Just my opinion

This is just my humble opinion.
Seems like most of the fuss about immigration is about  those pesky "Public Funds". They don't want you anywhere near them. They want you to be able to support yourself without  using taxpayer money. That makes sense.
Especially for someone from the USA where they don't have hardly ANY "public funds". I mean...getting paid to have a child?? or to be depressed??? It would never even occur to me to claim some kind of benefit for anything except maybe starving to death.  If they hadn't told me about them in terms of the visas, I wouldn't think they even existed.

Maybe it would be nice (I realise I am dreaming) if those people from places like the USA are given more of a break on the regulations. somehow.
 
Just a thought...

I know what you mean and I think you'll find they are easier on people from the USA and other western countries when it comes to that aspect, especially as the employability factor is enhanced by coming from an English speaking country.   A lot more proof is probably required of someone from, say, Eastern Europe.

Maybe it would be nice (I realise I am dreaming) if those people from places like the USA are given more of a break on the regulations. somehow.

   There's nothing 'special' about people from the USA... (i dont mean that in a snotty way, but unfortunately I have seen a lot of sickening instances of American arrogance over here... people thinking that the rules dont apply to them because they're American.)   

Maybe it would be nice (I realise I am dreaming) if those people from places like the USA are given more of a break on the regulations. somehow.

Americans have a lot to be thankful for!

The USA is a fast-track country, and that's as easy as it gets.  DNA testing is unheard of.  TB & HIV exams are non-existent.  No one here has ever reported a T4 settlement interview, most wouldn't know what it is.  As a matter of policy, ECOs on the North American desk are told not to use the discrepancy method where it is encouraged in Africa and Asia.  No one here has ever been refused a settlement visa; they approve fiance visas that wouldn't even get through pre-sift in other countries.

The North American consulates use the Doctrine of Comity with American divorce certificates, university transcripts, and birth certificates.  And while they have made American spouses go back to the USA get properly documented, families are apart for a matter of weeks, rather than YEARS.

Oh.  When did anybody last hear of a house inspection for a UK/US couple?  As to abuse of public funds being improbable for Americans?  Well, not really.  

As visitors, Americans come and go largely at will, the only people with less restrictions are EU and Commonwealth cits.  As visitors, we are the 2nd largest abuser country in Australia, and in the top 10 of abusers here.   The Brits are a lot more patient and indulgent with us than we really deserve.

So on balance, 'merkins have it pretty good.  

Especially for someone from the USA where they don't have hardly ANY "public funds". I mean...getting paid to have a child?? or to be depressed???

It's called Welfare for the first (not a lot, I know, but it is there) and SSSI for the second.  There are also food stamps, which are generally a lot of money.  There's a lot of medical programs that are publicly funded also.

I'm not sure exactly why Americans deserve (more of) a break on the "public funds" thing because our public funds system is perhaps not as extensive as England's.  Am I misunderstanding your point?

Gee sorry I said anything. I was just musing about the fact that I don't know the first thing about getting or using public funds, and thought it might be related to the fact that AMerica does it different.

This is just my humble opinion.
Seems like most of the fuss about immigration is about  those pesky "Public Funds". They don't want you anywhere near them. They want you to be able to support yourself without  using taxpayer money. That makes sense.
Especially for someone from the USA where they don't have hardly ANY "public funds". I mean...getting paid to have a child?? or to be depressed??? It would never even occur to me to claim some kind of benefit for anything except maybe starving to death.  If they hadn't told me about them in terms of the visas, I wouldn't think they even existed.

Maybe it would be nice (I realise I am dreaming) if those people from places like the USA are given more of a break on the regulations. somehow.
 
Just a thought...

On the other hand, you'd be amazed at the number of Americans who come over here and take public funds.  Believe it or not, it is rife in some groups, particularly students.  People who'd never dream of applying for 'benefits' in the US, yet feel no compunction about coming here and ripping off the British taxpayer.  Shocking, but all too true.

I've come to realise that the UK profiles. When I went for my visa, I was there for 8 hours but 7 hours and 45 minutes were just waiting for my number to be called. It took me 15 minutes to get my visa. People who were there first (number 1 and number 4) were aisans who were being kept there all day. Obviously, they could have been there for a totally different reason than I but I did notice that white people seemed to come and go quite quickly and by the end of the day there were only a few of us waiting.

And I personally think it's a good thing to try to keep us from public funds. In my opinion it's far too easy to get public funds and keep them in the UK. It shocks me when I hear of people (such as that Lizzy person from Wife Swap) who get more money a year on funds than I do working 40 hours a week. I can't help but wonder 'why the hell do I bother?'

Maybe it is just me then, I wouldn't even know HOW or who to ask  to get welfare or food stamps here, much less anywhere else...

Maybe it is just me then, I wouldn't even know HOW or who to ask  to get welfare or food stamps here, much less anywhere else...

You would contact your social services department for your county and/or state. 

bvamin

Maybe it is just me then, I wouldn't even know HOW or who to ask  to get welfare or food stamps here, much less anywhere else...

Plenty of people who are not entitled to public funds seem to suss it out quickly and use the over-worked, understaffed bureaucracy to their advantage to claim public funds, in direct violation of their visa.

I'm not suggesting a/one here would do such a thing, but I have read of people boasting about doing such things in the past. 

Unfortunately, b/c of these cheats, other, legitimate applicants have to jump through more and more hoops. 

And I personally think it's a good thing to try to keep us from public funds. In my opinion it's far too easy to get public funds and keep them in the UK. It shocks me when I hear of people (such as that Lizzy person from Wife Swap) who get more money a year on funds than I do working 40 hours a week. I can't help but wonder 'why the hell do I bother?'

I completely agree, they should discourage people from using public funds at all costs. What should be a positive thing (welfare) is abused rampantly in Britain. It is actually FAR too easy to just "sign on" here, and many people aren't ashamed to do it, even when they have no real reason to even need public funds... they really are just lazy. (I'm not just saying that, I've actually met people who do this.) The honest, hardworking people who actually bother to get up and go to work everyday are literally paying these people to just sit on their bums in front of the TV and funding their drinking habit, while even getting to jump the queue for medical care. You can imagine how they feel when immigrants come in and demand the same thing. It's not like welfare money falls out of the sky, the people who work are paying for it. Sorry to rant, but no wonder things are so damn expensive. 

I wouldn't even know HOW or who to ask  to get welfare or food stamps here, much less anywhere else...

Lucky you.

I don't know whether this is true but I've often heard that far more Brits seek public funds (and often for dodgy circumstances) than immigrants, especially from underdeveloped nations.
I've been lead to believe this is because where they have come from can be so poor and that they are not given anything in their home country that when they have the opportunity to work and provide for their family they happily do so, never thinking much about benefits.
Working in the IT industry, I've known a number of very intelligent and hard working people from India, Pakistan, China and other places that seem to add a lot of value.

Perhaps someone can correct me if I'm wrong but any visa obtained for immigration, whether it be a work visa, asylum (anything apart from permanent residence) specifies you can't receive public funds.

If all this is true, I can't see how people can see it as a drain on the country or the economy.

Matt

  There's nothing 'special' about people from the USA... (i dont mean that in a snotty way, but unfortunately I have seen a lot of sickening instances of American arrogance over here... people thinking that the rules dont apply to them because they're American.)   

I agree with you. I'm American and I don't see why we should get special rules. I don't think they should have access to any public funds, that's for citizens. And I'm sure if the government let Mexicans who aren't citizens be on welfare, they would make such a stink about it.