A new report has found that the minimum income requirement imposed on non-EU migrants means that some families are being forced to live in different countries.
The requirement – which was implemented in July 2012 – limits the number of non-EU migrants who are allowed to enter the UK. Only those British citizens who have been earning a salary of £18,600 a year or more for the last six months are able to sponsor their non-European spouse’s visa.
In instances where a child is involved, the British citizen must be earning at least £22,400 in order to sponsor their spouse, and this salary requirement rises a further £2,400 for each additional child.
According to The Migration Observatory, 61 per cent of women and 32 per cent of men in UK employment would not be eligible to sponsor a family member, under these salary thresholds.
A High Court ruling in July of last year decided that the current salary threshold was too high, with Mr Justice Blake describing the policy as “onerous… and unjustified”, the BBC reported.
He confirmed that, while the High Court would not “strike down” the legislation, he urged the Home Secretary to make the necessary adjustments to the policy. However, Home Office representatives are due to appear this week at the Court of Appeal to argue that the minimum income requirement should remain as it is.