Alert: Rule Changes

Thanks for the update, Transpondia. Any idea on a time frame for consultation and/or implementation?

Thanks for the update, Transpondia. Any idea on a time frame for consultation and/or implementation?

No clue, not even a guess.  I'm not a participant in this round and can only watch from the sidelines like everybody else.  The next scheduled meeting I have with them is in May, but it has to do with something else.   

Wow, reading the comments on that article in the telegraph. Seems a lot of the general public believe we live in a world told by The Sun and other tabloids. Most of the anger seems directed at immigrents orginating from Asia though.

Wow, reading the comments on that article in the telegraph. Seems a lot of the general public believe we live in a world told by The Sun and other tabloids. Most of the anger seems directed at immigrents orginating from Asia though.

Yeah, from experience, we're not immigrants as we speak English or something. 

Can someone correct me - or remind me - put if they raise the income level, do they plan on doing away with co sponsors all together? i had heard (somewere) they were talking about not allowing the UKC's spouse's income to be used but have they said anything about other means of co sponsors?

Can someone correct me - or remind me - put if they raise the income level, do they plan on doing away with co sponsors all together? i had heard (somewere) they were talking about not allowing the UKC's spdouse's income to be used but have they said anything about other means of co sponsors?

There's talk of getting rid of the third party sponsors. They will count the UK sponsor's income, but there is talk that the person applying for the visa's income won't count. I don't think there is anything in the counsultation about allowing other kinds of sponsorship - that would mean going in a very different direction than the one they are going in. They want fewerpeople coming innot more.

There's talk of getting rid of the third party sponsors. They will count the UK sponsor's income, but there is talk that the person applying for the visa's income won't count. I don't think there is anything in the counsultation about allowing other kinds of sponsorship - that would mean going in a very different direction than the one they are going in. They want fewerpeople coming innot more.

That's what I thought I had read but could not for the life of me find it any where. Thank you Cali Girl.

Looks like UKBA will start announcing upcoming changes in the next few weeks. They've already posted information on their site about removing the full right of appeal for family visitors.

Hope we hear about changes to the family track visas soon.

I've also seen some incomplete hints that some people have heard about transitional agreements on another site. Is this still conjecture? Or does anyone know anything new?

Looks like UKBA will start announcing upcoming changes in the next few weeks. They've already posted information on their site about removing the full right of appeal for family visitors.

Hope we hear about changes to the family track visas soon.

I've also seen some incomplete hints that some people have heard about transitional agreements on another site. Is this still conjecture? Or does anyone know anything new?

I wish they would just get on with it already!!!

Looks like UKBA will start announcing upcoming changes in the next few weeks. They've already posted information on their site about removing the full right of appeal for family visitors.

Hope we hear about changes to the family track visas soon.

I've also seen some incomplete hints that some people have heard about transitional agreements on another site. Is this still conjecture? Or does anyone know anything new?

Someone I am in touch with from another site recently received a letter from the UKBA in response to a question about the new rules. The letter stated that they don't yet know what the rules will be, but it's unlikely that they will be applied to anyone who is already on the family path. This letter is from just a few weeks ago. It backs up what we've been hearing since January - I think people in the Advocacy section had received similar letters from Damian Green.

I'm going to be curious to see what changes they make. Sadly, hubby and I are not in a position to even consider this path for another 4-5 years. I'm praying by then they don't make it all but impossible.

Someone I am in touch with from another site recently received a letter from the UKBA in response to a question about the new rules. The letter stated that they don't yet know what the rules will be, but it's unlikely that they will be applied to anyone who is already on the family path. This letter is from just a few weeks ago. It backs up what we've been hearing since January - I think people in the Advocacy section had received similar letters from Damian Green.

I'm wondering how far that will go. Everything I see on the UKBA site in the Guidance notes for both applicants and UKBA staff says that when applying for 'next step' visas the applicant will have to meet the requirements currently in force for the next step.

For example-I'm on the 27 month probationary spouse visa, I'll be able to apply for the ILR in May 2013 if things go along as they are-ah, but what if the changes have been implemented?

According to what's posted on the UKBA site, I will have to meet what ever requirements are in force in May 2013, even though I started on the family route path in Jun 2011.

My husband came out of retirement to take a job with a salary that meets the £25,700 being touted as the favoured income requirement. Just in case.

I'm wondering how far that will go. Everything I see on the UKBA site in the Guidance notes for both applicants and UKBA staff says that when applying for 'next step' visas the applicant will have to meet the requirements currently in force for the next step.

For example-I'm on the 27 month probationary spouse visa, I'll be able to apply for the ILR in May 2013 if things go along as they are-ah, but what if the changes have been implemented?

According to what's posted on the UKBA site, I will have to meet what ever requirements are in force in May 2013, even though I started on the family route path in Jun 2011.

My husband came out of retirement to take a job with a salary that meets the £25,700 being touted as the favoured income requirement. Just in case.

Recently they changed settlement rules for Tier 2 migrants, which included adding an income threshold. But the change won't be activated until April 2016 - so most people who are already in that pipeline will be able to apply under the existing rules. They might do the same here - they could introduce the changes for fiance/spouse visas and for people switching categories in-country on 1 July 2012, but not introduce any changes to ILR requirements until 1 July 2014.

There are usually transitional arrangements when rules are changed - I think I'm right in saying that the government had their hand slapped by the courts a few years ago for NOT including transitional arrangements when making one of their changes.

This is just a guess. But everything I've read since about October last year which comes from a credible source suggests that everyone who's already here probably won't be affected by the changes.

Recently they changed settlement rules for Tier 2 migrants, which included adding an income threshold. But the change won't be activated until April 2016 - so most people who are already in that pipeline will be able to apply under the existing rules. They might do the same here - they could introduce the changes for fiance/spouse visas and for people switching categories in-country on 1 July 2012, but not introduce any changes to ILR requirements until 1 July 2014.

There are usually transitional arrangements when rules are changed - I think I'm right in saying that the government had their hand slapped by the courts a few years ago for NOT including transitional arrangements when making one of their changes.

This is just a guess. But everything I've read since about October last year which comes from a credible source suggests that everyone who's already here probably won't be affected by the changes.

Lol, well, that's what my husband and I are hoping for-an arrangement that the timing right for us and everyone who is here before the changes are announced and implemented.

I've read the UKBA's Family Migration Consultation; in it they say they haven't decided how they are going to work all of that but in other places in the Consultation they have a flow chart indicating people would have to extend their probationary visas via FLR (oh joy, more fees) to meet a full five years. Sooooo...

Having been through a few hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, raising teen-agers, and a really nasty divorce, my motto has become "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and try to have some fun in the meantime"

I've read the UKBA's Family Migration Consultation; in it they say they haven't decided how they are going to work all of that but in other places in the Consultation they have a flow chart indicating people would have to extend their probationary visas via FLR (oh joy, more fees) to meet a full five years. Sooooo...

I think the flowchart was meant to show how the new system would work, not the transitional arrangements. And remember - the consultation document is nearly a year old, and a lot has changed since then. All the stuff about a Danish-style "balance of attachment" system appears to have been dropped (or has gone very quiet, at least), and their recent letters also indicate that they probably will include the migrant's income as well as the sponsor's if they are switching in-country, which at first they didn't intend to do. They only seemed to settle on transitional arrangements around New Year time.

That's a good attitude to have! But as I say, everything I've seen recently suggests that it's probable nothing will change for people already in the pipeline. If it DID, can you imagine the rush of appeals flooding the courts? All those families with 2 or 3 kids who can't meet the new (very high) income threshold, and at such short notice? The courts would be rammed within weeks of the changes coming in!