Doubling amount husbands must earn to £26,000 would block two thirds immigrant brides

[RickyR]

Doubling amount husbands must earn to £26,000 would block two thirds of immigrant brides, says government watchdog
40,000 foreign wives, husbands and partners were granted visas to join their family in the UK last year

Two thirds of foreign wives could be banned from the UK under plans to stop immigrants becoming 'a burden on the state'.

Government immigration advisers say that the minimum salary required to bring a spouse to Britain should go up significantly, and may even be doubled.

The proposals could mean more than half of the UK's population would not be able to bring in a foreign partner, as they might not earn enough to support them without relying on benefits.
And the threshold may be pushed even higher for those trying to bring children to the UK.
Family: But British residents earning less than the national average wage could be barred from bringing in a partner from abroad (file photo)
Professor David Metcalf, chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee, said a minimum salary of between £18,600 and £25,700 should be introduced for UK residents sponsoring a partner or dependant for UK citizenship.

This minimum, which applies equally to British citizens and immigrants, is currently set at around £13,700.
Some 40,000 foreign wives, husbands and partners were granted visas to join their family in the UK last year, but that number would be cut by up to 63 per cent under the proposals.
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The Government asked the advisers to identify the salary a worker would need to earn to support a spouse or partner 'without them becoming a burden on the state', Professor Metcalf said.

The minimum salary could be even higher for those who wanted their children to join them from abroad, he added.

The lowest figure in the proposed range, £18,600, is the income level at which many benefits, including housing benefit and tax credits, are withdrawn, while the highest figure, £25,700, represents the typical income of a one-adult household.

It would mean that between a quarter and a half of full-time adult workers would be unable to bring their partners to the UK - but many others, including the unemployed and pensioners, could be prevented too.

Wealthy: Only those earning above-average wages will be able to sponsor a spouse
Prof Metcalf said the proposals do not take into account Britons' right to a family life.

'We have to abide by the terms of reference that we are set up for, and that's to answer the questions which the Government sets us, and not go off on a track of our own,' he said.

'It's for others to then decide whether in some senses that question is a bit wrong, [if] it's in this case too economic focused, or quite possibly we've not addressed it properly.'

He added that the current threshold was 'a bit low', and suggested there was 'justification for raising the pay threshold' to prevent a huge benefits bill for spouses from abroad.

The MAC's figures show that of the 40,000 spouses and partners brought in from outside the EU, nearly a third were from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, while 6 per cent came from the U.S. and 5 per cent from Nepal.

It added that while 94 per cent of those based in the UK with a spouse abroad wanted their partner to join them, half earned less than £20,100 and three quarters earned less than £30,500.
The Institute for Public Policy Research warned that if the Government accepted the proposals and went ahead with the policy, 'it is likely to be challenged in the courts'.

Matt Cavanagh, the think-tank's associate director, said: 'It isn't unreasonable - particularly in the current economic climate - to ask whether, if someone is destitute or entirely dependent on benefits, they should be allowed to bring in a spouse or partner who is likely to end up in a similar position.

'But introducing an income threshold at £25,700 - the level of the national median income - would effectively bar half the population from bringing a spouse or partner from abroad.

'We're not talking about people who are destitute or living on benefits, we are talking about people who are working and getting an average wage


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1dw8m60Mi

[joebloggs]

article 8, the gov has no chance
and they should have to take account of what the spouse would earn in the UK if she was working.

i can't see this happening, the gov record is crap at winning any court cases, they've had to lower the age back to 18 from 21,no doubt the english test will be scrapped to, so setting it anywhere near £26,000 is doomed

[John_10]

Hi RickyR...Is this already implemented? Because my husband he earned £8 per hour. We are more worried coz I didnt apply yet my visa. Thanks for posting this important topic. We want only more on clarification.

[RickyR]

Hi, don't worry, this hasn't been implimented yet, and probably won't be.

I understand the principle of the action, the idea that the immigration system is being abused.

But this isn't the solution, the real problem is the welfare state, once thats sorted, it will solve many of the immigraton problems.

[hawk]

we only want to bring our patners to uk not to go on benifets but to be able to work as for money other year i only got around £10.000 for year it looks like better start saving move to philippines and start selling chickens and pigs might not be big income but better than not having my partner not aloued to be with me

[andy222]

Where did you get this info from Ricky?

[grahamw48]

I was dozing in bed this morning when it came on Radio 4, and of course I was instantly awake and listening.

Yes, I'd like to keep out as many from the Indian sub-continent as possible before they take over the country, but this does of course affect us all, and none of us has a guaranteed job and income in the future.

What doesn't seem to be taken into account in the case of countries like the Philippines, where there actually is a work ethic, and a non-medieval attitude towards women, is that probably the majority of Filipinas take up work after they arrive here on Spouse visas.

Perhaps the govt. should take that into consideration.

[andy222]

Oh yes just seen it. Yes your spot on Graham it does affect us all.

[andy222]

Better get moving with the spouse visa. Early christmas present for the wife. A english test.http://filipinaroses.com/images/smilies/laugher.gif

[grahamw48]

Yep...before the whole country is bankrupt and all of us from the 'peasant class' with it.

[Dedworth]

The authorities should be banning arranged marriages and multiple wives

[andy222]

Thats what they are trying to do dedworth. But its the genuine that will suffer. Although I agree with some of the things they are trying to do. Surley a someone who has lived and worked in this country all his life has a right to marry who he wants and bring them here.?

[sars_notd_virus]

http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....r+to+be+banned

Ouch!! this is so annoying a lot of us from the non-Eu is contibuting to this country!! why not cut the benefits of those people who live in benefits? ? control the border from inside the EU ? ?, ..Oh well, I got a bit OTT there is article 8 Human Rights why should anyone worry??

[andy222]

Somehow I dont think the human rights act will cover this one. The government have already looked at that.

[grahamw48]

Certain 'communities' here are so accustomed to cheating the system, sharing IDs etc that they will easily find ways round this.

As usual the law-abiding will come off worse.

[mickcant]

My income since retiring is too far below the present earnings to be able to sponcer another Filipina wife anyhow, as it is now.

Instead of trying to limit new spouses coming into the UK, should they not do something about those like my ex wife who abused the system and me to work here, the UKBA said they were going to cancel her settlement visa but then did not?

She is still in the UK, the visa expires tomorrow the 18th Nov, so she will just melt into the background.
Mick.

[Dedworth]

Thats what they are trying to do dedworth. But its the genuine that will suffer. Although I agree with some of the things they are trying to do. Surley a someone who has lived and worked in this country all his life has a right to marry who he wants and bring them here.?

Andy - I don't think any rights should include multiple or arranged wives - people participasting in these practicers are prime benefit abusers

[Terpe]

It's always concerning whenever the media grab attention by feeding the paranoia of others.

We all knew about this back in July when the consultation period started so it's hardly a surprise.

For anyone interested here is the official UKBA news release:-
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/si...0-family-route

Additionally here is the actual MAC report:-
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/si...df?view=Binary

Personally I haven't got round to reading the report yet.

However, the MAC notes clearly state that this report is totally based on purely ECONOMIC reasoning.They fully accept that any final decision MUST also take account of moral and legal issues.

There's a whole heap of discussions yet to go through. If this report were to be introduced as it stands there would be a lot of successful Article 8 appeals.
I'd say that in principle this is the very definition of disproportionate interference with family life ...

[joebloggs]

Somehow I dont think the human rights act will cover this one. The government have already looked at that.

like they looked into those on HSMP, raising the age to 21, the english language test and all the other court cases that they've lost and will keep losing.

article 8 i think will play a big part, and the fact is whats stopping you going to another EU country for a few months, working there and applying for a family permit for your wife, which you have a virtual legal right to under EU law, and then bringing her to the UK..

they are trying to stop people who get ILR claiming benefits by proposing to extend the time you can get ILR to 5yrs instead of 2yrs for a spouse, but i dont think that will change much, as their british/EU partner can still claim the benefits.

i dont think its workable

they need to look at the potential earnings of the non EU partner, my wife earns twice what i earn

[andy222]

Well for a start Joe the language barrier you need to speak there language to get a job. Secondly why should I need to do that. I pay my taxes and ni? It depends what threshold they put on this. Everybody knows there is a north/south divide where salary is concerned. What Ps me off is like many of us we have spent thousands courting and marrying our wives there and now they are trying to put the block on us being together. Any way as you know I work for the NHS. I might go on the sick due to stress and sue the government for compensation.

[lykayu01]

Really not good its just "All about the Money!!!" :( hope they just remove things that are not really necessary and just an added expence in applying spouse visa... Why do they have to make life even harder :\

[John_10]

In applying spouse visa lot of expenses then the Immigration makes more difficult regarding the rules and regulations.
Thanks for the relief

[joebloggs]

Well for a start Joe the language barrier you need to speak there language to get a job. Secondly why should I need to do that. I pay my taxes and ni? It depends what threshold they put on this. Everybody knows there is a north/south divide where salary is concerned. What Ps me off is like many of us we have spent thousands courting and marrying our wives there and now they are trying to put the block on us being together. Any way as you know I work for the NHS. I might go on the sick due to stress and sue the government for compensation.

like you my wife works for the NHS she needed to have passed the Academic version of IELTs with at least 6.5/7 in each section even to get registered.

they can't just base it on a set income, what if you own your own house but earn less than 26k but your refused, yet someone who earns 28k pays £900 a month or what ever for a mortgage but is granted the visa

also another way round this is, if you have a child, bring the kids to the uk, apply for a visa for the misses to have access to the child.

move to anothe european country and exercise your treaty rights.

oh it cost me more than £4,000 for visas (settlement visa, FLR, ILR, citizenship, life in uk test) for the misses and kids and that was a few years ago

[Arthur Little]

Phew ... as a State Pensioner, the way I look at how things have changed dramatically since 2008/9 ... the more convinced I've become that I acted in the "nick of time" - before it was too late!

[andy222]

Good for you Arthur. This has got me so mad. If they want to wind anyone up they sure know how to do it. A figure is stated in the post minimum income is £13700. Why did the uk border person say there was no income limit when I asked? Or am i reading it wrong?

[Arthur Little]

move to anothe european country and exercise your treaty rights.

Aye ... but you see, Joe, I've never quite understood WHY such so-called "treaty rights" can be exercised by non-British Europeans bringing their partners to what is, after all, OUR country - yet WE are precluded from this privilege; it's GROSSLY unfair!

[lastlid]

Good for you Arthur. This has got me so mad. If they want to wind anyone up they sure know how to do it. A figure is stated in the post minimum income is £13700. Why did the uk border person say there was no income limit when I asked? Or am i reading it wrong?

I am sure that currently there is no set minimum figure as such, Andy. But papers get it wrong sometimes.

[andy222]

Its just all confusing and worrying at the same time lastlid. Thanks.

[Arthur Little]

Professor David Metcalf, chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee, said a minimum salary of between £18,600 and £25,700 should be introduced for UK residents sponsoring a partner or dependant for UK citizenship.

This minimum, which applies equally to British citizens and immigrants, is currently set at around £13,700.

Good for you Arthur. This has got me so mad. If they want to wind anyone up they sure know how to do it. A figure is stated in the post minimum income is £13700. Why did the uk border person say there was no income limit when I asked? Or am i reading it wrong?

, Andy ... that's MY train of thought too!! Tbh, I'd no there was any set minimum ... yet! As far as I'm aware, these unrealistic proposals are presently at the drawing-board stage ... and what the UKBA person led you to believe, still applies.

[grahamw48]

I believe what they are ACTUALLY looking for is DISPOSABLE income.

Some people may have zero mortgage while some may be paying over a thousand a month etc.

That is certainly how the credit companies go about it.