HOME OFFICE ROWS BACK ON SALARY THRESHOLD FOR FAMILY VISA – New threshold will initially be set at £29,000, with further increases thereafter
The Home Office has rowed back on plans to hike the salary needed to bring family members to the UK to £38,700 next spring.
The increase – from the current level of £18,600 – was announced earlier this month as part of a plan to lower legal migration.
But the new threshold will initially be set at £29,000, with further increases at unspecified dates thereafter.
Labour said the change showed “Tory government chaos”.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said ministers had failed to consult properly on the new threshold, adding: “it’s no surprise they are now rowing back in a rush”.
Ministers had been facing pressure over the issue in recent weeks, amid warnings the new visa rules would keep families apart.
The government unveiled a package of measures to lower legal migration earlier this month, after figures showed it hit record levels last year.
Official estimates show net migration – the difference between the number of people coming to and leaving the UK – rose to 745,000 in 2022.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said that, from next spring, most foreign workers would need to earn at least £38,700 to qualify for a UK skilled worker visa.
He added this same threshold would apply to the visa route that British or Irish citizens, or those settled in the UK, can use to bring their family members to the UK.
However, Home Office minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom confirmed the change of plan in answer to a parliamentary question.
He said the threshold would now rise to £29,000 in the spring, before then rising “in incremental stages” to give “predictability”.
The plan, he added, was for it to rise eventually to £34,500 and then £38,700 – but no dates were given.
