Time to Stress Again...

Amidst all the worries about my health regarding back pain, I have other things creeping in: next year is visa season. And I know what you’re thinking - “Alice, you’ve been worried and stressed the past two visas, but they were granted. Why are you worried again?” The answer is simple: we don’t have the cushion of the Carer’s Allowance anymore. We are going to have to prove we both earn more than £18600. On the surface, that’s easy. In the normal world, just take on some extra hours here and there and you’re gold. Right? Especially since my hubby has a management position and works more than minimum wage. 

The only issue is — this isn’t the normal world anymore. COVID has significantly impacted our earnings. Don’t worry, the government has recognised this. They’ve given leeway if you’re on furlough. But this only applies to this year. We’ve gone into lockdown again and it’s hard to say how long it’ll last. I hope they extend their leeway; otherwise things may be difficult. 

My hubby and I both have to earn over £1553 a month, but that may be hard due to COVID right now. Annoyingly, the immigration officers don’t look at the final tally of earnings and call it a day. No, they take the lowest amount of earnings out of a 6 or 12 month period, average it out, and if it’s short of £18600 you’re screwed 😠 Even if it shows you earned over £18600 on your P60. If you earned less than £1553 one month you are done for! So god forbid if you have a slow month or the world enters a pandemic. And they’re not lenient on that income rate. The guidance even says so. You either be there or you be square. 

So yeah. I can’t relax. I’m going to start being more obsessed with the maths and earnings. What’s worse is that this is the last stage. After that, my stay will be indefinite. The visas will be over. If I fail this last stage and have to go back, I’m going to break down... 😔 fun times. Fun fun times. Guess I gotta hope for the best but prepare for the worst. For me it’s always the sodding latter 🤪. 

I wish I could stop dreaming about me having to go back home. I wish I could stop stressing out about this 😞. I don’t know what to do, and that’s even more stressful. The uncertainty of the world...and its effect on our work, and as a result, our hours...that’s what’ll make or break me. My livelihood is at risk again. AUGH!!! 😫 Thanks Theresa May for the minimum income rate issues. And good old Boris is too busy dealing with COVID and the aftermath of Brexit to even think about immigration right now. And even then, I don’t think he’ll bat an eye to the MIR. 

Great times. 😔

EDIT: 

After more research I just found out that taking the lowest wage and averaging it out only applies to SALARIED workers. Since we both work hourly, they will just take the total gross income, divide by 6 and multiply by 12 which is weird...but okay. 

Would add a photo to explain but I can’t seem to do that on mobile.  

Either way, it puts my mind at ease a little bit. Let’s just hope that 6 months prior to our application date the world isn’t still in A STATE...

Idle Thoughts

This lockdown stuff is really crazy, isn't it? I've been out of work for a month now, and it feels so surreal. But I'm so glad I'm here with my husband. Because the alternative would've been me still in America, away from him. And by this point, he probably would've had a flight booked, or was planning to get a flight booked. Imagine how disappointed I would've been had his flight been cancelled due to all that has gone on?

I'm sorry I haven't been updating this very much, I've been busy with other things. I've been writing, drawing, video editing, streaming, and making let's plays. I have to keep myself busy during these times! I only really think about this blog when I think about the visa...which is right now. I'm trying to write, but I'm listening to old songs I had before. They're love songs my husband and I listened to to stay sane while we were apart. While listening to them, I started thinking about the next (and final) visa. It's probably about two years away at this rate, but I'm already starting to worry lol. Mainly because my husband had no choice but to cancel his Carer's Allowance, so we're having to make sure our combined income will be enough. Income naturally goes up every year, and I'll be earning Living Wage after I turn 25 in November. Not to mention my husband has sort of gotten promoted, so I don't know how much he makes every month right now; it's been up in the air since this outbreak, not to mention the fact that there was management dysfunction at work prior to all of this.

I'm relieved that I don't have to pay NHS for the next visa, because I read that it's going up again (or has gone up again). It's like £1600 now or something stupid like that. But I do have to worry about the Life in the UK test next...so I'll have to think about getting into studying that at some point. I know I still have a lot of time before I have to worry about it, but...here I am. Worrying about it already. When I have only had my current visa for like seven months. I just can't shake this internal fear that the visa will be refused, and I'll have to go back there...my already fragile mental health will take a massive toll if that happens. I honestly couldn't handle it. I've grown so close and attached to my husband as is.

Since it's the final visa, it should have an even higher acceptance rate. BUT ONCE AGAIN, MY ANXIETY PREVENTS ME FROM THINKING POSITIVE! Augh!! I shouldn't be stressing during lockdown time. I'm not working, I'm not dealing with people, I have no deadlines, I'm still getting paid. I just...I hope this next visa goes by smooth sailing. After that, I'm D-O-N-E. NO MORE VISAS. I could apply for citizenship if I wanted to, it's like £2300-some-odd. It's completely voluntary. But it would eliminate the need to apply for a new BRP every ten years. And it'd give me a British passport + eligibility to vote.

I still have awhile to think about this stuff. Right now, I need to try and get my mind off of it so that I can write.

In the meantime, let me just plug in my art. Just a little over a month away, and Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition will be out!!

Another New Year in the UK

I know it's been awhile since I've posted, but nothing has gone on. I relished in the receipt of my Further Leave to Remain, and life continues on. Apart from discovering that even over here, I still have to pay US income tax...but...to be honest, it's too much of a hassle to bother with. I'm in a complex situation where I'd have to get an advisor, and doing that isn't worth the £500 some odd just to file a $0 tax return.

On brighter notes, though, tomorrow I'm going to London for the first time. I'm going to an orchestral concert for NieR: Automata. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Although I have to keep mentally reminding myself that with this upcoming visa, I need to find a Life in the UK test and start studying for it. Thing is, I'm not entirely sure when I should start doing that. Maybe about six months before I start applying for the next visa.

That being said, with the silly income tax thing...it's made me prefer the UK over the US even more. I feel like I was destined to have been born here. I definitely prefer some of the economical things though (NHS and mandated holiday leave). But ON the subject of the economy...Brexit finally happened. I'm not going one way or the other, because I don't know much about it. I'm only just concerned that this will screw me over or make things harder for me in regards to the visa.

I really hope not...please let that not be the case. After all, IT'S MY SODDING LAST STAGE BEFORE I CAN STAY HERE!!