UK spouse visa rules: new Financial requirements ‘causing anguish’ for families
A group of MPs and peers has warned that the financial regulations for non-EU migrants looking to join their partners in the UK are “causing anguish” and actively tearing families apart.
Since July 2012, thousands of British citizens and settled migrants could not secure a spouse visa for their loved ones. The cross-party parliamentary group highlighted devastating cases where these rigid income thresholds directly separated children from their parents.
The impact of stringent UK spouse visa income thresholds
Under current immigration rules, British citizens and settled residents must meet specific income criteria. They need this income to sponsor a non-EU partner for a spouse visa. The financial burdens break down as follows:
- Minimum income requirement: £18,600 per year for a couple without children.
- Families with one child: rising to a minimum of £22,400.
- Additional children: an extra £2,400 requirement for each subsequent child.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Migration has officially called for an independent review of these minimum income requirements. The group recently investigated more than 175 affected families, finding that 45 of those reviewed were completely unable to meet the financial targets—frequently resulting in children being separated from their non-EU parent.
Home Office defends financial rules for migrants
The UK Home Office defended the policy against criticism, maintaining that they established the rules to prevent migrants from becoming a burden on British taxpayers.
A Home Office spokesperson defended the policy, stating:
“High-value migrants would not be refused because their British spouse or partner was not employed. They can meet the income threshold by having cash savings of £62,500 or through their own private income, for example from investments.”
Despite these alternative pathways, immigration advocates argue that the high cash savings threshold remains entirely out of reach for the vast majority of working families seeking a spouse visa.
