Entry Clearances: Married People

(asked on 26th October 2016) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what alternatives her Department has considered for the income threshold of £18,600 for immigration of non-EEA partners of British citizens.


Answered by
Robert Goodwill Portrait
Robert Goodwill
This question was answered on 3rd November 2016

The minimum income threshold of £18,600 for sponsoring a non-EEA partner to come to the UK prevents burdens on the taxpayer and promotes integration. It was set following advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee. This recommended that it be set in a range between £18,600 (the level at which a couple settled in the UK generally cannot access income-related benefits) and £25,700 (the level at which the sponsor becomes a net contributor to the public finances). The requirement has been upheld by the courts as lawful and compliant with our legal duty to safeguard and promote child welfare.

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