Can't bear the changes on UK Immigration

[jbinuk]

Hi

Is there anyone thinking of immigrating to another country, say AUS or US if given the opportunity, because of the unbearable changes with the immigration laws here in UK?

I used to think that UK is one of the best place the live and work but with all the retrospective changes in immigration for the past 2/3 years, it seems to me that it is only true for those people who have obtained citizenship or permanent residency at least.

My wife and I have been here in UK(living and working hard, paying taxes without receiving any benefits) for almost 5 years and unforunately wasn't able to obtain our PR last year when HO changed it from 4 to 5 years. We were just 2 weeks away from being eligible to apply for PR when HO made the new law retrospective. That was a very big blow on our part cause we've made so many serious plans ahead and those plans were blown away just like that.

Now, we are again a few months away from applying for our PR..so I hope that there will be no more changes after the introduction of 'Life in the UK' test. However, we are still considering moving to US within this year.

[Christophe]

Well, I know nothing of your circumstances really, but I shouldn't let the matter of a few months make any difference to your plans since you've already been in the UK for almost 5 years. Irritating, yes, but in the overall scheme of a lifetime it's not going to amount to much. In 5 years from now it will all be a distant memory, wherever you might be then.

And as a PS: if you think that dealing the Home Office in the UK is problematic, you should try dealing with the immigration people in the USA - or indeed many other countries: not much fun, it seems from many accounts.

[jbinuk]

Thanks for you opinion.

I definitely agree with you, that is why we plan not make any drastic step in pursuing our future plans until we get our PR. At least we always have the option of staying here. It's just that it is very disappointing the way the way HO change immigration laws...very unfair indeed.

[Dawie]

I agree with Christophe. While the recent retrospective changes are undoubtably unfair, the Home Office is by far a fairer and more effecient place than almost any other immigration authority in the world.

For example, for a foreign spouse of a UK citizen to join their husband or wife in the UK is relatively simple matter of getting together the correct documentation, filling in an application form and applying at the nearest British embassy. It appears from forum member's experiences in this board that the issuing time of this visa can range anywhere from on the spot to a few days.

Compare this to when a foreign spouse of an American citizen wants to join their spouse in America and you are looking at a nightmare. Medical tests, police clearance certificates, criminal record checks, huge expense and months and months of waiting, not even being certain the visa will even be issued.

The irony actually is that a lot of the time is it is actually easier for foreigners to immigrate to the UK, than it would ever be for a UK citizen to immigrate to those countries where the foreigners come from. In South Africa for example, the foreign spouse of a SA citizen who arrives in South Africa is not even allowed to work for the first year of their arrival. And getting that permission to work after the year period is up is the biggest nightmare you could imagine. Organising work permits for skilled foreigners is so difficult that only big corporate multinational companies are prepared to go through the hassle of trying to employ skilled foreigners. All that while there is a crippling skills shortage in South Africa.

So I guess the moral of the story is that all things considered, the UK is still probably one of the most easiest countries to immigrate to for skilled professionals.

[first2last4]

seems to me as Ireland has much friendly rules. Under Green card scheme one can get PR after 2 years.

[Jeff Albright]

Is there anyone thinking of immigrating to another country, say AUS or US if given the opportunity, because of the unbearable changes with the immigration laws here in UK?

Yes, absolutely. Myself and at least three friends of mine, two of who have already British citizenship. But this is not because of immigration laws here are wrong but because of the country itself and the overall system here is wrong and chaotic.

I used to think that UK is one of the best place the live and work but with all the retrospective changes in immigration for the past 2/3 years, it seems to me that it is only true for those people who have obtained citizenship or permanent residency at least.

Wrong, mate, wrong. Who told you that? I personally never felt like this country was any good, I simply had no choice than to be here but now cannot wait to get out. I personally do not want any citizenship in this country - it is simply not worth it except for one thing - travelling freely across Europe, but can you honestly enjoy life here as a professional person with those salaries and bills - don't think so. To be able to enjoy this life, you have to be born wealthy and be able to tolerate arrogance and stupidity of the entire system here. I cannot do it myself.

My wife and I have been here in UK(living and working hard, paying taxes without receiving any benefits) for almost 5 years and unforunately wasn't able to obtain our PR last year when HO changed it from 4 to 5 years. We were just 2 weeks away from being eligible to apply for PR when HO made the new law retrospective. That was a very big blow on our part cause we've made so many serious plans ahead and those plans were blown away just like that.

I agree. I don't know what they really wanted to achieve by changing from 4 to 5, as they have hit the wrong class of immigrants instead of putting efforts dealing with the others, illegals for example. But this is entirely up to them how to regulate migration, as it is their country, we are just guests here asking for a favour of granting us the right to be here. They may decide to give it to us in 4 years, in 5 years, in 10 years or never, especially when they are at the end of their tether about their overcrowded island and I can understand them very well.

However, we are still considering moving to US within this year.

Absolutely, go for it. Only to be sure to have a good job there or life there will be even worse than here. In the US, if you have a good job, you have a good life. Here, even if you have a good job, you will still be struggling to have both ends meet until you die.

[JAJ]

seems to me as Ireland has much friendly rules.

That's not the experience of those posting on the Ireland forum.

[Christophe]

seems to me as Ireland has much friendly rules.

That's not the experience of those posting on the Ireland forum.

Well, the rules per se might perhaps be friendly but their administration sounds as if it is completely chaotic.

[JamesC]

If you get PR and then leave the UK for more than 2 years, you may lose it. As you are stating that you intend to live here Indefinitley, you will be questionaed as to why you have spent more than 2 years out of the United Kingdom.

J

[nonothing]

no doubt the changes are unfair. but the biggest let-down for me is the reaction from the public towards the changes and immigration as a whole.

how can you stay comfortably in a country with the hatred from a big part of its own people?

[jbinuk]

Well, once I get my PR then I am just gonna use that as a transition if ever we decide to immigrate to another country. I dont think I will be away from UK for more than two years and if that happens, that means I am not going back anymore.

And once I get my PR then that will be my turn to use it on my own advantage.

[jbinuk]

You cant really blame the reaction of most people..especially who are always being affected. I am in the same show as them so I do understand them perfectly. Mind you that these people have sacrificed so much to be here in UK. What we all want is simple..to live a good life and have stable jobs(and be able to give our family a better future)..but HO is making that very difficult for us when in fact, we are not a burden to the society (unlike some people who do not want to work and depend only on benefits) and we make major contribution to the success of UK economy.

[jes2jes]

I agree with all the posters.

Jeff I agree with you and seriously also thinking of leaving for good this year by God's grace. Although my reasons for leaving are different from yours, I can understand.

For what I have been told by friends in Ireland, unless you have a EU passport and excercising treaty rights, life there can be one nightmare going through officialdom to sort out things we get so easily in the UK through the IND.

[Markie]

different countries run different immigration rules...it just that some are affected and others are not (for now...i suppose).

just recently Australia sacked its immigration minister and are making changes on their immigration rules. Their new immigration dept has been called Immigration and citizenship.

[Jeff Albright]

just recently Australia sacked its immigration minister and are making changes on their immigration rules. Their new immigration dept has been called Immigration and citizenship.

Yes, she was sacked because of blunders and cockups in the Department, similar the ones at the Home Office but to a lesser extent and that has nothing to do with their immigration rules being wrong or unfair. Some procedures do need changing, but overall the system there is quite well set and managed.

[Christophe]

just recently Australia sacked its immigration minister and are making changes on their immigration rules. Their new immigration dept has been called Immigration and citizenship.

Yes, she was sacked because of blunders and cockups in the Department, similar the ones at the Home Office but to a lesser extent and that has nothing to do with their immigration rules being wrong or unfair. Some procedures do need changing, but overall the system there is quite well set and managed.

And to be fair, her removal was part of a wider cabinet re-shuffle.

There have been some high-profile mix-ups (including the deportation of an Australian citizen or two), but these have generally been in cases that were very unusual (e.g. a psychotic citizen denying or being unable to prove citizenship - that sort of thing: not good, of course, but not necessarily the sort of thing that is likely to affect the average person). Overall, the Australian immigration system, although the rules can sometimes be complicated (possibly unnecessarily so), seems to be at least moderately well run compared with most others. And once one is eligible to apply for naturalisation, the process seems to be conducted in a seemly way and the application dealt with pretty quickly.

[vin123]

There are a lot of countries out there with "we are open & welcome in" board displayed to the outside world, but once you enter people will still have a lot of things to gripe about.
Mate, life is journey...so make it long if you enjoy it.