By (Christian Aboagye 12 June 2025)
£29,000 or Stay Apart? What You Need to Know About the 2025 UK Family Visa Rules
New income rules. Fewer exceptions. More families left in limbo.
If you’re living in the UK and hoping to bring a spouse, partner, or children to join you through a Family Visa, the new financial rules could change your plans — or delay your dream entirely.
A major review of the UK’s Minimum Income Requirement (MIR), published in June 2025, has redrawn the map for family reunification. The update follows Brexit, stricter migration policies, and growing political pressure to control immigration — with real consequences for families, especially within the diaspora communities across the UK.
Whether you live in Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, London, or Leeds, here’s what you need to know.
🧾 What’s the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) Now?
As of June 2025, the new income threshold for sponsoring a partner or spouse is:
✅ £29,000 per year
- This is a flat amount, whether you’re sponsoring one person or a partner with children.
- No extra income is required for additional dependents.
❌ This is a big jump from the previous requirement of £18,600, which had been in place since 2012.
📈 How Did We Get Here?
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), an independent body advising the UK government, led a review earlier this year to decide whether current family visa income rules are fair, legal, and workable.
The goal?
To balance:
- The UK’s economic needs,
- And people’s right to family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
But balancing policy and compassion is no easy task — especially in today’s political climate.
🔍 Key Changes You Need to Know in 2025
1. £29,000 Now Standard
- Applies to almost all new partner visa applications.
- No more additional income required for children.
2. Further Increases Cancelled
- The previous government had planned to raise the threshold to £34,500 or even £38,700.
- Thankfully, those proposals were scrapped after the 2025 general election.
3. Armed Forces Have a Lower Threshold
- For those serving in the HM Armed Forces, the income requirement is £23,496 — also a flat rate.
4. EU Nationals Now Included
- Since Brexit, EU family members must meet the same income rules as those from non-EU countries.
5. Where You Apply From Matters
- ✅ You can apply from abroad or switch from inside the UK if you’re already on a valid visa (e.g., Student, Skilled Worker).
- ❌ You cannot apply from within the UK if you’re here on a Visitor visa.
📉 What’s the Impact?
- Early 2024 saw a surge in applications, as people rushed to apply before the rise.
- But by 2025, numbers dropped — showing just how many families are now locked out of reunification due to income barriers.
Across the UK — especially in healthcare, social care, and hospitality sectors where salaries often sit below £29k — many are now in limbo. The impact is especially sharp in diaspora communities, where multiple family members depend on a single income.
💡 If You Don’t Earn £29,000 — Do You Still Have Options?
Yes — but only in limited circumstances:
✳️ Use the Adequate Maintenance (AM) Test
If you (or your partner) are receiving certain UK benefits, such as:
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carer’s Allowance
…then you might qualify under this alternate route.
But beware: this route is used in fewer than 10% of applications and requires detailed calculations around household income, rent, and essential expenses.
🛑 What the Review Warned About
The MAC raised serious concerns, including:
- A lack of transparency in how decisions are made.
- Not enough Home Office data to understand who’s being excluded and why.
- Strong opposition to aligning MIR with Skilled Worker salary levels, calling it unfair and likely to split thousands of families.
💬 Final Thoughts: What You Should Do Next
If you’re living in the UK — especially working in essential but lower-paid sectors — this matters deeply. Many community members, from Ghanaian nurses in London to Pakistani care workers in Bradford, may now fall short of this threshold. That’s why understanding your rights and preparing your application early is more important than ever.
We’ll continue to monitor updates in immigration policy, including possible changes after the next budget, and legal challenges to the MIR.
📢 Coming Soon
Want to stay ahead? Don’t miss our upcoming articles:
- “How to Prepare a Strong Family Visa Application in 2025: Step-by-Step Guidance”
- “Living Below £29k? Exploring the Adequate Maintenance Test Option”
- “Voices of the Diaspora: Real Stories of Families Facing UK Visa Challenges”
