On 14 March 2024, a Statement of Changes was published to bring into effect the Home Office’s changes to the minimum income threshold for partner applications made under Appendix FM. The new threshold will be applicable from 11 April 2024.
As mentioned in Andrew Jones’ article, the Home Office are increasing the threshold in stages: the minimum gross annual income requirement will initially rise from £18,600 to £29,000. This could affect a large number of applicants if their British based partners do not earn this amount. The current median average income for the UK is £34,963. However, when this figure is separated into age and gender – women of ages 22-29 earn a median of £27,937, therefore failing to meet the new income requirement. In the age group of people aged between 18-21 both genders on average fail to meet the minimum requirement. In short, younger couples and particularly female sponsoring partners, are going to find it more difficult in the future to fulfil the requirements to be able to bring their family to the UK.
The cash savings requirement will also be affected. If no income is being relied on there will be a steep increase from the current £62,500 to £88,500 that is required to sponsor a partner. Interestingly though, the additional amounts which need to be shown for children coming to the UK at the moment have fallen away. Dependent children coming to the UK no longer lead to a higher income threshold.
It is important to note that those who make or have made their first application as a partner before 11 April 2024 will not need to meet the new financial threshold, nor will they need to meet it in future when applying for extensions on the basis of being the partner of a British national or somebody living here.
If somebody is struggling to meet the high fees and immigration health surcharge, there may be the option of a fee waiver. For an application made in the UK the fees for this type of application would be at least £3,635.50. These are often complex applications and require detailed evidence of income and outgoings. We are more than happy to advise on fee waivers and whether you may be eligible.
The threshold increase means that a significant number of people who would previously have qualified to bring their family to the UK may no longer be eligible in the future. It is in line with other measures taken by the government to reduce net migration.
If you are considering making an application based on your relationship with somebody living in the UK, please contact us if you require advice. You can use our online enquiry form or call us on 020 7401 6887.
