If you fall in love with an immigrant, presumably they already have a visa (or ILR, or citizenship, or whatever) and so don’t need to pass any extra checks for spousal visa.
I guess you’re talking about foreign nationals who aren’t currently immigrants. That’s not really what I’m talking about, because they could be (and in fact by and large will be) the spouses of current immigrants, rather than the native-born. So encouraging their migration does not have the effect of encouraging the bridging of the native and immigrant populations. Indeed, it more does the opposite: it would mean encouragement to people considering a work visa in the UK who already have a family which they might want to bring with them, rather than single people who might find a partner here and start a family with them.
OK, but the situations where someone has immigrated to the UK on some basis, then ceases to be eligible to remain in the UK, are less frequent than cases where someone might immigrate to the UK and wish to bring existing family with them.
It is. Just to check, it’s the British citizen who needs to be earning £29k? Your above comment makes it sound like that is the case, but earlier you said:
You need to be earning at least £29k before they’d even consider giving you a visa
Which suggests it’s the immigrant who needs to be earning that much.
It’s the two of them combined. The issue is if the immigrant is in another country, it doesn’t count. They cannot get a visa because they don’t have a job in the UK that meets that threshold. They cannot get a job because they don’t have a visa. You can’t even apply for a visa if someone is willing to immediately give you a job either that’ll put you above the threshold
The Home Office. You need to be earning at least £29k before they’d even consider giving you a visa
If you fall in love with an immigrant, presumably they already have a visa (or ILR, or citizenship, or whatever) and so don’t need to pass any extra checks for spousal visa.
I guess you’re talking about foreign nationals who aren’t currently immigrants. That’s not really what I’m talking about, because they could be (and in fact by and large will be) the spouses of current immigrants, rather than the native-born. So encouraging their migration does not have the effect of encouraging the bridging of the native and immigrant populations. Indeed, it more does the opposite: it would mean encouragement to people considering a work visa in the UK who already have a family which they might want to bring with them, rather than single people who might find a partner here and start a family with them.
No, the visa can expire and then they’re forced to move back to the other side of the continent
OK, but the situations where someone has immigrated to the UK on some basis, then ceases to be eligible to remain in the UK, are less frequent than cases where someone might immigrate to the UK and wish to bring existing family with them.
A £29k per year threshold for a British citizen to be with their non British spouse is insane and immoral
It is. Just to check, it’s the British citizen who needs to be earning £29k? Your above comment makes it sound like that is the case, but earlier you said:
Which suggests it’s the immigrant who needs to be earning that much.
It’s the two of them combined. The issue is if the immigrant is in another country, it doesn’t count. They cannot get a visa because they don’t have a job in the UK that meets that threshold. They cannot get a job because they don’t have a visa. You can’t even apply for a visa if someone is willing to immediately give you a job either that’ll put you above the threshold
Well, I’m not convinced.
By the way, how would you find it if the rule only applied to relationships between two non-citizens?
I think that’s reasonable enough. Although if you want to get a sponsorship in the UK you have to be earning that amount anyway.