Families plan legal action over Rishi Sunak’s ‘cruel’ income threshold visa rules

Rishi Sunak’s government unveiled plans to raise the threshold for people living here to sponsor a family member to move to the UK – the person living in the UK must now earn £38,700, up from £18,600 currently

Multinational families under threat from increased salary thresholds for migrants are planning to sue the government over the “cruel and inhumane” policy.

Rishi Sunak’s government unveiled plans to raise the threshold for people living here to sponsor a family member to move to the UK – the person living in the UK must now earn £38,700, up from £18,600 currently.

But the plans, announced in response to record high net migration figures, risk splitting up families living in the UK.

Couples have been left distressed in light of the plan, which has been described as a tax on love.

Reunite Families, which supports people affected by immigration rules, is planning a legal challenge in a bid to block the challenge (POOL/AFP via Getty)

And now Reunite Families, which supports people affected by immigration rules, is planning a legal challenge in a bid to block the challenge.

“We have instructed the law firm, Leigh Day, to advise us on potential legal avenues,” Reunite Families told The Guardian. “Given the absolute lack of information currently provided on the policy, we want further detail from the home secretary on the policy as a first step.”

Founder Caroline Coombs said she has never seen multinational families “so galvanised and upset”.

“To declare it just before Christmas and leave people with no details is just utterly cruel,” she added.

Ms Coombs said: “They need answers now – not next week or next year. For children all over the country, this is an exciting time to spend with mummy and daddy and it’s just heartbreaking to know that so many caught up in this will not get the chance to be with one of them now or possibly ever. Even Scrooge and the Grinch saw the light – let’s hope the government will do the same.”

Home secretary James Cleverly this month announced a five-point plan to cut legal migration and set a new target of 300,000 fewer migrants a year – compared with 2022’s figure of 745,000.

The plan will ban overseas students from bringing their families to the UK unless they are on postgraduate research degrees.

Foreign care workers will also be stopped from bringing dependents into Britain following the proposed reform to the health and social care visa.

Controversially, those wishing to bring their spouse to the UK will now have to earn £38,700, a significant increase on the current figure of £18,600.

Foreign spouses already in the UK could be told to leave when their family visa is next up for renewal as the new minimum income for eligible households is also increased to £38,700. Mr Cleverly has indicated the measures will be “forward-looking rather than backward”, suggesting those already in the UK could be safe from the change.

The Home Office said the number of people migrating to the UK is “far too high”, and the government wanted a system that “works for the British people”.

A spokesperson added: “We have a longstanding principle that anyone bringing dependants to live in the UK must be able to financially support them.

“The minimum income requirement ensures that families are self-sufficient instead of relying on public funds, with the ability to integrate if they are to play a full part in British life.”