The committee warned that the minimum income required for family visas should not be raised to the same level needed for skilled foreign workers planning to come into the UK, as such, it suggested scrapping a Tory plan to raise the minimum income threshold for family visas to £38,700.
Skilled foreign workers are currently only eligible to come to Britain if they secure a job earning £38,700 or more a year, compared to the £29,000 required for British citizens or settled residents looking to bring their partner to the country.
Committee Recommendations
The minimum income requirement for requesting family visas currently stands at £29,000 with this amount said to be high compared to most other high-income countries.
The committee’s chair, Prof Brian Bell, speaking on its recommendations said: “While the decision on where to set the threshold is ultimately a political one, we have provided evidence on the impacts of financial requirements on families and economic wellbeing, and highlight the key considerations the government should take into account in reaching its decision.”
The committee advised against raising the threshold for families with children as, despite them facing higher living costs, the impacts on family life appear “particularly significant” for children and also recommended keeping the income amount required the same across all regions of the UK.
These recommendations could mean an increase of about 1-3% of projected future net migration.
