Changes to spouse visa requirements being announced next week

[newlight1]

So if it goes from £13,700 - £18,600 what will that equate to per week in savings for a person to have, as at the moment its based on the Income support level for a spouse which is £111.45 per week and needs to be shown that can be available for 26 weeks or more.

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by Mervinia N

Wow! Now it's all kind of confusing lol but hopefully the figures will be more like those mentioned in this article then the maximum the MAC board advised

and I've yet to see a report which talks about 'children' without using the terms 'requiring a visa', 'sponsor a...' or 'wishing to bring in a...' right from the very first consultation, through MAC to these reports now I really do think that this increased maintenance will be applied (and quite rightly applied I hasten to add!) only to children requiring visas and sponsorship, but that's JMHO.

British children are already using resources, working parents pay tax and NI for their education, their NHS usage, maybe even private medical care. They live here by right so to take them into account for calculations to bring a sole spouse/fiancé(e) here bears no relevance as the childrens' effect on the country's resources exists irrespective of whether the partner is here or not.

The government wouldn't dream of means testing British parents on whether they can support their British children... yet, if (and it's an 'if' getting bigger by the day it seems) increased maintenance is applied to British children, this is in essence what is being done.

All we need is clarification of what is meant by 'dependants' when foreign spouse/partner is involved. The reports don't make it clear, though they give the impression that even when British (dual national) kids living abroad are being brought into the country with their foreign parent, higher sponsor's income applies. I think we can safely exclude settled children already in UK.

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by newlight1

So if it goes from £13,700 - £18,600 what will that equate to per week in savings for a person to have, as at the moment its based on the Income support level for a spouse which is £111.45 per week and needs to be shown that can be available for 26 weeks or more.

We don't know yet and we don't even know if savings are taken into account and not just actual income from employment or business. If the criteria stay the same, easiest way is to work out pro rata, so you get £151.31 per week net. To work out exactly, get net income of £18,600 gross, subtract the yearly housing cost and council tax (assumed to be £120 per week and £20 per week respectively) and divide by 52. This gives roughly £148.66.

[newlight1]

Thanks Joppa, so rather than £111.45 as it is currently it would be £148.66 at the rate of £18,600?

What about couples who applied for a fiance visa at the age of 18, then the age limit changed to 21 after they applied for the Fiance Visa and then when they applied for FLR, and they were still 18 were they then deported? As that would be similar to a couple who apply for a Fiance visa who meet the current regulations but then do not meet them when they apply for the FLR right?

[Joppa]

Home Secretary, Theresa May, is the guest on Andrew Marr programme from 9 to 10 am (UK time) on BBC1 today, and is being interviewed about the new visa rules.

[chek]

Thanks Joppa for the info

[AnAmericanInScotland]

Originally Posted by Joppa

Home Secretary, Theresa May, is the guest on Andrew Marr programme from 9 to 10 am (UK time) on BBC1 today, and is being interviewed about the new visa rules.

I wasn't going to boot up the laptop this morning, now I'm very glad that I did! The interview with Theresa May hasn't started yet, they are talking news just now. But I have a notepad and pen at the ready.

Thank-you for the heads-up on this!

[Nicholas Crowe]

Originally Posted by AnAmericanInScotland

I wasn't going to boot up the laptop this morning, now I'm very glad that I did! The interview with Theresa May hasn't started yet, they are talking news just now. But I have a notepad and pen at the ready.

Thank-you for the heads-up on this!

I'm now actually doing the same. Lets hope the interview is an informative one and not a 'you will have to wait until it's offically announced to know the main rules'.

[WestCoastCanadianGirl]

B*gger!
P*ss!
B*llox!

Can't get BBC iPlayer to w*rk on my sodding iPhone and can't access the stream on BBC, as am in Vancouver and not the UK.

GRRR!

[Nicholas Crowe]

What I've gained so far from the interview...

Income required:

• £18600 - No children
• £22400 - with 1 child
• £2400 for every extra child

Sounds like this would be brought in next year? I swear I caught her saying 'Settlement from next year..'