change to UK spouse rules for serving members of the Armed Forces

The UK Border Agency have now changed the rules for spouse visas for those married to UK citizens serving as members of the Armed Forces.

In 2008, the government increased the minimum age for all spouse visa applicants from 18 to 21. This has now been lowered back down from 21 to 18 BUT ONLY FOR THOSE MARRIED TO SERVING MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

So if you are aged 19, say a Canadian citizen and are married to a private in the Armed Forces, then you are eligible to apply for a visa to settle in the UK.

But if you are aged 19, a Canadian citizen and married to someone who is not in the Armed Forces, then you cannot join them to live in the UK until you are 21 !

We think the government are just digging themselves into a deeper hole on this one.

The fairest thing to do would be to bring it back down to 18 for everyone, as a consistent and sensible age of majority.