British families are experiencing enforced separation due to the UK's minimum income requirement for family visas, currently set at £29,000. A review by the migration advisory committee is imminent, with campaigners highlighting the human cost and discriminatory impact on women, people of colour, and working-class families.
In limbo: families kept apart by UK visa income rules
Immigration and asylumMigrationPoliticsSocietyParents and parentingUKWorld
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️British families are experiencing enforced separation due to the UK's minimum income requirement for family visas, currently set at £29,000. A review by the migration advisory committee is imminent, with campaigners highlighting the human cost and discriminatory impact on women, people of colour, and working-class families.
Trending- 1 2017: Camille Auclair and Moisés Álvarez Jiménez met in Mexico.
- 2 2019: Camille and Moisés married; Camille became severely unwell.
- 3 2020: Camille diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency.
- 4 April last year (2024): Minimum income requirement raised to £29,000.
- 5 June 10, 2025: Article published; Migration Advisory Committee review expected imminently.
- 6 Future: Potential policy change to reunite families.
- Enforced family separation
- Emotional distress
- Financial burden
- Inability to start families
- Impact on children's development
- Forced exile
- Mental health issues
- Perceived discrimination
- Potential for policy change
- Increased pressure on Labour
What: The UK's minimum income requirement for family visas is causing enforced separation of British families and is under review.
When: Published June 10, 2025; review expected imminently; policy raised to £29,000 in April last year (2024); previously £18,600 for a decade; Camille and Moisés met in 2017, married 2019; Camille became unwell in 2019, diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency in 2020; Lisa Young was 5 months pregnant when she found out about threshold, 8 months pregnant when it increased to £29,000; David Lewis's wife Lucy joined him after 28 months; Jessica and Sanas spent 11 months apart; Roksana Aung has lived alone since 2017.
Where: UK (specifically England, Scotland, Wales implied by families living there), Mexico, Japan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia. Specific cities: Newport, Cardiff.
Why: The policy aims to crack down on migration, but critics argue it discriminates based on race, class, and gender, causing severe hardship and family separation.
How: The minimum income requirement dictates the earnings needed for a British citizen to bring a non-British partner to the UK. The Migration Advisory Committee is reviewing the policy. Families are documenting their stories and rights groups are campaigning.