Married More Than 4 Years

[TexasRanger]

I have heard that it can help with permanently living in the UK if you have been married outside the UK for more than 4 years. My wife and I have been married and living together for nearly 6 years and are now considering the possibility of coming to the UK. I am a UK citizen, wife is Thai.

Can anyone shed any light on this 4 year rule? Many thanks.

[7by7]

See Uk Settlement; Spouse Visa Or Ile? Have you been married for 4 years or more?

[VisasPlus]

But be aware ! The current proposals on Family Migration by the British government include doing away with this "4 year rule". The proposal is along the lines of the following. Not my words, by the way :

"forcing established couples who have lived together outside the UK for 4 years or more also to complete the new 5 year probationary period rather than allowing them to settle immediately, as at present"

This proposal, amongst others, is currently in the consulation stage, and will, the Home Office hopes, be introduced any time from next month onwards, but probably next April. You do have the opportunity, as I have said many times before, to make your feelings and comments known during the consultation process. Without them, the Home office will do just as it wants.

Edited September 4, 2011 by VisasPlus

[TexasRanger]

Oh good, I just love it when they make it so hard. They might as well kick out all the wage earning, tax paying couples to make room for all the others who can just waltz in from Europe. Starting to lose affection for the country I served for so many years.

[WarpSpeed]

Well at least the UK gives you some consideration for your time married. The land of the free and the home of the brave with the famous statue of Liberty in New York Harbor could take a lesson or two as they couldn't give a rats backside how long you're married just whether or not you can demonstrate support for your wife for the next 10 years even having been off shore for 8 years with out any stateside income or resources. My wife and I are married 8 years and been together for 9 with 2 children (American citizens BTW) and it matters not 1 iota..

Yes my 1 little Chinese wife would drive the welfare system under if there was even the slightest chance I wouldn't support her, besides she supports herself just fine..

Come across the southern border illegally though and with that I might even get a college scholarship from the state of Ca. for my children, A fiscally broke Ca. I might add , it's FUBAR..... On second thought they wouldn't qualify since their citizens .

Edited September 4, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[TexasRanger]

Sorry to hear that but not surprised. You earn, pay tax your whole life and the governement punish you whilst letting in all and sundry who come here and get the very benfits I pay for. I just hope if we do decide to come home they don't stand in my way too much. No justice in this world.

[WarpSpeed]

Sorry to hear that but not surprised. You earn, pay tax your whole life and the governement punish you whilst letting in all and sundry who come here and get the very benfits I pay for. I just hope if we do decide to come home they don't stand in my way too much. No justice in this world.

Cheers, I wish you the best, hope it works out for ya.. Albeit if you have to wait another year..

Edited September 4, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[TexasRanger]

Sorry to hear that but not surprised. You earn, pay tax your whole life and the governement punish you whilst letting in all and sundry who come here and get the very benfits I pay for. I just hope if we do decide to come home they don't stand in my way too much. No justice in this world.

Cheers, I wish you the best, hope it works out for ya.. Albeit if you have to wait another year..

Thanks, although we have been married for nearly 6 years, not that the UK govt cares.

[7by7]

They might as well kick out all the wage earning, tax paying couples to make room for all the others who can just waltz in from Europe.

The people who 'waltz in from Europe' have to be exercising an economic right, which means that they are probably working and paying tax to the UK government. BTW, this is the same right that you have to 'waltz in' to any other EEA country to exercise the same economic rights.

You earn, pay tax your whole life and the governement punish you whilst letting in all and sundry who come here and get the very benfits I pay for.

How are you being punished?

Who are these all and sundry who come in and get the benefits you pay for? It isn't EEA nationals as they're not entitled to any; except those based on any NI contributions they may have paid.

How do you pay for them? Have you really been paying UK tax for the last 6+ years you have been living in Thailand?

I'm not a big fan of the EU, but I do wish people would get their facts right instead of believing the rubbish put out by the ultra right wing!

[WarpSpeed]

How do you pay for them? Have you really been paying UK tax for the last 6+ years you have been living in Thailand?

Does he have to have worked for the past 6 years? Maybe he worked and paid for the previous 30 or 40 years and never got a thing on the dole or any other way while others collected and he still isn't asking for anything except to bring his wife to his home country, that doesn't count for anything ?

Edited September 4, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[TexasRanger]

How do you pay for them? Have you really been paying UK tax for the last 6+ years you have been living in Thailand?

Does he have to have worked for the past 6 years? Maybe he worked and paid for the previous 30 or 40 years and never got a thing on the dole or any other way while others collected and he still isn't asking for anything except to bring his wife to his home country, that doesn't count for anything ?

I have been paying full UK tax since 1985, and yes, I still pay it whilst living in Thailand.

[7by7]

Good for you, TexasRanger. I've been paying it since 1971. Does that make me better than you or entitled to more? No, of course it doesn't!

So, how are you being punished?

Warp Speed, he can bring his wife with him to live in the UK.

[TexasRanger]

Good for you, TexasRanger. I've been paying it since 1971. Does that make me better than you or entitled to more? No, of course it doesn't!

So, how are you being punished?

Warp Speed, he can bring his wife with him to live in the UK.

What do you mean good for me? You asked, I told you. End of.

[7by7]

Indeed you did.

So, how are you being punished?

[TexasRanger]

Indeed you did.

So, how are you being punished?

I believe that anyone who wants their spouse to come to live with them in their country should be allowed to provided they pay their way and don't take benefits. Constantly adding hurdles to this process when anyone from Europe can come in regardless of their level of English. Why should a Thai be tested when others are not? I feel this is being punished, if I want my wife here and I am prepared to support her and we can converse perfectly well in Thai why should it matter to anyone else?

[7by7]

You can bring you wife to the UK, what makes you think that you can't?

EU regulations mean that the UK immigration rules cannot be applied to EU nationals. The same as, for example, Spanish immigration rules cannot be applied to the thousands of British nationals living in Spain.

All non-EU nationals applying for settlement in the UK as a spouse, partner, fiance have to satisfy the initial language requirement, unless they are nationals of a country where English is a native language; not just Thais.

All non-EU nationals have to satisfy KOL if they want to live in the UK indefinitely; even native English speakers; not just Thais.

Anyone, even EU nationals, who wants to be naturalised as British has to satisfy KOL, unless they've already done so to obtain ILR; not just Thais.

I am surprised that you would want your wife trapped at home, unable to work, go shopping, socialise even see a doctor without you there to translate for her; but I guess it takes all sorts. Helping to prevent this sort of thing and improving integration are two of the reasons that these language rules were introduced in the first place.

[TexasRanger]

I am surprised that you would want your wife trapped at home, unable to work, go shopping, socialise even see a doctor without you there to translate for her; but I guess it takes all sorts.

Don't assume.