UK Suspends Proposed Increase in Family Visa Income Requirement

The United Kingdom’s plan to increase the family visa threshold to £38,700 in 2025 has been halted by the new government.

This decision was confirmed by UK Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, in a written statement to the House of Commons.

The plan was to raise the threshold from £18,600 to £ 29,000, with future increases planned up to £38,700, matching the Skilled Worker Visa route's minimum income requirement.

The current annual income threshold of £29,000 will remain unchanged until an independent review is completed.

The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been tasked with reviewing the impact of the current income requirement on families. The MAC will also assess the reliance of key sectors, such as IT and engineering, on international recruitment, including significant contributions from India.

“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,”

UK Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper

According to Cooper, the new government would take a new approach to legal migration, aiming to increase the skills of the local workforce before recruiting foreign workers.

The new Home Secretary further said that the increasing levels of legal migration over the past few years reflect a “failure” in addressing the labour shortages and other issues within the country’s labour market.

Decline in UK Visa Application

In the first quarter of 2024, the UK saw a 25 percent decline in visa applications across major categories.

This decrease is closely attributed to the stricter immigration regulations implemented by the previous government. These measures were introduced in an effort to reduce record-high immigration numbers. Key changes included raising the minimum income requirement for visas, tightening student visa rules, and imposing stricter policies on foreign healthcare workers.

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