uk-implements-55-surge-in-family-visa-income-requirement-to-curb-migration

The United Kingdom has implemented a significant increase in the minimum income requirement for sponsoring family members on a Family Visa, raising it to GBP 29,000 annually, marking a substantial 55% surge from the previous threshold.

 

 This measure, announced by the Rishi Sunak government last year, aims to align the family visa salary threshold with that of the Skilled Worker visa, and it officially took effect on April 11.

 

According to the UK Home Office, the sponsoring family member or the applicant, if residing in the UK with permission to work, must now demonstrate an income of at least GBP 29,000 earned within the UK. The requirement can be satisfied through various means, including savings exclusively or in addition to a lower income.

 

The Home Office clarified that this adjustment represents the final step in Prime Minister Sunak's strategy to reduce legal migration and ensure that newcomers do not impose a burden on the taxpayer.

 

Home Secretary James Cleverly emphasized the necessity of this move in shaping a future-ready immigration system, stating, "We have reached a tipping point with mass migration. There is no simple solution or easy decision which cuts numbers to levels acceptable to the British people."

 

Cleverly highlighted that the higher salary threshold was established to fortify the nation's immigration framework for the future.

 

"I promised action, and we have delivered at remarkable speed. We've acted to cut unsustainable numbers, to protect British workers and their wages, to ensure those bringing family to the UK do not burden taxpayers, and to build an immigration system fit for the future - and one the public can rightly have confidence in," Cleverly said.

 

This tightening of immigration policy follows official data revealing that legal net migration to Britain reached a record high of 745,000 in 2022.