MPs Debate Spouse Visa Minimum Income Threshold

MPs Debate Petition on Spouse Visa Minimum Income Threshold

Members of Parliament in the UK have convened to debate the Spouse visa income threshold.

The debate took place on 20 January 2025 and lasted for over an hour and a half.

This event took place as a result of a petition urging the government not to increase the income requirement for Family visas to £38,700. The petition accrued over 100,000 signatures by the time of its closing in May 2024; according to parliamentary guidelines, any petition on the official site that gets over 100,00 signatures is eligible to be considered for debate in parliament.

The objective of petition debates is for MPs to discuss the issues raised by the petition in question and to invoke a response from the government. Debates do not result in a vote.

Complete video footage of the debate can be watched on YouTube. Alternatively, the full Hansard transcript is also available.

If you don’t want to watch or read the debate in full, we will provide a brief overview with some selected highlights from the debate below.

What Was Discussed During the Debate?

Various issues regarding the Family visa minimum income threshold were discussed during the debate, mostly around the potential ramifications of raising it to £38,700 and the ongoing knock-on effects it may have on individuals and families.

Several moments in the debate also cite or reference information contained in the research report published last month, which collated several criticisms, viewpoints and analyses around the topic.

For instance, Labour MP Irene Campbell, who opened the debate, refers to various criticisms of £38,700 income threshold as being unrealistic and unfair for many individuals. These include the fact that approximately 50% of the UK working population would be unable to qualify for a Family visa based on the current £29,000 threshold, with the figure raising to 70% of the population if it were raised to £38,700.

Additionally, MPs raised the issue of the threshold being inherently discriminatory towards certain groups, such as women, young people, disabled individuals and working-class families.

In particular, emphasis was given throughout the debate on the disproportionately negative effects the threshold has (and would have, in the case of an increase) to those who live in areas of the country where average wages are lower than average, further highlighting regional inequalities.

Additionally, Labour MP Imran Hussain raised the issue of bureaucracy, delay and complications in handling visa applications at the Home Office, which exacerbates issues for potential applicants looking to obtain visas. This was later referenced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, Seema Malhotra, who discussed the difficulties of inheriting a Home Office “with utterly chaotic systems” from the Conservative party.

A number of MPs also presented personal anecdotes from constituents who had been negatively affected by the income threshold increase, some of whom were present at the debate and watched from the gallery.

The majority of MPs and parliamentarians who spoke during the debate were in favour of curtailing any further increases to the income threshold. One notable exception was Conservative MP Katie Lam, who argued, among other things, that the threshold increase was necessary in order to deliver the overall goal of reducing migration to the UK, and that “it should be a fundamental principle of our system that people who come to this country do not cost more than they contribute”.

This received some pushback from other MPs in the debate, including from SNP MP Seamus Logan, who accused Lam of “slur[ring]” migrant workers as being a drain on the economy, despite them representing a “contribution to [the economy’s] growth”.

In her responses, Lam further argued the fact that the number of Family visas granted in the last few years was still too high, and that the British public “want mass migration to end, and they are sick of broken promises”, here referring to the government’s efforts to reduce net migration.

The debate ended with Labour MP Irene Campbell closing proceedings, briefly summarising the points discussed and stating that “this is an issue important to constituents and…the minimum income requirement has a profound effect on families all over the UK”.

What’s Next for the Minimum Income Threshold?

In the wake of the debate, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will continue with their review of the minimum income threshold requirement. This review is due to be released in June 2025.

Contained within the report will likely be recommendations to either raise the income threshold to £38,700 as originally planned, or to keep it at the current level of £29,000. It is fairly likely that the government will choose action the MAC’s recommendations.

Until then, individuals who are considering applying for a Spouse or Family visa are advised to do so before June, in the event of the minimum income being raised and further excluding more individuals from being able to apply.

How Can IAS Help?

If you’re looking to come to the UK on a Spouse visa and are concerned about the minimum income requirement or are unsure of how best to navigate future changes, IAS can help.

We are a team of expert and compassionate immigration lawyers who can work with you to explore all of your options to enable you to reunite with your partner in the UK. We can help advise and assist you to navigate the UK immigration rules to help reunite you and your partner in the UK, or help with any other immigration issue you may have.

We can also provide expert advice if you or your partner do not meet the Spouse visa financial requirements, providing a complete assessment of your situation and offering tailored advice to help your case.

To arrange an advice session with one of our advisers, reach out to us on +44 (0)333 414 9244 or contact us via our online form.