The £38,700 salary requirement is forcing students, workers and couples to rip up their plans in frustration and distress
Rebecca, 28, a full-time PhD student in biosciences from Liverpool, and her partner, an Australian national working in higher education, are among thousands of couples facing separation and financial uncertainty because of the government’s decision to overhaul immigration rules. Among those affected will be skilled workers, international students, health and care workers from overseas and their family members.
“My partner received her family visa in April 2022,” Rebecca says. “The process to get the visa itself was complicated and exhausting – you have to demonstrate you make enough money to not receive benefits, and so on. The change in rules means that although I earn just over £18,600 in my taxpayer-funded PhD and my partner makes £26,000, we won’t be eligible to renew her visa in January 2025.
