Income Required

[brock]

Commencing 9th of July British Citizens need a income of £18,600 to allow them to take their wife to live in the UK.

From an EU country they need NO income, They can even claim child support for their Children and leave them behind in their own country.

So any guy retiring, and who just has his state pension to live on has no chance of getting hIs woman over to the UK.

[Call me bubba]

this is nothing new to the US, as they have had this "income"support/rule in effect for years..

the ONLY exception is Military(active duty)

[sonjack2847]

Commencing 9th of July British Citizens need a income of £18,600 to allow them to take their wife to live in the UK.

From an EU country they need NO income, They can even claim child support for their Children and leave them behind in their own country.

So any guy retiring, and who just has his state pension to live on has no chance of getting hIs woman over to the UK.

I have also heard through friends who have Thai wives that they have to pass a much stricter English test now. That is a bit of a mockery when we have so many people over there who cannot speak English and don`t even try.

[i am bob]

We are doing the same in Canada regarding the English testing (I guess French also if you are in Quebec)... I have some Asian friends who I communicate with by hand signals and pictures because they don't speak English - though they are Canadian citizens and have been for years!

[Ashanti]

Commencing 9th of July British Citizens need a income of £18,600 to allow them to take their wife to live in the UK.

From an EU country they need NO income, They can even claim child support for their Children and leave them behind in their own country.

So any guy retiring, and who just has his state pension to live on has no chance of getting hIs woman over to the UK.

I have also heard through friends who have Thai wives that they have to pass a much stricter English test now. That is a bit of a mockery when we have so many people over there who cannot speak English and don`t even try.

well ............... at least they are doing something now rather than nothing .......... or soon standards will just slip and be a burden to the state for the extra tuition needed for the children of these people ............

[brock]

Yes they are doing something, But 18,600 pounds is a rediculas amount of income to need before you can take your wife there, The ordinary working man doesnt have an income of that amount.

My point is if you are English you have to have that income, BUT if you are from a european country you need NO income to go to England and can claim money for yourself and your Children, and they have not paid a penny in tax towards the country....and you do not have to speak any English, But if you have a Filipina wife she has to take an English test, Something very wrong there in my opinion.

[Ashanti]

Brock, i think that is something to do with the EEC ...............

UK is too soft - ill bet other EEC countries dont let them get away with it ............ esp the benefit scrounger. I have no problems about the state benefit but it have be disbursed to the real people in need not to be abused!

[Markham]

Commencing 9th of July British Citizens need a income of £18,600 to allow them to take their wife to live in the UK.

From an EU country they need NO income, They can even claim child support for their Children and leave them behind in their own country.

So any guy retiring, and who just has his state pension to live on has no chance of getting hIs woman over to the UK.

The annual income required if you have children is even higher even though the child(ren) are de facto British citizens. This is Teresa May's answer to the ever-growing immigration problem and frankly it stinks. It is estimated that upto 250,000 illegals a year enter the UK via the "Lille Loophole" whereby they buy a Eurostar ticket in Brussels to Lille in France. Because their proposed travel is within the Schenghen Treaty area, their documents are not checked and they simply stay on the train, get off in at Ashford or London and disappear in the crowd. EU law prohibits the UK Border Force from checking the documentation of those arriving from continental Europe (or Ireland).

So rather than tackle the root cause of illegal immigration, the Home Office targets British Citizens who wish to bring their foreign-born spouses to the UK regardless of the fact that the spouse may well become a productive member of society and pay taxes in her own right. For those of us who are retired, it can present an insurmountable hurdle since property owned in the UK and assets deposited in UK financial institutions are not taken into account nor is the citizen's state pension entitlement. He must prove that it has regular income in excess of the minimums and tax records are checked. Home Office estimates show that this would reduce immigration by no more than 20,000 a year.

Should a spousal visa be issued, the husband is prevented from making any claims for state benefits (that has always been true, though with that restriction being lifted after 3 years) and, from now, may not claim tax credits in respect of his wife and children. Gone too is child allowance to which such families were automatically entitled to. Foreign spouses may also not be entitled to free NHS services (depending on country of residence - England no, Wales yes, Scotland maybe) except in an emergency but children of the marriage are so entitled.

Immigrant advocacy groups in the UK are opposed and challenges under Human Rights legislation may be brought.

Edited July 28, 2012 by Markham

[i am bob]

Hmmm... Funny! Just about every country I can think of requires something along this lines...

I know in Canada it is exactly the same as well!

[TexasRangersFan]

Yes America has a similar law as well called the Avidavit of Support. See official document here http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864p.pdf This is the I-864 form for getting a fiancee or spouse or child visa into America.

For a single American attempting to bring their wife or Fiancee to America they must prove they make or have in assets more than 125% of what is called the Poverty Guidelines.

This income and the assets can NOT be from public assistance. I guess they had to stop accepting food stamps as income. ha ha ha.

The Poverty Guidelines also change depending on what state you are in. Such as Alaska and Hawaii are higher than the rest.

The requirement also includes those on active duty in the military. Altho that is a bit less at 100% of the Poverty Guideline.

For myself and my girlfriend to go to America we have to show that between the two of us we have an income or assets ( assets that are counted as 25 % of the value ) that are at or above 125 % of the current Poverty Guideline for 2 people of $18,912.00. Thats USD. However you can take advantage of the ask a buddy option. That is you get a family member to allow you to add some of their assets to you.

For that however you need a different form.