Confused about visa application

[Everything]

Originally Posted by Mervinia N

I am in exactly the same position as you; I'm a UKC, my fiancé is a USC and we decided to stay in the UK as I have two children and did not want to take them away from their father in the UK (I've have gone to the US otherwise).

I had to find a new job to ensure that I made the new financial requirements and thankfully the amount required is quite a bit less than predicted (£26000!) which is apparently the average UK wage - although that tends to be met with a surprised "no!... really?... 26 grand?!" when I've talked to people about it.
Unfortunately, it is solely down to you as the UKC to have that income or for the both of you to have the savings as described above and I know that facing the prospect of being unable to be together is just heartbreaking so I do hope you manage to find a way to get your fiancé here with you - single parenting is hard enough, let alone having the stress of being apart from your other half! Good luck

Maybe where you live £26k is the average..but not where I live.
Just take a 2nd or even better a 3rd job and raise two children too?! These are not practical options.
How can they just give that amount and expect people to hold that money for 6 months then again in 30 months? So if you fall in love with a non UKC, get married then stay together you have to earn it? Just insane.

[Everything]

Originally Posted by Joppa

Yes, unless he qualifies for another visa like Tier 2 sponsored worker, student etc.

Then she would have to go through this process anyway after these visas if he wanted to live here permanently.

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by Everything

Then she would have to go through this process anyway after these visas if he wanted to live here permanently.

Yes, but esp with Tier 2, she will be allowed to work and so her income will be taken into account.

[2farapart]

Originally Posted by Everything

Maybe where you live £26k is the average..but not where I live.
Just take a 2nd or even better a 3rd job and raise two children too?! These are not practical options.
How can they just give that amount and expect people to hold that money for 6 months then again in 30 months? So if you fall in love with a non UKC, get married then stay together you have to earn it? Just insane.

It IS indeed the new official average - but it's a figure dragged upwards by high city salaries. The £18,600 threshold should be a salary that two people can attain as a couple though. Even on the original poster's £11,000, her partner would only need to find a job of £7,600 in order to fulfil the criteria - but that of course cannot be done for the initial entry - and that's what's biting people right now.

The people who seem to be particularly badly hit by this new measure (a per-year salary rather than money left over per week after housing costs) are women UK citizens who are to be the financial sponsors. Women traditionally occupy most of the low-paying jobs (whether here or abroad). I would rather have seen a new 6-month visa in which the applicant and/or sponsor must demonstrate (between them) that they could earn the amount once in the UK together. This to me would have been a lot fairer. If they fail, then the applicant must return home - but that of course would create all sorts of immigration control issues (as if we don't have enough already), we have high unemployment meaning it would be difficult and worrying to try securing that in six months, and would make problems for a failed applicant who likely gave up home, job etc to move to the UK.

I feel badly for people who cannot meet the amount. Many of us here are only here because we beat the rule change, and a few of us are lucky enough to meet the amount - but you'll be seeing many more anguished posts here by people who cannot.