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28 Posts
Hi everyone,
Earlier this year my Chinese wife and I decided that it might be a good idea for me to return to the UK prior to her retirement to set-up home.
Sounds good doesn't it?
I eventually arrived at my sisters home mid-July where I was to remain until my return to China on the 26th/27th September completely exhausted and humiliated.
Naturally I had to find work in the UK so my first job was to sign-on as a job seeker.
This I did and then started busily looking for work which ultimately didn't seem to exist, well at least not for older applicants.
Finally after almost three months I was told by the Department of Employment that I had failed the 'Habitual Residency Test'!
This was because, and I quote: 'You have property overseas, and we think you have come back to the UK to claim benefit and then take this money back overseas'!!!
To say that I saw 'Red' is an understatement, but I tried to keep my cool.
So to any fellow Brits. that own property in China I suggest you just stay put, because the UK is not the country it used to be.
Now it just caters for down and outs, people of non-UK ethnicity, slackers, drug addicts and the like!
The only slightly worrying thing is that now I have started to worry about being able to remain in China with my wife. In the past there used to be a lot more flexibility with non-working visas, but China's bid to clean up it's act has made this (I believe) much less flexible.
Many people are saying that the introduction of the Q visa for family reunion will make this more clear.
I am not so sure and feel that what they actually mean is that it will further control the amount of foreigners living in China.
As someone that has already been here for ten years, and worked for eight of those ten I just want to live here quietly as a retired person.
I have owned my property since 2005, have savings and am part of a large Chinese family.
I do not cause trouble, or effect the economy of the country in any way, other than the money I spend here and pay to the PSB every year for my visa, therefore only positive things, so why doesn't the Chinese government make it much easier for people like me to live here permanently in peace and quiet, no hassles?
Hope you enjoy my little story and moan!
Regards
Paul
Earlier this year my Chinese wife and I decided that it might be a good idea for me to return to the UK prior to her retirement to set-up home.
Sounds good doesn't it?
I eventually arrived at my sisters home mid-July where I was to remain until my return to China on the 26th/27th September completely exhausted and humiliated.
Naturally I had to find work in the UK so my first job was to sign-on as a job seeker.
This I did and then started busily looking for work which ultimately didn't seem to exist, well at least not for older applicants.
Finally after almost three months I was told by the Department of Employment that I had failed the 'Habitual Residency Test'!
This was because, and I quote: 'You have property overseas, and we think you have come back to the UK to claim benefit and then take this money back overseas'!!!
To say that I saw 'Red' is an understatement, but I tried to keep my cool.
So to any fellow Brits. that own property in China I suggest you just stay put, because the UK is not the country it used to be.
Now it just caters for down and outs, people of non-UK ethnicity, slackers, drug addicts and the like!
The only slightly worrying thing is that now I have started to worry about being able to remain in China with my wife. In the past there used to be a lot more flexibility with non-working visas, but China's bid to clean up it's act has made this (I believe) much less flexible.
Many people are saying that the introduction of the Q visa for family reunion will make this more clear.
I am not so sure and feel that what they actually mean is that it will further control the amount of foreigners living in China.
As someone that has already been here for ten years, and worked for eight of those ten I just want to live here quietly as a retired person.
I have owned my property since 2005, have savings and am part of a large Chinese family.
I do not cause trouble, or effect the economy of the country in any way, other than the money I spend here and pay to the PSB every year for my visa, therefore only positive things, so why doesn't the Chinese government make it much easier for people like me to live here permanently in peace and quiet, no hassles?
Hope you enjoy my little story and moan!
Regards
Paul