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BBC News
30-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'I'm British but I can't live in my own country with my partner'
The UK government is facing calls to scrap an immigration policy which puts "untold stress" on British citizens who choose to marry or cohabit with someone from and settled residents wanting to sponsor their partner's visa application must earn a minimum income of £29,000 or have savings of £88, in Bristol and Stroud are urging the government to scrap the requirement which was brought in by the Conservatives to curb migration."What the government does next will make or break many families who just want to be together," said Caroline Coombs of the campaign group Reunite Families UK.A Home Office spokesperson said the minimum income policy "needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK's economic stability" and it is considering findings from a Migration Advisory Committee review. For Rebecca Gray, 32, from Stroud in Gloucestershire, scrapping the policy would mean she could move back to the UK with her Turkish husband."I don't think people have any idea of how much harm the visa rules cause," she with a UK business but unable to meet the minimum income requirement, she has been living in Turkey for the past four with her husband, Baran, 31, they have been saving to apply for a visa through the savings said: "We're holding off having children because we've been so focused on saving money to get him a visa."Ms Gray said the couple has stronger family ties to the UK as her husband has lost both of his parents."We want to be close to family. Between us, we only have one parent left, that's my mum. "I'm forced to live thousands of miles away from my family if I want to be with my husband."Some countries, like the UK, set a minimum income requirement for a spouse while other countries, like France and the Netherlands, align it to their national minimum wage, the UK sets it at a higher Migration Observatory estimates that roughly half of the UK working population earn under £29,000. 'My kids think I'm the man in the phone' For a large number of applicants, the minimum income policy is not the only financial fees and NHS surcharges can cost more than £7,000 for a five-year route to settlement, excluding any legal fees."It's unfair that only the wealthy can bring their partner here," said Leighton Allen, from Worcester. Mr Allen, 30, works in retail and said he cannot meet the salary threshold to bring his Tanzanian fiancée and his two young children to the said he tries to see them as much as possible, which can be three weeks in a year."All I want is to be a father to my children but I feel that choice is taken away from me. I'm financially supporting them but they don't see me."He added: "They think I'm in the man in the phone."The minimum income requirement was first introduced in 2012 to ensure the British partner or settled resident earned enough to financially support their foreign partner in the UK without resorting to public funds. Last year, the salary threshold increased for the first time, from £18,600 to £29,000. 'I can't come home to care for my parents' Following Brexit and the end of free movement between the UK and EU countries, some British citizens who had been living abroad - like Sarah Douglas - are also finding it hard to return to the UK with their 42-year-old lives in Italy with her husband Matteo and their three wants to move back home to Scotland with her family to be close to her elderly parents, and help care for to follow the minimum income route, Ms Douglas would need to return without her Italian husband and accrue six months of UK payslips to apply for a spouse visa for him. "I could work as a teacher in the UK and my husband is a software engineer who would find work easily. "We're financially stable, we don't rely on any support, but we're able to do that because we're together," she avoid separation, they have been struggling to save £88,500 in order to apply via the savings route."Saving this much money is putting financial strain on us and it's taking years, but we feel it's our only option."She added: "If we were forced to separate, it would have a huge impact on us as a family. I've seen what that does to children and I don't want to put my children through that."A report by children's charity Coram found children in separated families showed signs of stress, anxiety and inability to focus in school. It also said that children living in families affected by the current minimum income requirement were likely to experience exacerbated challenges and poor mental report was commissioned by Reunite Families UK, a not-for-profit representing families affected by the UK family visa co-founder and executive director, Caroline Coombs, said: "We have nearly 6,000 couples and families who are suffering on a daily basis."People feel completely unheard by their own government and they can't understand why they can't be here with their loved ones," she added. Earlier this month, the Home Office said it would examine findings from a Migration Advisory Committee review and issue a response in due experts suggested lowering the current threshold and gave a number of possible said, for example, lowering it to £24,000 would help ease family reunification and increase net migration by roughly 1-3%.A Home Office spokesperson said: "We understand the Minimum Income Requirement for family visas needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK's economic stability, which is why 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." Migration is 'too high' Conservative MP for Kent, Katie Lam, who is opposition assistant whip, defended an increase in the minimum income requirement."Migration has been far too high for the last two decades and remains so," she said."The public has consistently asked successive governments to lower migration. "The last (Conservative) government promised to do exactly this, but like the governments before it, it did not deliver it."At a parliamentary debate about the family visa income requirement in January, she said: "The question is not should British citizens be able to bring their foreign spouses to the UK. "The question is, does it benefit the country as a whole for British citizens on lower salaries to bring foreign spouses here who are unable to get a visa any other way?"But co-leader of the Green Party and Bristol Central MP, Carla Denyer, who has called the minimum income requirement a 'tax on love', - and wants it scrapped."The Home Office is failing not just people who are moving to the UK but British people who already live here and just want to enjoy family life in peace," she said. "The minimum income requirement puts untold stress on couples and families and it should be scrapped entirely."Family doctor and Labour MP for Stroud, Simon Opher, sponsored an exhibition in the Houses of Parliament last week which showcased the human impact of the family visa rules. "We're splitting up people who love each other, splitting families who are the bedrock of our society, and I think it's the wrong policy," he said.
The Independent
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Reports reveal ‘significant harm' caused by UK's family visa rules
British citizens are facing significant challenges due to the UK's family visa rules, particularly the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR). David Todd, a British father-to-be, says he feels "completely helpless" and like a "second-class citizen" because his American wife's income cannot be counted towards the threshold. New reports from charities Reunite Families UK and Coram detail the "significant emotional and psychological harm" inflicted by the policy, including long-term separation of children from parents and discrimination against certain groups. The Migration Advisory Committee recently reviewed the MIR, warning against raising it to the higher skilled worker threshold of £38,700. Advocates are urging the government to reform the system by abolishing or reducing the MIR, simplifying application processes, and allowing spouses' incomes to contribute to the requirement to prevent family separation.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UK family visa rules spark outcry as families face forced separation
British citizens are calling on the government to change family visa rules that risk separating them from their partners and children. The demand for reform follows new findings from charities Reunite Families UK and Coram, which show that current visa income requirements are forcing some British families to live apart, as per a report by The Independent. The UK's Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) was raised from £18,600 to £29,000 in 2024 and remains one of the highest among developed countries, according to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). The committee has advised against raising the threshold further to £38,700, the level currently required for skilled workers, warning that it would have a serious impact on family reunification. David Todd, a 33-year-old British citizen living in Germany, shared how visa restrictions could force him to return to the UK without his American wife, Claire, and their soon-to-be-born child. The couple cannot meet the financial threshold required under current family visa rules, which expect the British partner to earn at least £29,000 per year or show savings above £88,500. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo Todd said to PA News agency, 'It's like we're second-class citizens because we married someone who fell in love with someone who wasn't British.' He urged the government to either scrap or reduce the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR), which is now under review. Todd and his wife, both classical musicians, had hoped to return to the UK to raise their child near family. However, because his wife's income, though sufficient and earned remotely, does not count toward the visa requirement, they remain stuck. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The report by Reunite Families UK and Coram concluded that the current rules are financially and emotionally damaging. Families often face long-term separation, and children may suffer psychological harm. The report also noted that the MIR disproportionately affects British women, working-class individuals, and ethnic minorities who are more likely to earn below the threshold. Live Events MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ UK may ease family visa income rule after 'Tax on Love' criticism Lowering UK family visa income bar may raise net migration; says advisory panel « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT According to the Independent news report, Caroline Coombs, Executive Director of Reunite Families UK, said: 'Simple and practical changes from the Home Office could make significant differences to families, starting with scrapping the MIR and simplifying the rules and application process.' She added, 'These rules have become the tax on love. People are suffering and want to be heard.' The Home Office has not yet responded to the findings or public calls for reform.
Rhyl Journal
23-06-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
British father-to-be feels like ‘second class citizen' over family visa rules
David Todd, 33, is calling on the Government to reform the policy, including to scrap or lower the minimum income requirement (MIR) for British citizens to bring their partners to the country, as ministers mull over updating the visa route. His plea comes as charities Reunite Families UK and Coram published reports on Monday documenting the 'significant emotional and psychological harm' to families from the policy, particularly for children who grow up under long separation from one of their parents. Mr Todd had hoped to move back to the UK from Germany with his American wife, Claire Todd, 32, before the birth of their first baby which is due in October. But the couple are facing being split up for Mr Todd to return to the UK alone to build up enough income proof as the British citizen in the relationship, or raise savings of more than £88,500 dictated by the visa rules to allow them to return as a family. Mr Todd told the PA news agency: 'There's been lots of times where I've stayed awake at night worrying about it and how it's all going to work out, because you feel completely helpless. 'It's like we're second class citizens because we married someone who fell in love with someone who wasn't British.' Earlier this month the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) set out its recommendations after a review requested by the Home Secretary to look at how to set an MIR for family visas that balances economic wellbeing and family life. It warned against raising the threshold for family visas to the same level for skilled workers, as planned by the previous government. 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 family visas. The UK's current £29,000 threshold, which was set in 2024, is high compared to other high-income countries reviewed by the MAC. It was previously set at £18,600 since 2012. Mr Todd, from Solihull, West Midlands, added increasing the level to £38,700 would be 'devastating'. 'Even with this MAC report now, we don't know what the Government's going to do, how they're going to react,' the classical music conductor said. 'It's this feeling that you're kind of helpless, you're stuck in limbo, and you're desperately trying to contort yourself into this position where you can make it work just because you want to live with your wife or husband.' The couple, living in Wurzburg, Germany, first left the UK after Ms Todd's student visa ended and moved to the European nation so they could be together seven years ago. After building 'good careers' as classical musicians on the continent, the couple began trying to make a return to the UK up to a year ago, wanting to be near family as they start their own. For Mr Todd, he said the Government should at least make the ways to prove income easier, and to include the spouse's salary to contribute to the income threshold. He said it is 'ridiculous' his wife's income cannot be used to meet the salary requirement despite her remote job as a content creator paying enough to mean they 'could move to the UK tomorrow'. Mr Todd said he wants to 'avoid at all costs' the prospect of being separated from his wife and child, adding: 'It just feels wrong, am I going to have to turn to my child when she's older and say to her: 'Well, sorry, the reason I wasn't with you for the first year of your life was because I was trying to get work for the family to move.'' British father Ed Moon, currently living in Taipei with his Taiwanese wife Amber Moon and four-year-old daughter Maya, is also applying to the family visa route to move back to the UK as Maya reaches school age. He told PA the most difficult thing is the 'extremely extensive' documentation you need to provide with any errors meaning the visa is denied and the process must be started again, with visa fees costing around £2,000. 'We're having to dip into every ounce of our savings to do this,' the 36-year-old from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, said. 'You feel just unwanted by your country essentially. It's been especially tough, really like from a personal perspective.' The journalist also said it is a waste of money for the taxpayer for him to grow up and be educated in the UK, to then not let him and his family live there, adding: 'I want to be able to contribute to the UK.' The research by Reunite Families and Coram found that British citizens face exile, increased financial pressure and separation from their partners often for long periods of time from the family visa policy. For children separated from one of their parents, the charities warned they can face life-changing trauma and distress. The report also highlighted how the rules particularly discriminate against those including British mothers, who are more likely to experience hardship, working class and low income partners and black and ethnic minority workers, who are more likely to earn less than their white counterparts. Reunite Families UK executive director Caroline Coombs said 'simple and practical changes' from the Home Office could make significant differences to families, starting with scrapping the MIR and simplifying the rules and application process to stop the need for expensive legal advice. 'These rules have become the tax on love. People are suffering and want to be heard.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We understand the minimum income requirement for family visas needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK's economic stability, which is why 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.'
South Wales Guardian
23-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
British father-to-be feels like ‘second class citizen' over family visa rules
David Todd, 33, is calling on the Government to reform the policy, including to scrap or lower the minimum income requirement (MIR) for British citizens to bring their partners to the country, as ministers mull over updating the visa route. His plea comes as charities Reunite Families UK and Coram published reports on Monday documenting the 'significant emotional and psychological harm' to families from the policy, particularly for children who grow up under long separation from one of their parents. Mr Todd had hoped to move back to the UK from Germany with his American wife, Claire Todd, 32, before the birth of their first baby which is due in October. But the couple are facing being split up for Mr Todd to return to the UK alone to build up enough income proof as the British citizen in the relationship, or raise savings of more than £88,500 dictated by the visa rules to allow them to return as a family. Mr Todd told the PA news agency: 'There's been lots of times where I've stayed awake at night worrying about it and how it's all going to work out, because you feel completely helpless. 'It's like we're second class citizens because we married someone who fell in love with someone who wasn't British.' Earlier this month the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) set out its recommendations after a review requested by the Home Secretary to look at how to set an MIR for family visas that balances economic wellbeing and family life. It warned against raising the threshold for family visas to the same level for skilled workers, as planned by the previous government. 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 family visas. The UK's current £29,000 threshold, which was set in 2024, is high compared to other high-income countries reviewed by the MAC. It was previously set at £18,600 since 2012. Mr Todd, from Solihull, West Midlands, added increasing the level to £38,700 would be 'devastating'. 'Even with this MAC report now, we don't know what the Government's going to do, how they're going to react,' the classical music conductor said. 'It's this feeling that you're kind of helpless, you're stuck in limbo, and you're desperately trying to contort yourself into this position where you can make it work just because you want to live with your wife or husband.' The couple, living in Wurzburg, Germany, first left the UK after Ms Todd's student visa ended and moved to the European nation so they could be together seven years ago. After building 'good careers' as classical musicians on the continent, the couple began trying to make a return to the UK up to a year ago, wanting to be near family as they start their own. For Mr Todd, he said the Government should at least make the ways to prove income easier, and to include the spouse's salary to contribute to the income threshold. He said it is 'ridiculous' his wife's income cannot be used to meet the salary requirement despite her remote job as a content creator paying enough to mean they 'could move to the UK tomorrow'. Mr Todd said he wants to 'avoid at all costs' the prospect of being separated from his wife and child, adding: 'It just feels wrong, am I going to have to turn to my child when she's older and say to her: 'Well, sorry, the reason I wasn't with you for the first year of your life was because I was trying to get work for the family to move.'' British father Ed Moon, currently living in Taipei with his Taiwanese wife Amber Moon and four-year-old daughter Maya, is also applying to the family visa route to move back to the UK as Maya reaches school age. He told PA the most difficult thing is the 'extremely extensive' documentation you need to provide with any errors meaning the visa is denied and the process must be started again, with visa fees costing around £2,000. 'We're having to dip into every ounce of our savings to do this,' the 36-year-old from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, said. 'You feel just unwanted by your country essentially. It's been especially tough, really like from a personal perspective.' The journalist also said it is a waste of money for the taxpayer for him to grow up and be educated in the UK, to then not let him and his family live there, adding: 'I want to be able to contribute to the UK.' The research by Reunite Families and Coram found that British citizens face exile, increased financial pressure and separation from their partners often for long periods of time from the family visa policy. For children separated from one of their parents, the charities warned they can face life-changing trauma and distress. The report also highlighted how the rules particularly discriminate against those including British mothers, who are more likely to experience hardship, working class and low income partners and black and ethnic minority workers, who are more likely to earn less than their white counterparts. Reunite Families UK executive director Caroline Coombs said 'simple and practical changes' from the Home Office could make significant differences to families, starting with scrapping the MIR and simplifying the rules and application process to stop the need for expensive legal advice. 'These rules have become the tax on love. People are suffering and want to be heard.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We understand the minimum income requirement for family visas needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK's economic stability, which is why 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.'
