2024 was a chaotic year for British politics. For the year’s first half, the Conservative Government wrestled to maintain control. Then, for the second half of the year, a new Labour Government worked to establish its policy agenda. 

Immigration law has been one area touched by this tumultuous landscape, including requirements for the Spouse visa. Learn in this article how the Spouse visa has changed and what we can expect in 2025. 

The Main Change to the Spouse Visa

Financial requirements have been the first area that has changed the most with the Spouse visa  over the last year. Since 2012, Spouse visa sponsors have needed to meet minimum income requirements for their partner’s visa to be accepted. This aimed to ensure everyone migrating to the UK could be supported without relying on the state. The requirement was initially set at £18,600.

This requirement gained immediate criticism from immigration advocacy groups. They saw the policy as a means to keep families apart. The flat nature of the income requirement also discriminates against those living in low-income areas. 

Despite the criticism, the Conservative Government increased the requirement for the first time in 2024. In April, they raised the requirement to £29,000.

Showing You Meet the Income Requirements

There are a number of ways that you can show you meet the income requirements for the Spouse visa. These have not changed under the new Labour Party government and are as follows:

• Employment Income: Both from the sponsor’s employment within the UK and the applicant’s lawful employment outside the UK. This can also be income from self-employed or freelance work.
• Savings: £88,500 of savings or more can be offset against the current income requirements. 
• State and private pensions.
• Rental Income. This does not include lodgers in your main residence.
• Investment dividends. However, these must be consistent payments. 

Despite the ongoing changes to the Spouse visa requirements, they don’t need to be met if the UK-based partner receives certain benefits. The most common include the following:

• Police Injury Pension.
• Child Disability Payment.
• Adult Disability Payment.
• Attendance Allowance.
• Carer’s Allowance.
• Personal Independence Payment.
• Disability Living Allowance.
• Severe Disablement Allowance.
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme.

Make sure to keep a close eye on the Labour Party’s immigration policy to see if any change is brought to these ways of showing financial requirements or reasons that the financial requirements may not apply in your case.

The Conservative Party’s Further Planned Changes

Before the 2024 General Election, the Conservative Party had revealed plans to continue increasing the minimum income requirement for the Spouse visa. They had set objectives of £34,500 by late 2024 and £38,700 in 2025. 

These sizeable increases, above the UK average salary of just under £35,000, were widely criticised when announced. Many felt that these measures would cruelly keep families apart. With a new Labour Government in place, these changes could be dropped.

However, a realised change that is unlikely to be removed is a ban on arriving social care workers bringing their immediate family with them to the UK, taking effect on 11 March 2024. The Labour Government has made no indication of any desire to remove this ban. 

What Can I Expect in 2025?

The Labour Government has not confirmed any changes to the Spouse visa’s financial requirements during their time in office. However, they have previously indicated a belief that immigration is too high and continues to support most of the changes made by the Conservative Government.

However, Labour has also paused further increases to the financial requirements for the Spouse visa planned by the Conservative Party. They are undertaking a Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) review of the requirement and will not change the requirement until the review is complete. 

Yvette Cooper, Labour’s Home Secretary, has said: “The Family Immigration Rules, including the Minimum Income Requirement, need to balance a respect for family life whilst also ensuring the economic wellbeing of the UK is maintained. To help ensure we reach the right balance and have a solid evidence base for any change, I will commission the MAC to review the financial requirements in the Family Immigration Rules.”

There is currently no solid indication of when the review will be completed. Labour will not decide on how to proceed until it is. However, the MAC has a history of successfully influencing migration policy. Under the Conservative Government, they showed that there was no evidence of abuse of the Graduate visa route and recommended the visa operate as usual. If you are planning on being a Spouse visa applicant, watch this space carefully to see how your application could be affected.