New Requirement: Members of HM Forces to meet a minimum income threshold for Spouse Visa

This may be shocking to believe : but believe it or not, from the 1st December 2013, Army Members, (Yes! that’s right…. they guys who go and put their lives at risks to defend our rights and freedom) will have to meet the normal spouse income threshold to sponsor their non-EU spouse. According to the proposals, and I quote:

“Members of HM Forces wishing to sponsor a non-EEA dependant to come to or remain in the UK will have to meet a minimum income threshold. This will be £18,600 for a partner, £22,400 for a partner and child, and £2,400 for each additional child.  ”

In addition to meeting the usual spouse income threshold, everything else will be over-hauled to match the normal spouse visa requirements e.g. English test level 1A for entry and B2 for settlement, 5 years probation for spouse and Life in the UK test.

Please note that this is a proposed law, which has now been tabled in Parliament and would become law automatically should the MPs not bother to reject it. Click here to see the actual Proposal!

Personally, I am disappointed to say the least, while as I agree with the principle of equality, I believe our men and women of service should be given more respect than this. While most of us have the liberty as a Brit to move to another country of our choosing this class of people don’t and go wherever their country demands them to go.

While as theses rules come with what they term as “Additional flexibilities available for those serving in HM Forces” such as counting the time spent by a spouse abroad toward the 5 yrs Probation period, these new changes are bound to rub yet more people up the wrong way – surely for people who put their life at risk serving abroad for us as a nation we should offer better treatment.

I am curious to see what happens now to such an army spouse if for example a UK Army member is posted to Greece; would he be deemed to have exercised treaty rights even though he was working only for the UK Government in what would be otherwise be termed British territory?

Hopefully, I have missed something e.g. there is coming pay raise to all our UK Army Guys but it seems this government is ready to curtail the basic fundamental right to family in all quarters!!!

If you are in the army or are the family member of HM Forces who may be affected by this rules, please feel free to call me for a free chat. You can also call me for any other EU/UK immigration matter for a free initial consultation.

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