Labour pauses family visa salary hike

The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed that the government will freeze the minimum income requirement for Family visas at the current level of £29,000 until the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) have reviewed the financial requirements in the family immigration rules.

In a written parliamentary statement, the Home Secretary said: “The family immigration rules, including the minimum income requirement, need to balance a respect for family life with ensuring that the economic wellbeing of the UK is maintained. To help ensure that we reach the right balance and have a solid evidence base for any change, I will commission the MAC to review the financial requirements in the family immigration rules. The minimum income requirement is currently set at £29,000, and there will be no further changes until the MAC review is complete.”

The previous Conservative government raised the minimum income requirement for Family visas from £18,600 to £29,000 in April this year, in a bid to bring down high levels of net migration.

Under the original plans the threshold was set to further increase incrementally, to eventually reach £38,700 by 2025 – matching the new salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa.

Current minimum income requirements for Family visas

If you are applying for a UK Family visa as a partner or spouse, you will usually need to satisfy the financial requirement, unless an exemption applies.

Currently, you and your partner will need to prove that your combined income is at least £29,000 a year, unless:

• Your partner is in receipt of certain disability or carer’s benefits, or
• You first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and you are extending that visa – this includes if you first applied as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner.

You may be able to use your savings instead of income to show you meet the requirement.

Extension applications

If you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and you are applying to extend that visa to stay with the same partner, you and your partner will need to prove that your combined income is at least £18,600 a year. You may need to prove you have extra money for any dependant children.

If you cannot meet the financial requirements

If you cannot meet these financial requirements you may still be able to apply for a Family visa or extend your stay if either:

• you have a child in the UK who is a British or Irish citizen or has lived in the UK for 7 years and it would be unreasonable for them to leave the UK.
• it would breach your human rights to stop you coming to the UK or make you leave.

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