Hello all,
I am not entirely sure about where to begin with this post or how to explain everything, but here goes nothing. My amazing partner (Tunisian M) and I (Scottish F) managed to get married last week during my visit to his family in Tunisia and, although I am over the moon and feel like I am dreaming, I cannot stop worrying about the process of actually getting to be together, i.e start our lives together living in the same country.
Ideally, our plan is for him to gain entry to and stay in Scotland which we were hoping to do via the spouse visa. However, there is a spanner in the works with this due to the recent change in so-called visa "guidelines" surrounding the amount of earnings spouses need to have to be the sponsor for their foreign partners entering the country. As I am sure is the case for many people facing the same situation, the increase in the income guideline from £18,500 to £29,000 - and supposedly soon to be £34,500 per year in a few months time - has left me below the level of income for sponsorship and I am definitely not sitting on the £16,000 + £1.50 of every pound earned in cash savings that they are looking for to supplement any visa application either.
So, I guess my question is this - is there any alternative way or way around being below the frankly unrealistic income bracket set by the UK so that my husband can join me here and we can start our family in Scotland and if so what is it? Or will it be a lot easier for me to consider moving to Tunisia or even an entirely different country for us both?
I will see any advice as valuable, so please help me if you can.
Thank you all in advance