'A slap in the face': New visa rules make it harder for Brits to bring overseas partners to the UK
By ITV News Producer Hannah Ward-Glenton
Ethan and Vivian have been together for three years, and work as teachers in Thailand. They had planned to eventually move back to the UK to settle down but the new visa rules announced by the UK government may now stop that from happening.
Ethan, 25, who is British, and Vivian, 28, who is a Chinese national, both graduated from UK universities with professional teaching qualifications before opting to work in China, where they met. The pair then moved to Thailand, where Ethan works at an international school and Vivian at a bilingual school.
"Our plan was always to, eventually, when the time's right, get married and settle back in the UK for now," Ethan told ITV News. But new visa rules laid out by the government may make that impossible.
"We both work full-time jobs. We're professional teachers, we're both good at what we do. I feel like we're actually everything the country should want ... They always complain about a lack of teachers and we're right here, willing to do the work," Ethan told ITV News.
"Worst case scenario we will just, you know, stay here or maybe go somewhere else. But the whole point is I want to be close to my family."
"It's just such a slap in the face," he added.
As of April 2024, British citizens and people from abroad who are already settled in the UK will need to prove they earn at least £38,700 a year before they can bring a partner from overseas, according to new visa rules introduced by the government.
The figure is more than £20,000 more than the current threshold, and the same amount will also apply to family visas.
Ethan and Vivian considered moving back to the UK before the laws change in April, but the turnaround would have been too fast and both are committed to their work contracts in Thailand.
Ethan's family were also disappointed by the new rules.
"When the day comes [my mum] wants to be close to her grandchildren and I might not potentially be there, so it's hard for them as well," Ethan said.
Home Secretary James Cleverly outlined the plan on Tuesday as the government attempts to bring migration down after record figures were reported for the month of October.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said estimated net migration stood at a provisional 672,000 in the year to June 2023, up from 607,000 in the previous 12 months. The total for the year to December 2022 has been revised to 745,000, meaning it broke all previous records.
'They did everything the right way'
Steph's family had a crisis meeting on Tuesday night to discuss what would happen to her brother, his wife, who is Chinese, and their two-year-old son, in light of the government announcement.
The pair met working as teachers in China. They then got married almost six years ago and moved to Derbyshire in January. With childcare costs, the pair doubt they could reach the new income threshold for Steph's sister-in-law to stay in the UK.
"It’s an incredibly difficult situation," Steph told ITV News. "My brother said the only option is moving back to China." Their son has British nationality, so could stay in the UK with his father, but they would then be separated from his mother.
"She’s integrated [in the UK], she teaches, she brings a lot to society," Steph said. Her sister-in-law also isn't eligible to claim benefits, she added. "It’s not like she can take something from society."
"They did everything the right way and now everything seems to be backfiring."
Steph's family members didn't want to be named in this report.
'Utterly devastated' families and couples
Human rights lawyer Shoaib M Khan's practice has been overwhelmed with questions about the policy, he told ITV News.
"We have been inundated with queries over the past 24 hours, with people panicking that they cannot have their spouse join them in the UK or that their spouse may be required to leave the UK now," Mr Khan said.
Non-profit organisation Reunite Families UK, which supports families affected by spouse visa rules, told ITV News couples and families have been "utterly devastated" by the new rules.
"The government repeatedly ignore the sufferings that the policy has already have caused at its current threshold and which continues to cause countless unnecessary damage to British citizens and their families across the country," Caroline Coombs, chief executive officer of Reunite Families UK, told ITV News.
"The emotions are strong within the community but this has galvanised people into action. Threatening your family life will do that to a person. We will use this energy to supercharge this fight for a better and more humane immigration system.”
ITV News has approached the Home Office for comment.
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