupations - ie keep those, it doesn’t leave much to change

2022 was an anomaly though as 260,000 were Ukrainian and Hong Kong visas.

Crispedia · 08/12/2023 21:18

Spousal/family visas a small proportion of annual visas so feels extra cruel.

Do you think the new £38K income visa threshold for UK spouse visas is fair?
WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 21:25

@Oliotya It's hopeless, isn't it? The rules are designed to exclude, exclude, exclude.

Whereas in my country, this is how it works if a citizen wants to bring their husband or wife home to live with them:

You must
Be able to prove you are in a genuine, stable relationship and have lived together for at least 12 months.
Meet health and character requirements.

That's it. The focus is on the genuineness of the relationship and evidence of cohabitation. It can be hard to prove, but the assumption is that once this is proved then your visa should be granted. Because it is a citizen's right to marry whomsoever they wish.

You can apply while you are both still overseas together. You aren't forced apart. The spouse doesn't have to apply from abroad while you remain in your country meeting some arbitrary salaried employment requirements for 6months. There are no financial requirements. I can return home bankrupt and bring them all with me and live at my mum's till we pick up work (this happened with an acquaintance of mine). Your partner can come and immediately be on permanent resident footing.

Because living with your family is a basic right in a normal, compassionate society.

wellwellso · 08/12/2023 21:31

Because living with your family is a basic right in a normal, compassionate society.

Reports say majority of boat people come to England because their families are in the UK, Goood to see the society will have same sentiments regarding them. Indeed around 90% of asylum seekers end up being granted asylum in the uk.

Oliotya · 08/12/2023 21:33

WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 21:25

@Oliotya It's hopeless, isn't it? The rules are designed to exclude, exclude, exclude.

Whereas in my country, this is how it works if a citizen wants to bring their husband or wife home to live with them:

You must
Be able to prove you are in a genuine, stable relationship and have lived together for at least 12 months.
Meet health and character requirements.

That's it. The focus is on the genuineness of the relationship and evidence of cohabitation. It can be hard to prove, but the assumption is that once this is proved then your visa should be granted. Because it is a citizen's right to marry whomsoever they wish.

You can apply while you are both still overseas together. You aren't forced apart. The spouse doesn't have to apply from abroad while you remain in your country meeting some arbitrary salaried employment requirements for 6months. There are no financial requirements. I can return home bankrupt and bring them all with me and live at my mum's till we pick up work (this happened with an acquaintance of mine). Your partner can come and immediately be on permanent resident footing.

Because living with your family is a basic right in a normal, compassionate society.

I lived in DHs country for 6 years. The requirements? $200 (it's now $350) and a marriage certificate. That's it.

greengreengrass25 · 08/12/2023 21:33

WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 21:25

@Oliotya It's hopeless, isn't it? The rules are designed to exclude, exclude, exclude.

Whereas in my country, this is how it works if a citizen wants to bring their husband or wife home to live with them:

You must
Be able to prove you are in a genuine, stable relationship and have lived together for at least 12 months.
Meet health and character requirements.

That's it. The focus is on the genuineness of the relationship and evidence of cohabitation. It can be hard to prove, but the assumption is that once this is proved then your visa should be granted. Because it is a citizen's right to marry whomsoever they wish.

You can apply while you are both still overseas together. You aren't forced apart. The spouse doesn't have to apply from abroad while you remain in your country meeting some arbitrary salaried employment requirements for 6months. There are no financial requirements. I can return home bankrupt and bring them all with me and live at my mum's till we pick up work (this happened with an acquaintance of mine). Your partner can come and immediately be on permanent resident footing.

Because living with your family is a basic right in a normal, compassionate society.

Where is your country?

BabaBarrio · 08/12/2023 21:33

WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 17:20

One argument against bothering with citizenship is how lightly this government have stripped their citizens of citizenship.

"Over 1,000 citizenship deprivation orders were made from 2010 to 2022."

As we know from the well-publicised Shamima Begum case, this includes people who were born and raised here, so I don't see why they wouldn't strip me of mine if it were convenient to them. They have no regard for human rights law or wider international law-- and seem to be proud of the fact.

There are, as of 2021, 72.35 million British citizens in the world (66.3m in U.K. and 6.15m abroad). Stripping citizenship from only 1,000 over 12yrs is an infinitesimally tiny number (0.0001%) because it is not done lightly. You are 65x more likely to be struck by lightening than to have your citizenship stripped.

WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 21:34

Seriously how did you all get so far removed from the basics that many of you believe a person should have been earning 38k+ a year for six months along with a host of other strict conditions, many of which cause insurmountable difficulties for given families, before they can live in their own country with their own family? How can 18k vs 38k vs 100k even be a debate? This is people's whole lives. You are forcing your own citizens into exile in the tens of thousands.

WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 21:40

wellwellso · 08/12/2023 21:31

Because living with your family is a basic right in a normal, compassionate society.

Reports say majority of boat people come to England because their families are in the UK, Goood to see the society will have same sentiments regarding them. Indeed around 90% of asylum seekers end up being granted asylum in the uk.

I don't have any problems with "boat people." I think the UK has an even higher moral duty to provide asylum to refugees than other countries, given how enthusiastic it is about participating in America's wars.

wellwellso · 08/12/2023 21:43

WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 21:40

I don't have any problems with "boat people." I think the UK has an even higher moral duty to provide asylum to refugees than other countries, given how enthusiastic it is about participating in America's wars.

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👏👏👏

EasternStandard · 08/12/2023 21:53

Crispedia · 08/12/2023 21:13

2022 was an anomaly though as 260,000 were Ukrainian and Hong Kong visas.

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Yes that will lift net migration figures

Again people demand we do more, I recall outrage at U.K. not doing enough for Ukrainians and then a while later outrage at numbers being high

user1477391263 · 09/12/2023 00:17

greengreengrass25 · 08/12/2023 21:33

Where is your country?

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I also want to know this.

Crispedia · 09/12/2023 00:40

WhenLoveIsDone · 08/12/2023 21:40

I don't have any problems with "boat people." I think the UK has an even higher moral duty to provide asylum to refugees than other countries, given how enthusiastic it is about participating in America's wars.

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Agree

mirrormiroor · 09/12/2023 08:38

Not allowing British citizens to bring in their spouses unless the Brit earns this 38k+ threshold I spectacularly cruel. It is also incredibly short sighted. I know various couples who met abroad and the spouses came here in their 20s who are now in their 30s/40s where the foreign spouse is now earning an extremely good (100k plus) salary having had the chance to build their lives and careers here.

mirrormiroor · 09/12/2023 08:39

*is spectacularly cruel

Maddy70 · 09/12/2023 08:53

Of course it isn't fair. People generally earn far less than this and manage to support themselves and their families

The country is crying out for care and hospitality staff who earn much less than that limit. Another shot in the foot to the country as a whole

Again only the will have freedom to move

mirrormiroor · 09/12/2023 09:02

I hope the Tories are absolutely annihilated at the next election. They are responsible for causing so much damage and division within the U.K. Brexit being the worst of all which ironically was all about Immigration and has since caused our immigration levels to get even more out of control because surprise surprise we need people and are now having to ask them to come from even further afield. Politicians should be more hones with people about the need and benefit of immigration in a country where we have a falling birth rate and aging population. It's the elderly who are loving linger with more complex health issues who are placing the most strain on NHS and social care. If people want to enjoy a decent standard of living they need to be able to compromise to make that happen.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 09/12/2023 09:48

user1477391263 · 09/12/2023 00:17

I also want to know this.

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It seems like a beautiful country with lots of opportunities and a wonderful care system. No wonder the poster has such strong feelings about the UK where everything is horrid and she suffers her life away.

I'd be moving there tomorrow if I only knew where it was.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 09/12/2023 09:49

Meet health and character requirements.

Oh, hang on. I wonder what those are?

The devil, as they say is in the details.