Currently, those affected by the conflict in Israel and Palestine who wish to join family members in the UK can do so via the existing range of routes available.<\/p>
Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. Immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes.<\/p>
<\/p>
There are also routes available for dependants of those who are in the UK on a work or student route.<\/p>
<\/p>
Individuals with protection status or settlement on a protection route may sponsor their partner or child (under 18), to join or stay with them in the UK, providing they formed part of the pre-flight family unit before the sponsor fled their country to seek protection.<\/p>
<\/p>
When the visa application has been received consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4253", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Seema Malhotra"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Feltham and Heston"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Seema Malhotra"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-07-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-07-29T16:05:37.633Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating an emergency family reunion visa scheme for people affected by the conflict in Israel and Palestine.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4396", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rebecca Long Bailey"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Salford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rebecca Long Bailey"} ], "uin" : "803"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722291", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722291/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4253", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Seema Malhotra"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Feltham and Heston"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Seema Malhotra"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-07-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-07-29T16:06:19.167Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on changes to the level of the baseline minimum salary for family visas for spouses and partners.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/5125", "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lagan Valley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sorcha Eastwood"} ], "uin" : "846"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722292", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722292/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament in the normal way.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4253", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Seema Malhotra"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Feltham and Heston"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Seema Malhotra"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-07-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "845"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-07-29T16:11:27.843Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on whether social care workers should be able to bring their dependents to the UK on their visa.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/5125", "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lagan Valley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sorcha Eastwood"} ], "uin" : "847"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1715018", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1715018/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Whilst this information is recorded on our systems, it is not in a reportable format.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4369", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tom Pursglove"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Corby"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Tom Pursglove"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-09T16:51:24.893Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 30 April 2024 to Question 23225 on Visas: Families, how many staff have been (a) recruited and (b) re-deployed to his Department's Family and Human Rights Unit.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4417", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Deidre Brock"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Edinburgh North and Leith"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Deidre Brock"} ], "uin" : "24252"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1713202", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1713202/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Yes, we have both recruited new staff and redeployed existing staff to this area of work.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4369", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tom Pursglove"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Corby"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Tom Pursglove"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-30T15:32:56.89Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to (a) review and (b) increase the number of staff recruited to his Department's Family and Human Rights Unit in the context of trends in the proportion of people relying on their rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in applications for family visas.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4417", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Deidre Brock"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Edinburgh North and Leith"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Deidre Brock"} ], "uin" : "23225"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1695400", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1695400/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government engages regularly with interested stakeholders including through a number of its advisory groups, when developing its policies. We did not invite representations from stakeholders specifically on the MIR prior to the announcement of 4 December 2023.<\/p>
The decision to raise the MIR was taken to ensure that migration policy is supportive of the wider ambition for the UK to be a high-wage, high-productivity, high-skill economy, and help to ensure that migrants make a net positive contribution to the public finances in addition to ensuring that families would not need to have recourse to welfare and had sufficient resources to participate in British life.<\/p>
Previous advice and evidence provided by the Migration Advisory Committee regarding net-fiscal contributions and access to benefits was considered when making this decision. We did not seek further advice from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) before making the decision to increase the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) element of the family Immigration Rules.<\/p>
A child who is applying for permission after 11 April 2024 to join their parent who, prior to 11 April met the lower threshold and was granted permission, will be subject to transitional arrangements and must meet the same threshold as their parent (£18,600 plus the child component, capped at £29,000). Where they meet the threshold alongside the other requirements of the 5-year route, they will be granted on the 5-year route to settlement.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4369", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tom Pursglove"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Corby"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Tom Pursglove"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "18096"} , {"_value" : "18098"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-20T11:21:59.167Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 41, whether his Department invited representations from stakeholders prior to announcing an increase to the Minimum Income Requirement for family visas.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1591", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tim Farron"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Westmorland and Lonsdale"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tim Farron"} ], "uin" : "18097"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1695401", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1695401/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government engages regularly with interested stakeholders including through a number of its advisory groups, when developing its policies. We did not invite representations from stakeholders specifically on the MIR prior to the announcement of 4 December 2023.<\/p>
The decision to raise the MIR was taken to ensure that migration policy is supportive of the wider ambition for the UK to be a high-wage, high-productivity, high-skill economy, and help to ensure that migrants make a net positive contribution to the public finances in addition to ensuring that families would not need to have recourse to welfare and had sufficient resources to participate in British life.<\/p>
Previous advice and evidence provided by the Migration Advisory Committee regarding net-fiscal contributions and access to benefits was considered when making this decision. We did not seek further advice from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) before making the decision to increase the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) element of the family Immigration Rules.<\/p>
A child who is applying for permission after 11 April 2024 to join their parent who, prior to 11 April met the lower threshold and was granted permission, will be subject to transitional arrangements and must meet the same threshold as their parent (£18,600 plus the child component, capped at £29,000). Where they meet the threshold alongside the other requirements of the 5-year route, they will be granted on the 5-year route to settlement.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4369", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tom Pursglove"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Corby"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Tom Pursglove"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "18096"} , {"_value" : "18097"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-20T11:21:59.09Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 41, whether the joining family member of a person who (a) would have met the former threshold for family visas in force until 10 of April 2024 and (b) does not qualify under the new threshold will be placed on the 10-year route to settlement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1591", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tim Farron"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Westmorland and Lonsdale"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tim Farron"} ], "uin" : "18098"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1691531", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1691531/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Net Migration is simply too high. This is why we have set out a package of measures to reduce net migration including bring the Minimum Income Requirement for family visas is in line with the new minimum general salary threshold for Skilled Workers, which is £38,700.<\/p>
We will raise the minimum income for family visas incrementally, in stages. We intend to lay the family Immigration Rules we intend to lay on 14 March which will set out that from 11 April, we will raise the threshold to £29,000, that is the 25th percentile of earnings for jobs which are eligible for Skilled Worker visas.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4369", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tom Pursglove"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Corby"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Tom Pursglove"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-26T15:44:13.78Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his timetable is for announcing further dates on which the minimum income threshold for family visas will increase.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4784", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Duncan Baker"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Norfolk"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Duncan Baker"} ], "uin" : "901626"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1689247", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1689247/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
From 11 April 2024, we will raise the minimum income threshold for family visas to £29,000, that is the 25th<\/sup> percentile of earnings for jobs which are eligible for Skilled Worker visas. We will incrementally increase the threshold, moving to the 40th<\/sup> percentile (currently £34,500), and finally to the 50th<\/sup> percentile (currently £38,700, and the level at which the General Skilled Worker threshold is set) by early 2025. The dates of these changes will be set out in due course.<\/p> <\/p> We have reviewed the Reunite Families Report published on 18 December 2023. We will add the findings to our evidence base when formulating future reviews into family immigration policies, including the Minimum Income Requirement.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4369", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tom Pursglove"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Corby"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Tom Pursglove"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "14161"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-26T17:17:25.53Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of Reunite Families UK's report entitled UK family migration rules: spouse / partner migration rules: an initial findings report examining the mental health impact of the rules on children and families, published on 18 December 2023.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4417", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Deidre Brock"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Edinburgh North and Leith"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Deidre Brock"}
], "uin" : "14173"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1686364", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1686364/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " On 4 December 2023 the Home Secretary announced his intention to raise the MIR to £38,700, aligned to the level at which the General Skilled Worker threshold is set. On 21 December 2023 we set out further details on how we would implement this through a staged implementation.<\/p> On 30 January 2024, we confirmed the Immigration Rules we intend to lay on 14 March will set out that from 11 April we will raise the threshold to £29,000 - that is the 25th percentile of earnings for jobs which are eligible for Skilled Worker visas.<\/p> We will incrementally increase the threshold to the 40th percentile (currently £34,500), and finally to the 50th percentile (currently £38,700, and the level at which the General Skilled Worker threshold (GSWT) is set) by early 2025.<\/p> It is important that the changes are delivered in a sensible and pragmatic way that gives families time to adapt, but ensures they deliver the reduction in numbers the British people expect.<\/p> Whilst the level of the minimum income requirement (MIR) is being raised, other aspects of the MIR will remain unchanged including exceptions.<\/p> For example, where the applicant\u2019s partner is in receipt of specified benefits or allowances in the UK, such as Disability Living Allowance, the applicant will be able to meet the financial requirement by providing evidence of \u201cadequate maintenance\u201d, rather than meeting an income threshold.<\/p> The family Immigration Rules also contain provisions to allow for a person to be granted a Family visa even where they do not meet the MIR, where they show that their case raises exceptional circumstances, and a refusal of family leave would lead to unjustifiably harsh consequences for them or their family.<\/p>