In a major shift from Rishi Sunak’s immgration policy, the labour government in the UK has recently announced that the British nationals and permanent residents will no longer need to earn at least ₹41.5 lakh annually to bring family members to the country.
The UK’s plan to raise the family visa income threshold from £29,000 to £38,700 has been halted by the new government, according to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
This policy, originally scheduled to take effect in 2025, was introduced earlier this year by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as a measure to curb record immigration levels.
However, the current government has decided to pause the increase and will seek a review of the family visa policy by the Migration Advisory Committee. Until this review is conducted, the existing £29,000 threshold will remain in place.
Cooper, as reported by the Evening Standard, stated that no further changes will be implemented until the independent public body completes its review.
New government would take a new approach to legal migration: Cooper
Cooper further noted that the new government would take a new approach to legal migration, aiming to increase the skills of the local workforce before recruiting foreign workers.
The new Home Secretary further said that the increasing levels of legal migration over the past few years reflect a “failure” in addressing the labour shortages and other issues within the country’s labor market.
Indians among top visa sponsors
According to UK Home Office statistics, Indians made up the second-highest cohort under the Family Visa category in 2023, with 5,248 visas, following Pakistanis and ahead of Bangladeshis.
The new Labour government has carried forward many of the previous Tory government’s visa restrictions, including those on overseas students and care workers bringing family dependents. Cooper noted the importance of protecting the immigration system from abuse while valuing the economic and academic contributions of international students.