Carrot and Donkey

I'm just gonna put it all out there,

I've been living here for over 6 years and am currently going through the process of applying for my ILR Set (M). First I came over on a CoS where I managed to get sponsorship through a UK company. I changed to a spouse visa after a year and a half. I went on and applied for an FLR(M) on the 5 year route. I'm now finally at the point of achieving my ILR(M) with that being only one more step to go to becoming a citizen.

I just feel like the proverbial carrot has been dangling in front of me the whole way through. I mean I've been grafting me ars* off. I've started a limited company since the CoS went sour, I succeeded in that and managed to buy a house, although I'm still not a permanent resident, and still through applying for an ILR I feel like I'm not worth the gum on any street corner or some unfortunate soul's shoe tromping through Leicester town centre.
 
I took the Life in the UK test today in said city centre, passed with I''m confident was a 100% rate btw  . It was a demeaning process. I sat in the room with a young asian lady that didn't really understand that she had to bring a second form of identity to take the test. It didn't even seem apparent that she understood she would lose the £50 and have to re-book to take the test because of this error on her part. She just kind of sat there in a daze. I felt really sorry for her and wondered how I would feel in the same situation.

It just seems like there is this purposeful withholding of information to trip you up rather than spell out what responsibilities and obligations you will have to meet to gain a short stay visa or permanent residency.

My wife, btw, before I chose to move to the UK, was given a green card in the US in only 2.5 years.

There is something fundamentally wrong with this system. I have been contributing the whole way through and still feel it is not good enough and the carrot is still just out of reach.

Anyone?

I can see what you're saying, and confess I had more than my share of frustration and outrage as I went through this process.  But other than the mechanics of submitting the applications themselves, I thought they made the path and eligibility requirements abundantly clear.  Not easy, but clear.

Settlement felt like a carrot dangling for years.  But I never had any confusion about what my husband and I needed to do to get here.  We endured some pretty ridiculous times to carry on forging a life together while maintaining the minimum income threshold (we bought a house and moved to a region where starting graduate salaries were well under the threshold, and it took him 16 months to find a job to replace his old one... during that time, he kept his old job and commuted 3 hours away during the week and was only home at the weekends... for 16 months).

Yes, the system is fundamentally wrong.  It was designed to be "hostile".  It has, as its purpose, the goal of discouraging immigration.  Theresa May was proud of her hostile environment.

But you're at the finish line.  You can do this!  You've got through at least three other applications.  Last one and you're secure!  Then you can decide whether to go for citizenship or not, so you can vote against the party that brought in this system.

I get it.  I also did the switch from a Tier 2 to a spouse visa, so also had an extended "journey".  I flipped when they introduced the IHS fee.

So yes, the system always made me feel like a dirty dirty immigrant who is trying to suck the life out of the UK.  Fortunately the friends and colleagues I have/had, never made me feel that way. 

I was pretty pragmatic about it. There is a process to follow and we followed it!

It could have been easier (we missed the pre 2012 rules by 7 or 8 months) but it could also have been harder or even impossible (they allow savings, this worked for us as employment was not possible and the rules do not discriminate against the disabled as they do in some countries.) So in a number of ways, I was just hugely grateful that we were able to meet the criteria and actually make the move.

Yes, the system is fundamentally wrong.  It was designed to be "hostile".  It has, as its purpose, the goal of discouraging immigration.  Theresa May was proud of her hostile environment.

It definitely feels hostile, but the funny thing is I read in the Life in the UK Study Guide that immigration changed to a 'hostile' or unwelcoming attitude in the 50's after they cut off migrants, that the government recruited btw, from coming in from India and Pakistan to bolster and rebuild the economy after WWII. So it's been going on a long time. @larrabee, @jfkimberly  I agree Miss May didn't make it any easier. I missed the cutoff date of being able to move over using my wife's salary by less than a year due to her handy work.So that's what made the process so drawn out.

Trumpisms aside, but building a wall and keeping "them" out only hurts economies on the whole and only benefits the few. Growing up in California made me realise how important it is to allow migration, to an extent. Many of my best friends and their families were first gen migrants, and they were bloody hard working people who would give you the shirt off their backs.. and feed you dinner!

So yes I'm at the finish line  , sort of. Just gathering up my last bit of paperwork to send off next week. Benefits street, here I come! lol