Savings Level For Uk Settlement Visa For My Wife ?

[raven0099]

Hi , can someone tell me how this sounds

Earn over thirty thousand a year , full time job monthly salary

Plan to have £3000 in bank account , plus showing available arranged overdraft of £2000 so £5000 in total available

Barclaycard credit card with no balance with available limit of £3000

Please advise , if it could be lower that would be better ,

Thanks

[ThaiVisaExpress]

As long as you earn £18600 per year & have been employed 6 months or more that's really all you need to demonstrate.

1. Letter confirming employment
   
2. 6 months salary/wage slips
   
3. Bank statements showing the salary deposits
   
4. Evidence of accommodation in the UK
   

[theoldgit]

TVE has given you the definitive answer to your question, basically with your salary alone you meet the requirements.

Credit Card and overdraft limits will not be taken into account.

[MrZM]

I have been thinking about the new rules a lot.

You can be earning £18,600+ a year! With the money you could be paying a mortgage, a car etc and have just enough money to live.

Yet you could be earning £18,599 - have no bills and have your monthly income as disposable yet you won't get a visa.

I don't see the logic in the new rules.

[Kiggs]

I have been thinking about the new rules a lot.

You can be earning £18,600+ a year! With the money you could be paying a mortgage, a car etc and have just enough money to live.

Yet you could be earning £18,599 - have no bills and have your monthly income as disposable yet you won't get a visa.

I don't see the logic in the new rules.

I have said this before.

Old guy 15k a year nothing to pay. Me 20k+ owe more money than rwanda!

Its just messed up,but what can ya do?

[bobrussell]

The £18,600 figure is simply the figure where in most cases a couple gets no income-related benefits.

£25,700 is considered the figure where a couple starts to be a net contributor to public finances.

This means it is down to you to support yourself and family. If you cannot it is your problem, not the governments. Actually quite logical in many ways as the government is not interested in your welfare.

What is less fair is that it does not allow people who can afford to live without claiming income-related benefits to prove it and have a visa issued. As a tax-payer I am happy not to be made to subsidise families returning to the UK. However I do not support the complete inflexibility of the new rules.

I suspect (and hope) that this inflexibility will be its downfall if legal challenges are made.

[raven0099]

So is it possible for me to apply for a visa with an overdraft showing on my account ?

Thanks

[7by7]

As both TVE and theoldgit have already said; as long as your income is above £18,600 p.a., plus the extra for any children applying, then you meet the financial requirements.

All you need to do is show that your income is at or above this figure, as detailed by TVE in his post.

One of the ridiculous aspects of the new rules is that overdrafts, debts and other outgoings are not taken into account.

[raven0099]

Ok thanks for that , to be honest im glad debts , and overdrafts are not taken into account because if they were id have a much longer to wait to save and make the visa , a big sigh of relief

[manxninja]

Although im probably not as informed as the above posters.

If you come up against the wrong person who is looking at your application, a long standing overdraft could be classed as not being able to financially look after your wife.

To be honest i wouldnt like to apply with a bank account in the red.

[VisasPlus]

Although im probably not as informed as the above posters.

If you come up against the wrong person who is looking at your application, a long standing overdraft could be classed as not being able to financially look after your wife.

To be honest i wouldnt like to apply with a bank account in the red.

You might find this quote, in an email to me, from the British Embassy Bangkok useful :

"The £18,600 income threshold is the amount above which couple’s generally (although not in all cases) cease to be able to access income related benefits. How they choose to spend their income is up to them as they are responsible for supporting themselves without reliance on the state."

[raven0099]

im looking at showing £2000 to £3000 credit on my account when i apply , obviously as soon as i get to thailand to apply for the visa then this figure will start decreasing , but ill still have an overdraft of £2000 and my monthly salary coming in , so if the visa is accepted then ill have the funds to fly out and get the wife , ill pay the visa fee seperatley perhaps by credit card if possible ?

Weve now been together three years and married for 3 months , hoping to apply in may or june , ive not started the visa documents yet as ive been so busy with work , but im going to go hammer and tongs at it after the festive when work settles down , i look forward to having a normal life with my wife with me because this long distance thing is so tough

Thanks for your help guys

[theoldgit]

ill pay the visa fee seperatley perhaps by credit card if possible ?

You cannot pay the visa application fee by credit or debit card, currently you can only pay by bankers draft to the Visa Application Centre.

[durhamboy]

Consider 2 scenarios :-

Person One :-

- income from self-employment of 18,500 pa

- income from employment in job of 18500 pa

- savings of 16000

- 2m in a 5 year bond with interest paid on maturity (no withdrawals permitted during the Term)

- owns own house with no mortgage

- no other debts

Person Two :-

- income from employment of 18600 pa

- no savings

- credit card and other debts of say 20,000

- pays rent of 20,000 pa

- supports 10 British children from previous relationship!!

Person Two qualifies under the financial requirements but Person One doesn't. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[7by7]

If you change person one to:

- income from self-employment of 18,500 pa

or

- income from employment in job of 18500 pa

then you would be right!

Which is ridiculous.

[durhamboy]

Thanks 7x7 but isn't it true that you cannot combine self-employment income with any other income (the logic of that baffles me but thats what UKBA say I believe!) so, if that is the case, then the scenarios remain as is.

Regardless of the self-employment point it just shows what an absolute pig's dinner the UK Govt. have made of this. I am one of the lucky ones because my savings level is well above the limit so this piece of the new rules actually work for me as I know exactly where I stand. However, that is not really the point. There are many people (as we see in this forum) and many others in the future who, whilst eminently capable of supporting themselves without any recourse to public funds, will be denied a visa for their spouse and family. Surely that is a breach of their human rights.

[Jowels]

I am one of the lucky ones because my savings level is well above the limit so this piece of the new rules actually work for me as I know exactly where I stand.

Could somebody let me know what the 'savings level' is? If I returned to the UK I wouldn't have a job lined up. In order to obtain a 2-year settlement visa for my wife, would I need to show GBP37,200 (i.e 18,600 x 2)?

[VisasPlus]

I am one of the lucky ones because my savings level is well above the limit so this piece of the new rules actually work for me as I know exactly where I stand.

Could somebody let me know what the 'savings level' is? If I returned to the UK I wouldn't have a job lined up. In order to obtain a 2-year settlement visa for my wife, would I need to show GBP37,200 (i.e 18,600 x 2)?

If you don't have any income, and you want to rely on savings, then the required amount is 62,500 GBP - 16,000 plus (18,600 x 2.5).

Edited December 4, 2012 by VisasPlus

[Jowels]

^ Thanks for the reply. Although sadly it seems my chances of ever getting my getting my son and wife back to the UK are virtually non-existent. Hopefully this will eventually be challenged and defeated in the European courts.

Out of curiosity, if I had savings of GBP62,500 would I still need to satisfy any requirements relating to accommodation in the UK?

[Kiggs]

7by7 is your man but from what I have seen you need to provide evidence of a room of your own to sleep and can imagine the same for your son.

[VisasPlus]

^ Thanks for the reply. Although sadly it seems my chances of ever getting my getting my son and wife back to the UK are virtually non-existent. Hopefully this will eventually be challenged and defeated in the European courts.

Out of curiosity, if I had savings of GBP62,500 would I still need to satisfy any requirements relating to accommodation in the UK?

Yes, you do. But accommodation can be provided by a third party ( parents, for instance), if you don't have accommodation of your own.