UK reintroduces minimum age requirement for spouse visa
by Christine M - November 11, 2011
United Kingdom, 11th November: The UK Border Agency has reintroduced the minimum age requirement of 18 years for UK spouse visa.
This has been the result of a recent plea in the Supreme Court.
Minimum age requirement of 18 years for UK spouse visa—The new requirement states both immigrant spouses as well as their sponsors in the UK need to have attained a minimum age of 18 years for becoming eligible for UK partner visa applications.
A statement has been unveiled by the UKBA (UK Border Agency) saying married as well as equivalent couples aged between 18 and 21 years will be eligible for the UK spouse visa. As per the statement revealed by the UKBA, new changed rules for UK spouse visas have been laid before the Parliament.
The new rules say the minimum age requirement for any unmarried or married partner, fiancée, spouse, civil partner and proposed civil partner will be 18 years for becoming qualified for any entry clearance, leave to enter or to remain in the UK or any variation of leave on this basis, the statement revealed maintains.
New requirement result of Supreme Court ruling--A recent Supreme Court ruling has led to a change in the minimum age eligibility for UK spouse visa. The case involves Quila and Bibi versus UK Secretary of State for the Home Department. The plea had sought to bring down the minimum age criteria from 21 years introduced in November 2008 by the UK government.
The UK government had raised the minimum eligibility age requirement to 21 years to curb the menace of immigration frauds and forced marriages in the UK by an increasing number of immigrants. It was done by making required amendments to Paragraph 277.
The ruling by Supreme Court admitted that although, the change was aimed to address the issue of forced marriages in the UK, but it did interfere with the rights of foreigners who were involved in genuine marriages( as per Article 8).
Hence, the new changes will become effective from 28th November 2011 onwards reducing the minimum age requirement to 18 years, revealed UK immigration minister Damian Green.
It is being hoped that these new rules for UK spouse visa will result in a noticeable increase in the UK settlement applications both abroad and in-country.
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