BritCits

Aimie

“..I can’t just move to another country to be with my fiancé as I still have three years left to complete my Masters degree. I cannot simply drop out of university and earn £18600, as I don’t have the work experience and would not have the qualifications without the degree, to earn that figure. ..“

Aimie is a British citizen and in the second year of her MSc (Chemistry) at University of Nottingham. She is 24 years old and engaged and to be married in December 2012 to David, a 25-year-old Masters student, majoring in Advanced Computer Science, also at University of Nottingham.

Aimie’s fiancé is very employable; he is fluent in English, has a master’s degree and has experience in his field of work of software development. He would not be requesting access to public funds, nor would he become a burden on the economy.

Under the previous rules, the means to meet the financial requirement to demonstrate that they would not need to access public funds. However, new rules brought in requiring Aimie to earn £18,600 (regardless of David’s earnings) mean this couple is facing years apart. Because David is Colombian.

Aimie has been told that for them to meet the financial requirement for her fiancé’s visa, she would have to have been earning a salary of £18600 for at least 6 months prior to the visa application. However, as she is a student and her fiancé has just finished his course at the end of September, to graduate in December, they have been relying solely on their part-time jobs and scholarships, and have therefore not been in full time employment.

Aimie feels the new rules for financial requirement are unjust as they don’t take into account individual circumstances. Aimie cannot simply move to another country for them to be together as she still has three years left at university. She also cannot simply drop out of university and earn £18600, as she doesn’t have the work experience and would not have the qualifications without her degree, to earn that figure. Indeed, on minimum wage she would earn approximately £12000, which is far off the threshold.

To Aimie it’s nonsensical how £18,600 could be considered reasonable; as a student she receives less than half of that income, and is still able to pay her bills. The unemployed people on JSA are earning less than that figure and are able to live.

Aimie does not need luxury items to love her fiancé.