Legal challenge launched against increases to UK’s minimum income requirement for family visas

Reunite Families UK (RFUK) has issued a judicial review challenge to the Secretary of State for the Home Department’s decision to increase the minimum income requirement (MIR) for family visas, and to do so on a tight staged timetable. In December 2023, the Secretary of State announced a decision to increase the MIR from £18,600 to £38,700, in line with the raised salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa. An initial increase of £29,000 has now been implemented, with two further increases scheduled for the first half of 2025.

RFUK’s case is that the decisions were made in breach of the Secretary of State’s duty of inquiry, Public Sector Equality Duty, and duty to treat the best interests of children as a primary consideration.

Sarah Dobbie is instructed by Leigh Day on behalf of RFUK, with Raza Husain KC and Eleanor Mitchell. See Leigh Day’s press release here.