Latest news with #minimumincome
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Family visa income threshold should not rise to skilled worker level
The Government has been warned against raising the minimum income threshold for family visas to the same level for skilled workers as it is most likely to conflict with human rights law, an advisory body has said. Skilled workers are only eligible to come to the UK if they earn a salary of £38,700 or more, compared to £29,000 required mainly for British citizens or settled residents to bring their partner to the country under family visas. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) set out its recommendations after a review requested by the Home Secretary to look at how to set a minimum income requirement (MIR) for family visas that balances economic wellbeing and family life. The previous government planned to introduce the higher threshold for family visa applicants to be equivalent to the skilled worker level. But the committee's report said: 'Given the family route that we are reviewing has a completely different objective and purpose to the work route, we do not understand the rationale for the threshold being set using this method. 'We do not recommend the approach based on the skilled worker salary threshold as it is unrelated to the family route and is the most likely to conflict with international law and obligations (e.g. Article 8).' Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights is the right to private and family life that can be applied to migration cases in the UK. The UK's current £29,000 threshold is high compared to other high-income countries reviewed by the MAC. The analysis found a high proportion of applicants for partner visas are women and 90% are under the age of 44. Pakistan is the largest nationality to use the route applying from outside the country. The committee's analysis gave some options that a threshold of £24,000 to £28,000 could give more priority to economic wellbeing, such as reducing the burden to taxpayers, than on family life. It also suggested a criteria of £23,000 to £25,000 to ensure families can support themselves but not necessarily require them to earn a salary above minimum wage. Chairman of MAC, Professor Brian Bell, said: 'While the decision on where to set the threshold is ultimately a political one, we have provided evidence on the impacts of financial requirements on families and economic wellbeing, and highlight the key considerations the government should take into account in reaching its decision.' While the committee said it is not possible to predict how different threshold changes would impact net migration, it said lowering the amount to £24,000, for example, could mean an increase of around one to three percent of projected future net migration. The report added: 'Determining the MIR threshold involves striking a balance between economic wellbeing and family life. 'Whilst a lower threshold would favour family life and entail a higher net fiscal cost to the taxpayer, a higher threshold (below a certain level) would favour economic wellbeing. 'But a higher number of families would experience negative impacts relating to financial pressures, prolonged separation, relationships, adults' mental health and children's mental health and education.' The committee advised against raising the threshold for families with children as despite them facing higher living costs, the impacts on family life appear 'particularly significant' for children. It also recommended keeping the income amount required the same across all regions of the UK. The MAC also said their review was 'greatly hindered' by insufficient data and urged for better data collection by the Home Office on characteristics of each applicant to be linked to outcomes to inform further policy decisions. Reacting to the recommendations, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the report shows that raising the salary threshold will drive migration numbers down and urged for the threshold to be increased to £38,000. 'Migration figures remain far too high. It's time to end ECHR obstruction, raise the salary thresholds, and take back control of who comes into this country,' he said. 'As Kemi and I said on Friday, if the ECHR stops us from setting our own visa rules, from deporting foreign criminals or from putting Britain's interests first, then we should leave the ECHR.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The Home Secretary commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a review. 'We are now considering its findings and will respond in due course. More broadly, the government has already committed to legislate to clarify the application of Article 8 of the ECHR for applicants, caseworkers and the courts.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
UK family visa rules should be relaxed, government review suggests
British workers should be able to bring their family members to the UK more easily, a government review into family visas has suggested. Under policies brought in by Rishi Sunak's Conservative government, British citizens or settled residents who want to bring their partners to the UK are required to show they have a salary of at least £29,000 a year. The Conservatives had planned to further raise the threshold to £38,700, but Labour ordered a review of the requirements, which have been described as a 'tax on love' by critics. In a boost to separated families, the review has now said that an appropriate minimum income requirement (MIR) would be between £23,000 and £25,000 a year. In a report published on Tuesday, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said they consider a range of between £21,000 and £28,000 to be reasonable. They added that their modelling of different options 'cluster around the region of £23,000 to £25,000'. This would allow most British workers in full-time minimum-wage jobs to qualify to bring their spouses to the UK. This is however still higher than the previous £18,600 threshold that was in place before the 2024 changes. The review authors estimated that if the salary threshold was dropped from £29,000 to £24,000 this would increase net migration by up to 8,000 people, roughly 1-3 per cent of projected future net migration. Rachel Roberts Dos Santos and her two boys, Emanoel and Jaime, have been living apart from her Brazilian husband and stepdaughter because of the income rules. She said the report recommendations sounded promising, but added: 'In an ideal world, there would be no price tag on love'. Ms Roberts Dos Santos said goodbye to her husband Manoel in 2019 for what she thought was six months while she tried to earn enough to meet the salary threshold. When Covid hit she lost her job and was unable to meet the income requirements needed to reunite her family. 'My two boys are registered child models, and one of them earned some money in 2023 and we were able to buy three plane tickets to go and see daddy for the first time in four years. Then last year Manoel was able to come to the UK for six months on a tourist visa, but when he went back it left a massive hole again.' She is now training to be a project manager with the aim of getting a job above the £29,000 threshold. The MAC has also recommended that the Home Office consider ways to factor in any job offers that a partner wishing to come to the UK has. Caroline Coombs, co-founder of Reunite Families UK, said: 'We appreciate MAC's reference to the fact that should the government decide to maintain an MIR, this should be lowered and reflect minimum wages however we firmly believe that there shouldn't be an MIR given its impact. Any threshold even at minimum wage would still separate many groups of people who just want to be a family here in the UK.' Chair of MAC, Professor Brian Bell, said the committee's report outlines 'several approaches the government could take, along with the strengths and weaknesses of each.' Green MP Carla Denyer, who has met with separated families, said: 'Minimum income requirements for family visas are a cruel tax on love that tears families apart and puts untold stress on those with the misfortune to simply fall in love with someone who is not from this country. 'The current system is cruel and impractical and should be scrapped.' But the Conservatives called for Labour to urgently revive the party's plan to hike the salary threshold to £38,000. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'Migration figures remain far too high. It's time to end ECHR obstruction, raise the salary thresholds, and take back control of who comes into this country. This includes a binding annual cap on immigration set by Parliament, but Labour recently voted against doing this. Only the Conservatives have a credible plan.'
