The U.K. government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer has put on hold plans to raise the minimum income requirement to sponsor a family member on a family visa. Home Department Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed that there will be “no further change” to the GBP 29,000-a-year salary threshold until a review of the family visa policy is complete.
“The minimum income requirement is currently set at GBP 29,000, and there will be no further changes until the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) review is complete,” Cooper said.
currently, Applicants must have an annual salary of GBP 29,000 (British Pound) (roughly Rs. 30,21,174 as per current exchange rate) to qualify, which represents an increase of 55% from the previous limit of GBP 18,600 (roughly Rs. 19,37,718).
The previous Tory government announced the increase last year, which came into effect on April 11 as part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to reduce legal migration. The income limit was initially planned to be raised to GBP 38,700 (approx. Rs 41,31,486) by 2025.
The halt on plans to increase the minimum income requirement to sponsor a family member on a family visa will help Indians who are planning to bring their families to the UK.
According to Home Ministry data, Indians will be the second-largest group under the family visa category in 2023, with 5,248 visas issued, after Pakistanis and ahead of Bangladeshis.
The government has also reported a significant 80% drop in the number of dependents accompanying students to the UK, with over 26,000 fewer student visa applications made from January to March compared to the same period in 2023.
Labor’s new approach to migration
Yvette Cooper has appointed a Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review financial requirements in the family immigration rules.
The previous government had announced a number of measures based on the recommendations of the Migration Advisory Committee to reduce the potential for abuse on the student and postgraduate visa routes.
“Family immigration rules, including a minimum income requirement, need to balance respect for family life while also ensuring that the UK’s economic well-being is maintained,” Cooper said in a written statement.
“To help ensure we reach the right balance and have a solid evidence base for any changes, I will appoint the MAC to review the financial requirements in the family immigration rules. The minimum income requirement is currently set at £29,000 and no further changes will be made to this until the MAC review is complete.”
Cooper said the Labour Party would take a “new approach” to legal migration, focusing on raising the skills of the UK workforce before recruiting abroad.
The Labour government has retained many of the visa restrictions of the previous Tory government, including those imposed on foreign students and care workers bringing family dependents with them, The Evening Standard reports.
The number of work visas (including dependents) issued in the 12 months to 31 March 2024 (605,264) was three times higher than in 2019, before the pandemic, and 24% higher than in the 12 months to 31 March 2023 (486,614).