Government reverses planned hike in income threshold for family visa

The government has reversed plans to increase the salary required to bring foreign family members to the UK

It had announced plans to increase the required salary from £18,600 to £38,700 next year as part of a package of measures to limit migration.

The change was confirmed by Home Office minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom in response to a parliamentary question, who said that the required threshold would rise to £29,000 in the spring, before going up in unspecified incremental stages.

The new thresholds will only apply to new visa applicants. People already working in the UK legally will only have to earn £18,600 to apply for a family visa.

Earlier this month, Home Secretary James Cleverly suggested people already working in the UK would also not be subject to salary requirement increases when renewing visas.

He said that an explainer would be forthcoming that set out in more detail the minimum salary requirements for a skilled worker, with currently plans to up the threshold from £26,200 to £38,700 next spring seemingly in doubt.