Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids

Brooke Magnati (aka Belle du Jour, who is actually an American married to a Brit) has a column in the Guardian today that nicely represents the problems with these proposals. It struck me as a good thing to post to Facebook, Twitter, etc for those of you who might want to raise awareness of the issue among UKC friends and family.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/26/theresa-may-migrants-immigration

I've posted on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr

The part that upsets me the most is that she wants to change the probationary period from two years to five years.  It's a bit of a drastic change. I would even be okay with three years. I hate being selfish about it, but it sucks thinking that I won't be eligible for citizenship until 2018 if the rules are changed soon. Once I move, we were planning to at least stay in the UK until I got citizenship so we wouldn't have to deal with the whole process again, but 5 years is a long time!  I guess we shall see what happens...

Brooke Magnati (aka Belle du Jour, who is actually an American married to a Brit) has a column in the Guardian today that nicely represents the problems with these proposals. It struck me as a good thing to post to Facebook, Twitter, etc for those of you who might want to raise awareness of the issue among UKC friends and family.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/26/theresa-may-migrants-immigration

I read it today.

The comments are interesting.   

I guess that's the point, jenny_ell. Five years is a long time and they're hoping you won't stay.  

Thanks for link, aimlesstraveler!

I guess that's the point, jenny_ell. Five years is a long time and they're hoping you won't stay.  

Thanks for link, aimlesstraveler!

Ugh...this whole process has made me respect foreigners here a lot more. Now I know how it feels to be unwelcome and seen as a burden rather than an asset. If they do change the rules I'm really gonna try to stick it out. I just don't want to us to move to the US for a long period of time and then try to go back to the UK and have to go through all of this again. I'm sure everyone feels the same though    I think we plan to stay in the UK for a while unless something comes up in the US that would make us move over right away.

I'm with you. We won't be moving anywhere until I'm a citizen. I never want to do this again if I can help it.

JCWI wrote a response to these changes in the form of a letter to Nick Clegg. Interesting read!

http://jcwi.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/nick-clegg-youve-got-mail/

Thanks, that was an interesting read! Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail.

Give us your middle-class, well-fed and well-educated (an MBA or medical degree if possible.) Your tired, poor and hungry? Eh. Not so much....  

my thoughts entirely.

In view of the time, I only have a few weeks to get my application ready, I only just exceed the proposed minimum income of 25,700.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/2012/april/18-Tier2-limit


Firm action has already been taken on the student route, settlement and those coming here to work, in order to bring immigration levels back down to sustainable levels and make sure we receive only the brightest and best people. By summer the government will also have made changes to family migration routes.

For those already present in the UK, my understanding is that UKBA and Damian Green are currently saying in their letters that any changes to the rules are unlikely to affect anyone already here with Leave to Remain.

I've been reading about Right of Abode.  From what I gather, someone with Right of Abode has the right to sponsor a spouse and/or children.

If the coalition intends to put in place a required income target so high that half the British population could not possibly qualify, couldn't that be construed as violating Right to Abode? 

I mean, as we all know, the Right to Abode states this:

(iv) there will be adequate accommodation for the parties and any dependants without recourse to public funds in accommodation which they own or occupy exclusively; and

(v) the parties will be able to maintain themselves and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds;

Etc but these are the pertinent cites regarding "income".

If it comes to court - which it will - my guess is the issue will be about proportionality. 18k likely wouldn't be seen as disproportionate; 25k certainly is, as well as being blatantly discriminatory.

I hope to go this gets shot down in flames, needless to say I'm off to my MP the first opportunity i can and will probably get friends who are politically active in other constituencies to do the same

I earn 18K a year, Angel since coming to the UK and achieving the right to work, has been turned down time and time again on reasons such as "immigration status, were not 100% sure" to "oh we usually only hire younger people" all of which completely illegal reasons but with a tight budget and long work hours I simply cannot afford to legally slap them, and in the end what would it achieve?

at the moment we are on FLR(M) and are scraping bay on section 8 of Human Rights.  I wonder what the immigration solicitors have to say about this?

my personal views is that EU or Non-EU peoploe should be treated fairly and equally regardless of race before entering.

I only hope Angel finds work before next september when we need to go for ILR(M) and hopefully a joint income will help.

I'm not happy, I was damn near broke and had help from my parents to get us here because the cost of us appart was financially crippling, and my wife packed her life into 4 suitcases to be here with me where we had a hope of being together, with support from a family and my employment.

I am so very angry and scared that 26K is being proposed, thats a tough wage to achieve whichever area you live in, especially when the government are proposing Regional pay for its own self!