Dear [Newly-Elected local Member of Parliament],
I am surprised and confused by the
recent doubling of immigration costs for non-EEA nationals as
outlined on gov.uk. I would appreciate your help in clarifying and
protesting the new policy that quietly came into effect after
Parliament was dissolved.
I am your constituent, the wife
of a British citizen, a gainfully employed taxpayer and dutiful NI
contributor, and sick to the teeth of the regular introduction of
ridiculous and demeaning new policies that seem designed to provide
the state with infinite opportunities to extort or deport me on an
ever-expanding list of technicalities.
I have been living, legally and
without interruption, in the UK since September of 2009. I came here
as a postgraduate student (Tier 4), transitioned awkwardly into
post-study work (Tier 1, now defunct) and in April of 2012 married
the man I'd been dating since 2004, a British citizen. We applied for
FLR(M) in August of 2012, and after waiting for the better part of a
year, in March of 2013 we were sent a new application form to fill
in. Under the new (baffling) rules the qualification terms for
Indefinite Leave to Remain changed from 5 years in any category to 5
years specifically under FLR(M), and now required a pointless and
expensive biometric residence permit, with a note to the effect that
the new regulations had been back-dated to include all applications
made on or after 9 July 2012. (Had we applied one month earlier, I
would have ILR by now, and would probably be able to vote next year.
As it stands I won't be able to apply for ILR until 2017.)
The 5-year route to ILR includes a
“restart” after 2.5 years, at which point I must reapply. If that
means costs or waiting periods or access to the NHS have changed, so
be it, I am treated as a new applicant. The immigration process makes
one feel helpless at the best of times; the fact that UKBA crafted
the 2012 policy so they could change the whole thing halfway through
makes one feel absolutely exploited. What will happen between now and
2017? Will the 5-year route be extended to 10? 30? How many times
will I have to fork over a month's wages, cross my fingers and wait,
only to be sent a new application and more flaming hoops to jump
through? No other legal fixed term programme, of which I am aware,
has a trapdoor of this kind, or seems built specifically to be
violable by the drafter.
The most flagrantly unethical aspect
is the introduction of the new £500 “surcharge” to access the
NHS for my next 2.5 years of probationary leave. I work on a PAYE
contract for a royal university, and have done for nearly four years.
Appropriate NI contributions are deducted automatically from my wages
every month—nearly £3,000 a year. Moreover, I'm not affected by
this because of some unusual technicality: The FLR(M) route requires
a minimum taxable income, either on the part of the sponsor or the
already-resident applicant, of £18,600 per year. I would not qualify
for my visa if I were not already paying National Insurance. It is
clear that the writers of this policy know perfectly well that they
are charging me twice, and with reference to the extensive list of
exempt categories (into none of which I fall) that the inclusion of
settled, working taxpayers like me was deliberate.
When this political stunt was being
discussed in the media in 2014 my husband raised this point with your
predecessor, [Retired MP]. She communicated on our behalf with
the Earl Howe who responded in September of last year to clarify
that, as I was ordinarily resident in the UK, the new charges would
not be applied to me, as they were intended to apply only to
temporary migrants, not settled, ordinarily-resident taxpayers. I
retain a copy of that letter and can share it with you if you deem it
worthwhile. I would be fascinated to know when and why the plan
adjusted to include families like mine.
My husband and I would appreciate your
insight into what, if anything, can be done about this, and how we
can prevent this situation from getting worse. Thank you for your
help.
----
Points I didn't make [but really wanted to]:
"I would appreciate your help in clarifying and protesting the new policy that quietly came into effect after Parliament was dissolved [while everyone in the news was distracted by how much your recently-ousted party leader looks like Wallace.]
"I would be fascinated to know when and why the plan adjusted to include families like mine. [I will also be keeping an eye out in the post for my £500 refund. I'd prefer it in £2 coins, presented by the secretary of state at my place of employment, with tulips and a banner that says "We're very sorry, we forgot our vitriol affected real people."]"
