Dad unable to relocate wife and son over visa change

Marcus told BBC Radio Stoke the hardest part was missing his son

A father who cannot afford to bring his family to live in the UK under new visa rules says the "hardest thing" is missing his son.

Marcus, from Stoke-on-Trent, worked in the Philippines and previously moved his daughter over on a visa but his wife and son were still in the country.

He said he did not earn enough to be eligible for a visa for them under the changes.

From next spring, Britons who want to bring a foreign family member or partner to live with them in the UK must earn at least £38,700 a year.

"I am literally ineligible to bring my family to the UK, I don't meet the requirements," Marcus told BBC Radio Stoke.

A change in his personal circumstances meant he was "effectively a single father" and on benefits, he added.

The government said the increase from the previous limit of £18,600 "reinforces that all those who want to work and live here must be able to support themselves".

Working part-time, Marcus, who returned to the UK in 2021, said he was not in a position to demonstrate he could support his wife and son financially if they were to move to the UK.

"If I had a small amount of money, my son would not be growing up without his dad, that is probably the hardest thing," he said.

'Miss you dad'

He said he tried to talk to his wife and ten-year-old in the Philippines as often as he could, but conversations with his son were getting harder.

"There's only so many times you can say 'I miss you dad'," Marcus said.

The changes were part of a package of measures announced earlier this week aimed at cutting net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those leaving - after the figure reached a record 745,000 last year.

Previously, the prime minister's spokesman said the rules included a provision for "exceptional circumstances where there would be unjustifiably harsh consequences" if an individual earning below the threshold could not bring their foreign family member to the UK.

But they could not give any examples, saying applications would be considered on a "case-by-case basis".