Hey Coops: I don't believe there were any 'scary' rule changes for spouse settlement visa...yet.
Family migration seems to be a thorny topic, and no one seems to want to jump into the thicket (except those of us on this forum!) That is why timing is everything. The government will be able to reach their goal of curbing immigration by changing the rules in these different categories over time. They've already achieved a large part of their pledge by making one lot of Tier 2 visa holders already working in the UK subject to a retrospective law: those who applied after 6 April 2011, while at the same time making the majority who applied before that date feel quite secure (because the new rules come into force after 6 April 2016 and don't apply to them!) So they will be able to judge if and/or when would be the most strategic time to implement the family migration changes so as not to overturn the apple cart too quickly and be flooded by challenges in the courts. As well, since they have promised to curb immigration to the 10's of 1000's by 2015, there is a great deal of wiggle room between now and the middle of even 2014 to do whatever they think fit in the family category. Even if they choose to do nothing by 2015 in the family category, they will have attained their goal of slashing immigration to the UK anyway. An effective investment of political capital. :blabla:
They are not making this easy for those of us here on the probationary 27 month visa, that's for sure. I was checking the site two or three times a week but I can't make heads or tails out of the way they've got it set up now. I've been studying for the 'Life in the UK' test and haven't been online much the past couple weeks-I checked the site this morning and it all looks sooooooooooooo different!
Oh whew! That link still works! LOL, I followed the first one you posted on this thread, and couldn't find my way to the one you just posted without pulling up my bookmarks.
Yes, there will be an across-the-board increase in visa fees from 6th April:
