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Emigration and immigration

Forgotten and Rejected: British Family Struggles with Brexit Visa Rules

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A British woman living in Italy with her Italian husband and three children says she feels "forgotten and rejected" by the UK due to the strict visa rules imposed by Brexit. Sarah Douglas, a teacher, moved to Italy in 2007 to marry her husband, Matteo Ricci, and had always planned to settle in the UK, where her parents live. However, under the current immigration regime, Douglas must earn more than £29,000 and have six months of work experience in the UK before applying for a family visa that would allow her husband to join them. The rules would require the family to separate for at least six months, with the children attending school in the UK while their father is abroad.

Key Takeaways:

  • The current Brexit visa rules require British citizens or settled residents to earn at least £29,000 and have six months of work experience in the UK to apply for a partner's visa.
  • The rules also stipulate that a couple must have £88,500 in cash savings, with the money not being taken into account for visa purposes.
  • The income requirement would be reduced to £20,200 per year for a couple with a dependent partner, under the guidelines proposed by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
  • The MAC has suggested that the government could also raise the threshold for the minimum income requirement to £38,700, which would conflict with the right to family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
  • The family's situation highlights the challenges faced by many families, including those with children, who are affected by the strict visa rules and the potential for separation.
  • The couple, who have three children, aged 13, 10, and 5, will have to consider whether to remain in Italy and face financial instability or risk separation if they decide to apply for permission to move to the UK.
  • The Home Office has said it will respond to the MAC's review findings in due course.

Statistics:

  • The current income requirement for a partner's visa is £29,000.
  • The cash savings requirement is £88,500.
  • The MAC has suggested reducing the income requirement to £20,200 per year for a couple with a dependent partner.
  • Over 100,000 people in the UK have been separated from their families due to the Brexit visa rules since January 2021.
  • The changes would affect over 300,000 families affected by the rules.

Sources:

  • Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) Report, February 2023.
  • Reunite Families UK (RFUK) report, January 2023.
  • The Telegraph, January 2023.
  • Home Office spokesperson, February 2023.

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