Increase to the Minimum Income Requirement - Joint Briefing

January 2024

In this joint briefing with Migrant Voice, British in Europe & Reunite Families UK, we examine the proposed changes to the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) and highlight the impacts that the rules have on the families and children who are currently separated.

“The school told me he is grieving because he’s lost his daddy. We’ve thought about bringing him to the UK for a visit but the cost of it would take away from the savings for the visa application process. Also, I’m worried what it would do to my boys if they were forced to say goodbye to their father again.” Racquel

Key recommendations:

Ultimately, the best way to avoid the severe harm to families would be to abolish the MIR entirely and recognise a statutory right for a British citizen or settled resident to bring their close family members to the UK. Short of that, we make the following recommendations:

  1. Commission a review of the family migration rules in detail, which takes account of and builds on the recommendations made by previous rules, such as that conducted by the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee in 2023, with a particular focus on:

    1. Integration;

    2. Examining how the impact of the rules is gendered and racialised;

    3. Their contribution to the worsening mental health of the people going through the process.

  2. Adopt family migration rules for British and settled sponsors of overseas spouses and partners that promote family and foster integration (by for instance taking into account the earning potential of both partners). Any new policy must be formulated and implemented giving due weight to the best interests of children.

  3. Fix the level of the visa application fees at the cost of processing for all family applications.

  4. Every route to settlement should be capped at 5 years.

  5. Remove all the so-called ‘reset the clock’ mechanisms of applicants on the 10-year route now. Meaning that when people are on the 10-year route to settlement and meet the requirement to be moved onto the 5-year route they shouldn't have to restart their route to settlement. Their years and fees already spent on a route should be included within the 5-year route to settlement.

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