UK may ease family visa income rule after 'Tax on Love' criticism

The UK government is reviewing its family visa rules, including the current minimum income requirement of £29,000, after strong public and expert criticism. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has submitted its findings to the Home Office, recommending changes to ease the burden on British citizens and settled residents who wish to bring their foreign spouses to the UK, according to a report by BBC.

First introduced in 2012 and raised in 2024, the income threshold is meant to reduce net migration. However, it has been criticised for breaking up families and ignoring the economic contributions of foreign partners once in the UK.

Campaign group Reunite Families UK, based in Bristol, shared evidence with MAC highlighting the mental health toll on children who are separated from one parent due to the rules. "Children are the biggest victims of these rules," said Caroline Coombs, co-founder and executive director of the group. She urged the government to consider the lived experiences behind the numbers: "We ask her to look to that evidence – those very real-life experiences – when it comes to making her decisions which could ultimately make or break British citizens and settle residents' family life."


The MAC review received over 2,000 responses, the highest in its consultation history. It explored income ranges between £23,000 to £25,000 as more realistic for maintaining family life without imposing economic strain. It noted that a lower threshold could increase migration by up to 8,000 people but stressed that this must be weighed against the social cost of family separation.

As per the BBC report, Green Party MP Carla Denyer called the income threshold a "cruel tax on love" that "tears families apart and puts untold stress on those with the misfortune to simply fall in love with someone who is not from this country."

Professor Brian Bell, Chair of MAC, acknowledged the challenge of balancing economic costs with family rights. "There is a cost to the UK economy and UK taxpayers of having this route, and we should just be honest about that and say there is a trade-off," he said. "But... people who say 'we should set it at very high numbers to make sure that we don't lose any money' ignore the massive impact that has on families."

The Home Office stated it is reviewing the committee’s recommendations and will respond in due course.