sandyf

Why was it £18,600? The threshold was originally set at £18,600 after the coalition government considered advice from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). The MAC’s report recommended a minimum gross income threshold of between £18,600 and £25,700 per year. The range reflected different approaches to calculating when someone would cease to be a burden on the state, with £18,600 the threshold on one methodology and £25,700 the threshold on another. The lower threshold of £18,600 represented the level of annual gross pay above which a couple would not receive any income-related benefits. The MAC estimated that 45% of sponsors would fall short of the lower threshold amount and 64% of sponsors would not satisfy the upper threshold. The government chose the £18,600 option. The coalition said that it expected to review the level of the financial requirement annually. In the event, it remained at £18,600 until 2024 (although the Conservative Party’s 2017 general election manifesto had committed to increasing the threshold). In April 2024, the Sunak government increased the threshold to its current level of £29,000 (see section 4 below). This time the MAC was not involved. Various sources of income and funding can be used to meet the financial requirement, although there are conditions and restrictions. One important restriction is that the visa applicant’s employment income can only be taken into account if they are already in the UK with permission to work (that is, if they are applying to ‘switch’ immigration category or extend an existing partner visa). Otherwise, only the sponsor’s employment income can be considered for the initial visa application. This condition has prevented some British people from being able to return to the UK with their partner. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06724/SN06724.pdf

And nothing to do with what I said. By truncating my post it would appear you misunderstood what was said. This is what was meant "anyone on state pension would be excluded(from getting a visa) by the income requirements. "visa" was inferred, the word immediately preceded your truncation. I would have thought you would be well aware of context distortion from truncating posts.

You should avoid arbitrary references to the situation in the UK, thread is based on non UK resident. Choices on overseas application is 4 weeks or 13 weeks.

Looks like registration now lasts for 3 years for overseas voters. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/who-can-vote/other-registration-options/voting-if-you-live-overseas You still have to register at your last UK address which can be problematic for those who have been away some time.

When I started work there were NI benefits in place and the state pension was described as "30 Retirement pension by virtue of own insurance." under the NI act of 1965. The government arbitrarily rebranding NI benefits as SS benefits has never been challenged in court. The benefits you quote for exclusion are welfare benefits as opposed to rebranded NI benefits. At the end of the day it is just another discriminatory policy perpretrated by government against those abroad.

Quite right, the topic is about fiancee or spouse visa, anyone on state pension would be excluded by the income requirements.

Appears you have mistaken me for the OP. I am very fortunate that my wife of 16 years has no desire to reside in the UK, no chance whatsoever on my pension.

A bit of selective memory being applied. Finding alternatives didn't eradicate the national distribution breakdown. That old saying about silk purses and sow's ears comes to mind when chewing on gai baan.

Why pick that one, opening a bank account is no longer "simple" for a foreign national in most jurisdictions. It is certainly a lot easier to see a doctor in Thailand than in the UK.

It should be no surprise that Wise will be looking closely at US accounts and some will suffer due to the actions of others. Wise were fined $2.5M for what Wise claimed was an oversight and had already compensated the customers, about $2M of the fine was a civil penalty. https://thepaypers.com/digital-identity-security-online-fraud/cfpb-orders-wise-to-pay-usd-25-million-fine-due-to-illicit-remittance-practices--1272051

I did income extensions for years and the very first time they ever asked to see my bankbook was when i changed to money in the bank. Different offices,different attitudes. There was talk some years back about some offices not doing the income method.

The Tories proposed initially £38K but following the backlash pushed it through at £29K with a view to raising it again about a year later. As far as I am aware Labour have said nothing about pushing though the second rise. If you apply for a family visa as a partner, you and your partner usually need to prove that your combined income is at least £29,000 a year. https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/proof-income-partner

Quite, but the threads on income tend to refer to credit advice as though that was the only option. Nothing more obvious as to origin of funds than a foreign remittance advice, but language skill could be an impediment. Last point spot on, Jomtien and Sri Ratcha are in same province with effectively the same boss, but poles apart.

I would agree that all documents from a Thai bank would need to be stamped and signed. However, you do not need to use credit advice, remittance advice can also be used. I use HSBC and they post a remittance advice to my account. I would print them off and just right the statement date and amount received on them. Have watched the IO go through the statement and tick them off.

As far as I am aware there is no immigrant visa. PR is the nearest thing to immigrant status as used by other countries. There is an annual quota and a specific timeframe to apply for Thailand Permanent Residency. The quota is usually 100 persons of each nationality and 50 persons for stateless applicants. The application is inclined to open from October or November until the last day of December each year. https://www.siam-legal.com/thailand-visa/permanent-residence-thailand.php#:~:text=There is an annual quota,day of December each year.

Non immigrant status is either by visa or PR, you obviously believe there is a quota on non immigrant visas. I brought my personal effects over about 2 years after I came to live, maybe they changed the rules for you.

I have been a couple of times, last time in 2019 for niece's graduation. I would suggest getting some money before leaving Thailand. If not change at airport on arrival otherwise you may run into problems at a bank. When I tried they wanted social security details that I did not have available. My wife had a Chinese account in Thailand and transferred from there. Try and get small denominations, it is almost cashless society so if you do pay in cash getting change can be difficult. Enjoy the trip, a real eye opener. Most from the west have preconceptions that will be blown away.

The ECHR is the cornerstone of the Belfast Agreement, do you really think anyone is going to open that can of worms. Why do you think Theresa May kicked the issue into the long grass.

Indeed. However net migration is a mathematical equation and like every other equation it has 2 sides. Every tom, dick and harry just wants to focus on one side of the equation and ignore the fact that those leaving the country have been reducing for some time. The country shot itself in the foot with brexit which has deterred people from retiring to the EU, not only that it caused many to return to the UK, adding to the wrong side of the equation. If the money donated to Rwanda had been put into incentives to retire abroad it may well have lead to a different outcome.

I would suggest that you are right in thinking it means PR as that is subject to a quota each year. I moved my belongings in 2010 under Non O status and there was no duty free allowance. The words " regarded as resuming residents " means returning Thais. A friend of mine moved his stuff about the same time but did it under his wife's name as a returning Thai which carried a duty free allowance. He did have to pay duty on the motorbike, customs didn't believe it was hers. BTW. I didn't pay the maritime insurance, premium was a lot more that the value of the goods, but a personal choice.

That would be my understanding, but don't think there is a wife to come into it. Of course it would cost the 1900 baht to make a failed application and get the 7 days grace period.

A weekly option is not available to overseas applicants, only 4 weeks or 13 weeks.

Indeed, You get 13 x 4 week payments, which was 52 weeks when i went to school. What many do not realise is that every 21 years there is a 14th payment. This is dependant on when your pension started, I got mine after about 10 years.

Not as straightforward as that. In order to vote, and have an MP, you have to register and that only lasts for a year. I am not aware that abolishing the 15 year rule changed the registration process but would be happy to hear that it had. I registered to vote against brexit and a year later got a reminder to re-register, didn't bother. Registration is at your last UK registered address which is now some distance from anyone I know, I travelled myself for the brexit vote.

You pay tax on your income and the state pension is part of your income. If the state pension was your only income and below the tax threshold, there wouldn't be any tax to be paid. In some countries there is a low tax rate for low incomes, in the UK there is no tax liability on income subject to basic rate up to £12,570PA.