> For UK citizens wanting to bring a family member from Ukraine, I hope it's not like the regular, draconian family scheme where approximately 50% of UK citizens with a foreign spouse cannot meet the eligibility criteria to bring in even their own spouse, so they have to move abroad to be together. (I was astonished when I first learned that, as I'd grown up imagining that genuine marriage conferred the right to live together.)
It's the income; affects people from English-speaking countries too.
Perhaps recent wage inflation might change the proportions. It was about 50% of people last time I looked who couldn't meet the income requirement. Even if the foreign spouse earns a lot and can clearly support themselves, that can't be considered if they are abroad. Nor would a cash gift from parents or friends be accepted. So it is somewhat political.
I've occasionally seen people who earn a lot, i.e. software engineers, who clearly exceed the income but have their application rejected because it's not paid in the exact form the Home Office is looking for when they examine a personal bank statement. Self-employed and contractors fall into this problem if they haven't received advice and planned for it, because they wouldn't normally pay themselves a monthly PAYE salary in the expected form and above the threshold.
Interesting - thanks! Yes, I can see how, if the British citizen is on minimum wage (or unemployed) and the spouse is either unemployed or living abroad, that would make it difficult.
Perhaps recent wage inflation might change the proportions. It was about 50% of people last time I looked who couldn't meet the income requirement. Even if the foreign spouse earns a lot and can clearly support themselves, that can't be considered if they are abroad. Nor would a cash gift from parents or friends be accepted. So it is somewhat political.
I've occasionally seen people who earn a lot, i.e. software engineers, who clearly exceed the income but have their application rejected because it's not paid in the exact form the Home Office is looking for when they examine a personal bank statement. Self-employed and contractors fall into this problem if they haven't received advice and planned for it, because they wouldn't normally pay themselves a monthly PAYE salary in the expected form and above the threshold.