£25,700 Maintenance Requirement from June 2012 according to Leaked Cabinet Letter

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by manny.j

Joppa can you speculate if they do allow savings to be taken into account where either the UK spouse is unemployed OR joining the foreign spouse from abroad to the UK, what sort of savings range would sound acceptable? I can only assume no other long-term visa category involves savings as an option for visa consideration.

I don't know. It does seem strange to disregard savings completely and only count UK sponsor's income, as sometimes the sponsor is travelling with the applicant to UK. Surely a millionaire with a very healthy seven-figure bank balance isn't going to be denied a visa in the absence of a sponsor's UK job? They currently take into account job and earning potential in UK, but this may be dropped in the revised rules.

What they have done so far is to divide the savings by 26 to get a weekly slice and add it to incomes, as fundings are expected to be in place for 6 months - a period considered long enough to get financially established in UK.

[BailyBanksBiddle]

Originally Posted by Joppa

I don't know. It does seem strange to disregard savings completely and only count UK sponsor's income, as sometimes the sponsor is travelling with the applicant to UK. Surely a millionaire with a very healthy seven-figure bank balance isn't going to be denied a visa in the absence of a sponsor's UK job? They currently take into account job and earning potential in UK, but this may be dropped in the revised rules.

What they have done so far is to divide the savings by 26 to get a weekly slice and add it to incomes, as fundings are expected to be in place for 6 months - a period considered long enough to get financially established in UK.

There's a line from some movie that keeps popping to mind: "You're money is no good here!"

Speculation ad absurdam. I suppose a millionaire applicant could "pay" his/her non working UK spouse a salary of sorts to keep house or something!

A question came up at a meeting this morning: a colleague of mine is getting married in England in late June and his fiance is here on the respective visa. She is hoping to switch into a spousal visa but she too has heard of these potential changes and has become concerned. Her fiance is a Church of England minister, so he's not earning hand over fist. So they're trying to see the best course, and they're literally caught in the middle, since their marriage may be within a day or two of these much discussed new rules!

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by BailyBanksBiddle

There's a line from some movie that keeps popping to mind: "You're money is no good here!"

Speculation ad absurdam. I suppose a millionaire applicant could "pay" his/her non working UK spouse a salary of sorts to keep house or something!

A question came up at a meeting this morning: a colleague of mine is getting married in England in late June and his fiance is here on the respective visa. She is hoping to switch into a spousal visa but she too has heard of these potential changes and has become concerned. Her fiance is a Church of England minister, so he's not earning hand over fist. So they're trying to see the best course, and they're literally caught in the middle, since their marriage may be within a day or two of these much discussed new rules!

The Church of England clergy normally get housing free of rent and council tax, which taken together with their stipend (average around £23k a year gross) will put them well clear of the new requirement if they have no other dependants.

[AnAmericanInScotland]

Joppa, aside from keeping up with the newsfeeds, watching this forum and the UKBA site for updates, do you have any suggestions as to what else we can be doing as we wait? Lol, besides/after the panic attacks, of course

[Happygrl37]

I wonder when it will be announced. My husband and I planned to start a family asap and that would affect how much we will have to make when I apply for ILR in a few years. I'm feeling worse and worse about this. (as I try not to worry lol)

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by AnAmericanInScotland

Joppa, aside from keeping up with the newsfeeds, watching this forum and the UKBA site for updates, do you have any suggestions as to what else we can be doing as we wait? Lol, besides/after the panic attacks, of course

That's more than most people are doing. Hope they don't keep us in suspense for too long! But any imminent announcement is out as the parliament is now in Easter recess (vacation) until 16th April. So I'm anticipating announcement sometime that week or the following, up to 27th April, if they are going to give us an advance notice of around a month.

[AnAmericanInScotland]

Originally Posted by Joppa

That's more than most people are doing. Hope they don't keep us in suspense for too long! But any imminent announcement is out as the parliament is now in Easter recess (vacation) until 16th April. So I'm anticipating announcement sometime that week or the following, up to 27th April, if they are going to give us an advance notice of around a month.

Lol, you mean there aren't more people having panic attacks

Seriously, thank-you for that bit of info because I had no idea they would be out until the middle of April.

Another question, will they contact affected visa holders, or are visa holders responsible to keep up on any changes via newsfeeds and website checking?

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by AnAmericanInScotland

Lol, you mean there aren't more people having panic attacks

Seriously, thank-you for that bit of info because I had no idea they would be out until the middle of April.

Another question, will they contact affected visa holders, or are visa holders responsible to keep up on any changes via newsfeeds and website checking?

No, you are expected to keep abreast of changes as they happen through the UKBA site. They can't possibly contact everyone as the details they have may be out of date, since not all immigrants have to notify a change of address.

[AnAmericanInScotland]

Originally Posted by Joppa

No, you are expected to keep abreast of changes as they happen through the UKBA site. They can't possibly contact everyone as the details they have may be out of date, since not all immigrants have to notify a change of address.

Thought that might be the case-so the UKBA stays on the speed dial, so to speak. Gotta love bookmarks which work even under panicked clicks, lol!

Another question, speaking of notifying of changes of address:

My husband has been offered a job that should he accept it, would mean a move to Wales. Do I need to change my address on record with the UKBA or the Home Office if he does take the job and we move from Scotland to another area of the UK?

He's seriously considering the offer because it would put us well over the proposed income requirements.

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by AnAmericanInScotland

Thought that might be the case-so the UKBA stays on the speed dial, so to speak. Gotta love bookmarks which work even under panicked clicks, lol!

Another question, speaking of notifying of changes of address:

My husband has been offered a job that should he accept it, would mean a move to Wales. Do I need to change my address on record with the UKBA or the Home Office if he does take the job and we move from Scotland to another area of the UK?

He's seriously considering the offer because it would put us well over the proposed income requirements.

No, you don't have to notify the Home Office or anyone else to do with immigration. The only people who are obliged are those who have to register with the police (used to be every non-EU national but now only certain nationalities - Americans are exempt).