Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on family reunification of the minimum income requirement for family visas.

The Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) aims to ensure family migrants and their family members are financially independent.

Where a person does not meet the MIR, they may still be granted permission to come to or stay in the UK under the Family Immigration Rules if refusal would result in unjustifiable harsh consequences for the applicant or their family member and thereby breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Family Immigration Rules must maintain the balance between respecting the right to family life and protecting the economic wellbeing of the UK. In September 2024 the Home Secretary commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to review the financial requirements in the Family Immigration Rules. This will ensure a clear understanding of the impact of the MIR and an evidence base for any future changes.

This Government has published the Impact Assessment and Equalities Impact Assessment undertaken by the previous Government when raising the MIR on 11 April 2024: 2024 spring Immigration Rules: impact assessment (accessible) - GOV.UK and Minimum income requirement: equality impact assessment (accessible) - GOV.UK