UK Family Visa: Review of the £29,000 Minimum Income Financial Requirement
In 2024, the UK government asked the Migration Advisory Committee to review the minimum income requirement for Family Visa applicants to qualify for a Spouse Visa, Unmarried Partner Visa, or Civil Partner Visa.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC ) reported in June 2025, and in this blog, our UK Immigration Lawyers summarise their recommendations.
If you are interested in applying for a Spouse Visa or Family Visa, contact our UK Immigration Solicitors for expert help.
Contact OTS Solicitors for an online, phone or in-person consultation at our London offices.
The Migration Advisory Committee report on the Family Visa minimum income requirement
The full MAC report can be read here.
The key takeaway from the 96-page report is that the MAC does not recommend increasing the minimum income requirement for the Family Visa from the current level of £29,000 to £38,700.
The MAC recommendations in full can be found in Chapter 6 and accessed here.
The background to the Migration Advisory Committee review
The MAC was asked to review the level of the Family Visa financial requirement after the Labour government came into power in mid-2024. The previous Conservative government had increased the financial requirement from £18,600 to £29,000 and planned to increase it further to match the minimum income threshold for the Skilled Worker Visa, namely £38,700.
The Labour government paused the increase to £38,700 while the MAC reviewed the minimum financial requirement for a Family Visa.
The status of the MAC report
The Migration Advisory Committee does not make government policy. It is an advisory board commissioned to report on UK migration and visas. The government can accept its recommendations in full, tweak them or take its own path.
The MAC review of the financial requirement and recommendations
The Migration Advisory Committee looked at several options for a Family Visa financial requirement, ranging from a benefits cap threshold (just over £15,000) to an average earnings threshold.
The committee acknowledged a conflict between the goal of family reunification for desperate families and the requirement of setting a minimum income for Family Visa applicants. Whatever level the financial requirement is set at, some visa applicants will be disappointed that their right to a family life has not been respected due to the imposition of an arbitrary financial eligibility criterion. However, the counterargument is that the Family Visa financial requirement should be set at a level that prevents family migration from having a negative impact on the UK economy.
It is now a matter for the government to review the Migration Advisory Committee’s suggested ways in which the Family Visa financial requirement can be set, looking at four potential options:
- Benefits.
- Standard of living.
- Fiscal.
- Average earnings.
Ultimately, it is a matter for the government to decide if the financial requirement should be changed from £29,000. It seems unlikely that it will be increased now to £38,700, but the politics of reducing the minimum income requirement may make it easier for the financial requirement to remain at £29,000 rather than be reduced to any of the options set out in the MAC report.
One matter the MAC raised was the significant increase in the financial requirement from £18,600 to £29,000 under the previous government. MAC recommends that the minimum income requirement be regularly reviewed so Family Visa applicants are not caught unaware by a sudden and significant rise.
How OTS Solicitors can help you with your Family Visa application
The Family Visa eligibility criteria are complex, and to succeed with a Family Visa application, you need to understand the immigration rules and Home Office Guidance.
Our UK Immigration Lawyers are experts in Family Visa applications. We have substantial experience in helping Spouse Visa and Family Visa applicants where:
- A previous application made without the assistance of an immigration solicitor has been refused.
- There are complex financial circumstances. For example, your sponsoring partner is self-employed or has income from several sources.
- There are likely to be questions asked about the genuineness of the relationship. For example, where a marriage was arranged, or a husband and wife have spent several years apart for work or other reasons, or an applicant has limited evidence about the length of an enduring unmarried relationship.
- The applicant has had a previous visa application refused.
- A Family Visa applicant is relying on savings to meet the Family Visa financial requirement and does not have sufficient evidence about the source of funds.
These are just a few reasons why Family Visa applications are complex. Our specialist Immigration Solicitors can guide you through the Family Visa application process to help your family reunite in the UK.
Our firm is recommended in two leading law directories (Legal 500 and Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession) for our immigration expertise. We are also the proud winners of SME News Best Immigration & Family Law Firm 2025 – Southern England.
At OTS Solicitors, we believe the best advert for the quality of our immigration work is our client reviews. We work extremely hard for all our clients, knowing that you are putting your trust in us to help reunite your family.
Contact OTS Solicitors for an online, phone or in-person consultation at our London offices.
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