The new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has halted Tory visa rules preventing people earning under £38,700 from bringing foreign partners to Britain. No further changes to the £29,000-a-year wage threshold will be made until a review is completed.

Ms Cooper plans to order the independent public body to review the Family Immigration Rules, including the Minimum Income Requirement, to balance family life and UK economic wellbeing. The minimum income requirement is set at £29,000, with no further changes until the review is completed.

The UK's minimum income has been raised from £18,600 to £29,000 annually by Rishi Sunak's government to reduce immigration. The lower wage limit was set to rise to £38,700 in 2025. Labour plans a new approach to legal migration.
The UK government is addressing skills shortages and labour market issues by linking migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies. This approach will ensure immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems at home, enabling the delivery of the government's broader agenda.