The UK government is under pressure to abolish an immigration rule that inflicts "significant distress" on British residents who wish to marry or live together with their foreign partners.
Citizens and settled residents wanting to sponsor their partner's visa application must earn a minimum income of £29,000 or have savings of £88,500.
Members of Parliament from Bristol and Stroud are appealing to the government to abolish the regulation introduced by the Conservatives aimed at reducing immigration.
"What the government does next will make or break many families who just want to be together," said Caroline Coombs of the campaign group Reunite Families UK.
A representative from the Home Office stated that the minimum income requirement aims to uphold family unity while ensuring the United Kingdom’s economic stability. They mentioned that they are reviewing recommendations provided by a report from the Migration Advisory Committee.
For Rebecca Gray, aged 32 and from Stroud in Gloucestershire, eliminating this policy would allow her to return to the UK with her Turkish spouse.
She stated, 'I believe people are completely unaware of the extent of damage caused by the visa regulations.'
She runs her own UK-based business but doesn’t meet the required minimum earnings threshold. For the last four years, she has resided in Turkey.
Alongside her spouse, Baran, who is 31 years old, they have been setting aside money to apply for a visa via the savings option.
She stated: "We're postponing having children until we've concentrated on saving enough funds for his visa."
Ms Gray stated that the couple has closer familial connections to the UK since her husband has lost both of his parents.
We aim to stay near our family. Among us, we just have one parent remaining, which is my mother.
I have to reside thousands of miles away from my family to stay with my spouse.
Several nations, such as the United Kingdom, have established a base income threshold for spousal visas.
However, whereas nations such as France and the Netherlands tie theirs to the national minimum wage, the UK establishes it at a more elevated rate.
The Migration Observatory suggests that approximately half of the UK workforce earns less than £29,000.
'My children believe I am the guy from the telephone.'
Many candidates face more than just the barrier of a minimum income requirement when it comes to finances.
The visa charges along with NHS surcharges may total over £7,000 for a five-year path towards permanent residency, not including any legal expenses.
"I find it unjust that only the rich can bring their partners here," stated Leighton Allen, who is from Worcester.
Mr. Allen, who is 30 years old and works in retail, mentioned that he can't reach the required income level to sponsor bringing his Tanzanian fiancée and his two young children to live in the UK.
He mentioned that he makes an effort to visit them as frequently as possible, which amounts to about three weeks per year.
What I desire most is to take part as a father in my children’s lives, yet it feels like that option has been stripped away from me. Despite providing financial support, they do not recognize my role.
He stated: "They believe I am the person in the phone."
Initially implemented in 2012, the minimum income threshold was established to guarantee that the British citizen or permanent resident has sufficient earnings to provide financial support for their non-UK spouse living in Britain without relying on state assistance.
The salary floor was last raised from £18,600 to £29,000 this past year.
I am unable to return home to take care of my parents.
After Brexit and the cessation of unrestricted movement between the UK and EU nations, several British nationals residing overseas – such as Sarah Douglas – are now struggling to come back to the UK alongside their families.
The individual, who is 42 years old, resides in Italy along with her spouse Matteo and their three kids.
She plans to return to her hometown in Scotland with her family so she can be near her senior parents and assist in taking care of them.
To take the minimum income path, though, Ms. Douglas would have to come back alone, leaving out her Italian husband, and gather six months' worth of UK pay statements before she can submit an application for his spouse visa.
I have the ability to work as a teacher in the UK, and my spouse is a software engineer who should have no trouble finding employment.
She stated, 'We have financial stability, we aren’t dependent on any assistance, however, our ability to do so stems from us being united.'
In an effort to stay together, they've been striving to accumulate £88,500 to qualify through the savings pathway.
Saving this substantial amount is causing significant financial stress for us and it's dragging on for years, yet we believe it’s our sole choice.
She stated, "Should we be compelled to part ways, it would significantly affect our family unit. Having witnessed the consequences for kids in such situations, I am determined not to subject my children to that experience."
A report from child welfare organization Coram children from separated families exhibited symptoms of stress, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating in school.
The statement indicated that kids residing within families impacted by the present minimum income criteria were expected to face heightened difficulties and suffer from poorer mental well-being.
The report was initiated by Reunite Families UK, a non-profit organization that supports families impacted by the United Kingdom's family visa policy.
The co-founder and executive director, Caroline Coombs, stated: "We have close to 6,000 couples and families experiencing hardship every day."
"Individuals sense that their government isn’t hearing them at all, and they're baffled as to why they cannot join their close family members," she further explained.
At the beginning of this month, the Home Office mentioned it would look into the results from a Migration Advisory Committee’s assessment and respond at an appropriate time.
Experts in migration proposed reducing the present limit and offered several potential alternatives.
For instance, reducing it to £24,000 was suggested as a way to facilitate family reunification and boost net migration by approximately 1-3%.
A representative from the Home Office stated: "We recognize that the Minimum Income Requirement for family visas must strike a balance between respecting familial bonds and upholding the UK’s economic stability. This is precisely why the Home Secretary asked the independent Migration Advisory Committee to conduct a thorough examination."
We are currently reviewing its conclusions and will reply at an appropriate time.
Migration is 'too high'
Katie Lam, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Kent and an assistant whip in the opposition, spoke out in support of raising the minimum income threshold.
She stated that migration has remained excessively high over the past twenty years.
Time and again, the public has requested consecutive administrations to decrease immigration.
The previous (Conservative) administration pledged to accomplish precisely this, yet just like those before it, failed to follow through.
During a parliamentary discussion regarding the income threshold for family visas in January, she stated: "The issue at hand is not whether British citizens ought to have the ability to sponsor their non-British partners to enter the UK."
Is it advantageous for the nation overall when British citizens with lower incomes sponsor foreign partners to come here, people who can’t obtain a visa through other means?
However, Carla Denyer, who serves as both the co-leader of the Green Party and the Member of Parliament for Bristol Central, has criticized the minimum income requirement, describing it as 'tax on love' , —and desires for it to be discarded.
She stated that the Home Office is not only letting down individuals relocating to the UK but also British citizens who already reside here and simply wish to enjoy peaceful family life.
Eliminating the minimum income requirement would alleviate significant stress for couples and families, and thus, it should be abolished completely.
Last week, Simon Opher, who serves as both a family physician and a Labour Member of Parliament for Stroud, facilitated an exhibit at the Houses of Parliament. This display highlighted the personal effects of the regulations governing family visas.
He stated, 'We’re breaking apart individuals who cherish one another, dividing families that form the foundation of our society, and I believe this is an incorrect approach.'
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