The UK government’s plan to increase the family visa threshold from £29,000 to £38,700 [about N80 million] has been shelved, according to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
As part of his efforts to reduce record immigration numbers, former prime minister Rishi Sunak presented this policy earlier this year. It was initially scheduled to go into effect in 2025.
The proposed increase will not be implemented until the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has completed a thorough assessment of the family visa program, as decided by the incoming administration.
Until the review is finished, the current £29,000 level will still be in effect.
Cooper affirmed that until the independent study is finished, no more changes will be made to the policy.
The government has assigned MAC the responsibility of assessing the effects of raising pay criteria and preventing migrant workers from bringing family members into the UK.
Under Cooper’s leadership, the next administration intends to review its strategy for allowing legal immigration.
Prior to hiring foreign workers, the goal is to improve the local workforce’s skill set. Cooper said that the recent increase in the number of legal immigrants was a sign that the labour market deficiencies were not being adequately addressed.
The number of long-term non-EU migrants increased dramatically from 277,000 in December 2022 to 423,000 in December 2023.
What they’re saying
“This is why we are setting out a different approach, one that links migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies so immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems here at home,” he said.
In Essence
The initial proposal to increase the income threshold was aimed at reducing immigration numbers by making it harder for migrant workers to bring their families to the UK. However, this could also have negative economic implications, particularly in sectors where there is a shortage of skilled labor. By keeping the threshold at £29,000 for now, the government acknowledges the importance of these workers and their families to the UK economy.
For many migrants, the ability to bring family members is a significant factor in their decision to move to the UK. Maintaining the current threshold may help attract and retain talent by providing more certainty and stability for migrant families.
