Tories round on PM over spousal visa delay

RISHI SUNAK faced a Tory backlash last night over the Government’s backtracking on spousal visas as he admitted a crackdown would not be fully implemented until after the election.

The Prime Minister disclosed that plans to increase the minimum income needed to bring a foreign partner or spouse to the UK to £38,700 would not fully take effect until spring 2025.

It followed Thursday’s announcement that the introduction of the new threshold will be staggered, increasing from £18,600 to £29,000 in spring 2024 rather than the £38,700 as was announced earlier this month. Sources said the Government had been forced into the move by criticism from MPs on the Left of the party, and legal advice that the Home Office would lose a legal challenge under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the right to a family life.

Jonathan Gullis, a former minister, said the decision was “deeply disappointing” and “undermined” Government efforts to bring down net migration which hit a record of 745,000 last year, treble the level before Brexit.

“Voters will be disappointed that they’ve heard the rhetoric but they’re not seeing the follow through with the delivery. I’m becoming increasingly frustrated. All I want us to do is demonstrate that we’re taking back control over our borders as we promised,” he said.

The Tories pledged in their 2019 manifesto to reduce net migration below its then-level of 226,000 but face going into the next election with official fore

‘Voters have heard the rhetoric but they’re not seeing the follow through with the delivery’

casts by the Office for Budget Responsibility of it being more than 400,000.

James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, has projected that his five-point plan tightening curbs on student and care worker dependants, raising salary thresholds and toughening family visas will reduce net migration by 300,000.

Mr Sunak said yesterday that the principle of requiring families to be able to support dependants brought into the country was “absolutely right”.

“That’s why we have a salary threshold for that. Now we are increasing the salary threshold significantly and we are doing exactly as we said we were doing. We are just doing it in two stages. It will go up in a few months’ time, then it will go up again, the full amount, in 2025.”

MPs said delaying some of the changes risked undermining attempts to bring the level down before the election, expected next autumn or winter.

Miriam Cates, co-chairman of the New Conservatives group of MPs, said:

“The Government has to take decisive action, limiting the number of visas given out to foreign workers, students and dependants.

“We have very little time left before the next election to show voters we are committed to bringing down immigration. Phasing in changes to visa requirements will not achieve this.”

Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense Group of MPs, said the phasing of the rise in the family visa threshold to £38,700 “mustn’t take long”. “We need certainty for individuals and certainly for employers. It needs to be done with speed so that people know where they stand,” he said.

David Jones, of the European Research Group said delaying the introduction of the family visa threshold was “alarming” and “a great pity the announcement was not made while the House was sitting”. A source close to Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, said the whole package “needs

‘We have very little time left before the next election to show voters we are committed to bringing down immigration‘

to be implemented now, not longgrassed to the spring or watered down. More measures are needed, not less”.

The spouse visa delay follows criticism that it would split families and force foreigners to leave the UK. Reunite Families, which campaigns on behalf of families affected by immigration rules, has instructed lawyers to challenge the changes.

Experts from the Migration Advisory Committee said the change threatened to throw wedding plans into disarray because many UK residents intending to marry foreigners would no longer meet the minimum salary threshold.

The policy means British residents who want to live in the UK with a foreign partner or spouse will have to earn at least £29,000 or have a similar amount in savings.

The threshold, designed to ensure foreign partners are not a burden on the state, has not risen from £18,600 since it was introduced in 2012.

Phasing in higher earning threshold will undermine efforts to cut migration before election, MPs warn