Moving BACK to UK with non-EU partner?

Dear All,


My wife and I were thinking about leaving Hong Kong and heading back to the UK. I have been here 11 years and I married my wife 7 years ago, we've been together for 10 years.


The reason that we want to move back is that my parents are both approaching 70 years old and we'd like to be near them if/when they need our support. I am their only son and my wife's parents have both passed away.


However, it seems that I will need to secure employment of at least 18,600 sterling before I will even be considered to be allowed back into the UK with my wife. There are a few other criteria (background checks ~ which I can understand) one includes to be on a 5 year 'probation list' to prove that my marriage is genuine. The link is here:


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This seems unfair as my wife was a British passport holder until it needed to be renewed after the Handover.


Has anyone else faced this problem? Or know of anyone that has?


Many thanks in advance.

No. She's a local girl. Ironically, she held a British passport until it needed renewing after the Handover. She has held British passport longer than I have.

We both have jobs but we don't like what Hong Kong is turning into. In my opinion. Hong Kong has changed a lot over the past 11 years and I don't want to think about what Hong Kong will be in another 11 years time.


We did think about bringing my parents here but we doubt that we could afford a place here. The rent for my little flat here has doubled over the past 4 years (from $5,000 to $10,000) ... buying property in Hong Kong is a dream that we could not afford. I own a property in the UK, it is the house where my parents live as I do not want their pensions going on mortgage repayments. If we were to bring my parents here, then their pensions would be gone. I am in my late 30s and my wife is 50. If I can move back to the UK and start paying my taxes again then at least it secures me a pension after 25+ years. Much better than the MPF system here.


I also read the news but it's just the UK Media exaggerating, I come from North Yorkshire and it's never changed.


We have no problems with any of the other criteria for moving back to the UK except the net income of 18,600. We hoped to set up a small business or run a B&B. But to prove that we can make an income based of forecasts/predictions of a business model is hard to establish.

Haha ... you don't know my wife.

You would have to check on whether this is still possible, but it is worth consideration.


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