UK Family Visa Salary Requirements are to rise gradually in stages next year. This will take effect in April 2024 to help control net migration.
The UK plans to gradually increase the minimum annual salary requirement for permanent residents, allowing them to bring their spouse or partner on a UK Family Visa. This change will happen in stages, starting in early 2024.
Currently, the minimum salary requirement is £18,600, but it will go up to £29,000 in the first stage, and then increase further in two subsequent stages. James Cleverly, the former UK home secretary, mentioned that the next increase will be to £38,700, aligning with the minimum salary needed for the Skilled Worker visa.
This change won’t happen all at once; it will take place gradually over time. Lord Andrew Sharpe, the Home Office minister, explained that the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) will increase incrementally to provide a sense of predictability.
In the spring of 2024, the salary requirement will first go up to £29,000, which is the 25th percentile of earnings for jobs qualifying for Skilled Worker visas. Then it will rise to the 40th percentile (currently at £34,500) and finally reach the 50th percentile (currently £38,700, the same as the general skilled worker threshold) in the last stage of implementation.
The goal of these changes is to prevent establishing family life at the expense of taxpayers and ensure that family migrants integrate into British society and contribute meaningfully. It’s anticipated that this adjustment will help control net migration, with the changes set to take effect in the spring of 2024.
Most of these modifications will come into effect in April 2024, but for student dependents, the implementation is scheduled for January.