Key Points
- The UK issued 79,384 family visas from March 2023 to March 2024.
- Pakistani nationals made up almost 13,990 which is 18% of the whole numbers.
- For the same period, 15,180 EUSS family permits were granted.
- 113,933 family visas were granted during this period for extension purposes.
The UK issued 79,384 family visas from March 2023 to March 2024 according to the UK family visa statistics. As per UKVI, for the same period, 113,990 visas were issued for the extensions only.
Family visas are issued to the family members of the British citizen or settled persons in the UK. They have to show to sponsor the family members that they have enough money and have ample accommodation. From 2015 to 2019, around 43,000 family visas were granted annually in a uniform average way.
The recent rise in family visa grants also stems from clearing a backlog of applications, which had been delayed due to prioritizing Ukraine visa schemes. Notably, family reunion visa grants saw a significant 185% increase (+8,032) in the year ending March 2024 compared to the previous year. This trend may be due to more people previously granted refugee status or humanitarian protection now being eligible to bring their family members to join them.
Why the immense increase in Family visas?
The grant in family visa applications has risen since late 2021, with a 35% increase by March 2024 compared to March 2023, and a 60% increase from December 2019. Although grants were low relative to applications, they have surged since mid-2022, now nearly double the pre-pandemic levels.
In the year ending March 2024, three-quarters of family-related visas were issued to partners, consistent with previous years, while the rest were for children or other dependents.
Which nationalities were granted most family visas?
Pakistani nationals made up almost 18% (13,990) of the total family visas granted, three times more than Indian nationals (4,651). Syrian nationals saw a dramatic 205% increase in family visa grants, rising to 3,669 from 1,203 the previous year.
Extensions of the family visas
Overall, 113,933 extensions of stay were granted for family reasons in the year ending March 2024. This shows a 15% decrease compared to the previous year (March 2022 to March 2023), but it is similar to the levels seen at the start of the pandemic.
The extensions of stay for family-related reasons allow individuals to extend their stay in the UK based on their relationship with a person settled in the UK or a British citizen. Prospective applicants must apply for an extension before their current permission to enter or remain expires, and they may submit multiple applications within a year.
EU settlement scheme family visas
In the year ending March 2024, there were 15,180 EUSS family permits granted, which is a 48% decrease compared to the year ending March 2023. The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) Family Permits were introduced along with the EU Settlement Scheme. These permits allow family members of EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens who were living in the UK by December 31, 2020, to join their relatives in the UK. After arriving, these family members can apply to the EUSS to remain in the UK.
EU Nationals have made 7.9 million applications under the EU Settlement Scheme of the UK
Read here complete details of statistics.
Conversion of family visas
People arriving on family visas are more likely to obtain indefinite leave to remain (ILR) than those on work or study visas. According to the Migrant Journey: 2023 report, 62% of individuals who entered the UK on family visas since 2007 had ILR after five years, increasing to 83% after ten years. In contrast, only 21% of work visa holders and 7% of study visa holders had ILR after ten years.
Change in family visa rules
Recently, the Home Secretary announced a plan to reduce net migration, including a change to the minimum income requirement for sponsoring a spouse or partner visa. This policy change, effective from Spring 2024, likely prompted some people to apply for family visas before the new rules were enforced.
Overall, the minimum income for family visas will rise to £38,700 to ensure people only bring dependants to the UK they can support financially and will apply to all British and settled sponsors under the five-year partner route. The UKBA raises the minimum income for family visas incrementally in stages, to give predictability to families, starting at £29,000 on 11 April and then to £34,500 finally rising to £38,700 by early 2025.
See more reports on the statistics of the UK visas:
EU Settlement Scheme Overall Statistics