British citizens and residents, including those from the Indian community, seeking to sponsor family members on a Family Visa must meet the new annual salary threshold of Great Britain Pound, GBP 29,000.
The minimum income required for British citizens and residents, including those of Indian heritage, wanting to sponsor their relatives on a Family Visa increased by over 55 per cent from Thursday, as the incremental increase in salary thresholds announced by the government last year are enforced. This significant change in the minimum income criteria aims to regulate family migration and reduce the burden on taxpayers.
Beginning (April 11), British citizens and residents, including those from the Indian community, seeking to sponsor family members on a Family Visa must meet the new annual salary threshold of Great Britain Pound, GBP 29,000, a substantial rise from the previous GBP 18,600. By early next year, this requirement is set to increase further to GBP 38,700, aligning with the Skilled Worker visa threshold.
The UK Home Office views this adjustment as a crucial step towards controlling legal migration and ensuring that newcomers do not strain the country’s resources. Home Secretary James Cleverly emphasized the necessity of reducing migration levels to meet public expectations and protect British workers’ livelihoods.
Cleverly highlighted the government’s commitment to curbing unsustainable migration numbers, safeguarding local wages, and creating a robust immigration system for the future. The objective is to instill public confidence in the immigration process and ensure that families arriving in the UK are self-sufficient.
Measures by UK government to reduce legal immigration:
- Ending the ability of nearly all students to bring dependants to the UK
- Restricting care workers from bringing family members
- Requiring care providers to register with the Care Quality Commission if they are sponsoring migrant care workers
- Commissioning the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a rapid review of the Graduate route for international students to prevent abuse, protect the integrity and quality of UK higher education and ensure it works in the best interests of the UK
- Increasing the minimum salary required for those arriving on the Skilled Worker visa, from £26,200 to £38,700
- Replacing the Shortage Occupation List with a new Immigration Salary List, with employers no longer able to pay migrants less than UK workers in shortage occupations
Opposition criticises the move
The move had been criticised by the Opposition when it was first tabled in the House of Commons in December 2023. It led the government to opt for a more staged approach to the salary threshold hike, rather than an immediate hike to GBP 38,700, as previously indicated.
“I think the principle here is right, that if people are bringing dependents into this country as part of their family, they must be able to support them. We’re increasing the salary threshold significantly, and we’re going exactly as we said we were doing it we’re just doing it in two stages,” Sunak said at the time.
Since the start of this year, visa regulations have been significantly reinforced to enhance border security and immigration control. These changes reflect the government’s commitment to managing immigration levels effectively and ensuring national security.