UK won't raise income requirement for family visas, relief for Indians

The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has halted plans to raise the minimum income requirement for sponsoring a family member on a family visa. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, Yvette Cooper, confirmed that there will be "no further changes" to the GBP 29,000-a-year wage threshold until a review of the family visa policy is completed.

"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," said Cooper.

Currently, applicants must have an annual salary of GBP 29,000 (British Pounds) (around Rs 30,21,174 as per the current exchange rate) to qualify, which marks a 55% increase from the previous threshold of GBP 18,600 (around Rs 19,37,718).

The previous Tory government had announced the increase last year, which came into force on April 11, as part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to reduce legal migration. The income threshold was initially planned to rise further to GBP 38,700 (approximately Rs 41,31,486) by 2025.

The pause on plans to raise the minimum income requirement for sponsoring a family member on a family visa will help Indians who plan to bring their family to the UK.

According to Home Office statistics, Indians were the second-highest group under the Family Visa category in 2023, with 5,248 visas issued, following Pakistanis and ahead of Bangladeshis.

The government 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.

LABOUR'S NEW APPROACH TO MIGRATION

Yvette Cooper has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the financial requirements in the Family Immigration Rules.

the previous Government announced a series of measures, building on the recommendations of the Migration Advisory Committee, to reduce the potential for abuse on the student and graduate visa routes.

"The Family Immigration Rules, including the Minimum Income Requirement, need to balance a respect for family life whilst also ensuring the economic wellbeing of the UK is maintained," Cooper said in a written statement.

"To help ensure 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."

Cooper noted that Labour would adopt a "new approach" to legal migration, focusing on boosting the skills of the UK workforce before recruiting abroad.

The Labour government has also maintained many of the previous Tory government’s visa restrictions, including those on overseas students and care workers bringing family dependents, reported The Evening Standard.

The number of work visas issued (including to dependants) in the 12 months to 31 March 2024 (605,264) was over three times the number for 2019, prior to the pandemic, and 24% higher than in the 12 months to 31 March 2023 (486,614).