'It felt impossible to bring my partner to the UK'

Ms Gardner and Mr Caruso have been together for five years

People with partners from overseas have described how visa costs and rules made it seem "impossible" to live in the UK together.

Megan Gardner, from Brighton, said she had to save for years and worry about every expense to afford the visa so her long-term French boyfriend could be with her in the UK.

Under rules implemented by the previous government, British or settled citizens must earn at least £29,000 a year or have £88,500 in savings if they want to bring their foreign partner to the country.

A Home Office spokesperson said respect for family life needed to be balanced with the UK's economic stability.

They added further changes to the spouse visa were paused pending an independent review.

'Constant worry'

Ms Gardner, who said she fell in love with Marc Caruso while travelling in 2020, called the visa's financial requirements "unfair".

"It is sending a clear message that the government would prefer people did not have a foreign partner, but if they do then they must be super rich," she said.

In 2020, the UK was ranked second from bottom among 56 countries for ease of family reunion by the Migrant Integration Policy Index.

Alongside the income and savings requirements, it typically costs £11,062 to apply for and renew a spouse visa.

This figure, which includes a charge for the NHS, increases by £1,846 for each child on the application.

Ms Gardner said visa concerns put pressure on their relationship

People in the UK on a spouse visa cannot access state benefits and pay national insurance contributions on their earnings.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "In cases where refusing a visa would cause unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant or their family, permission can still be granted based on exceptional circumstances.

"Fee waivers are available where a person is unable to afford the fee."

Ms Gardner, who had to work overseas to be with Mr Caruso and save the money, said visa worries overshadowed the couple's time together.

"We're both pretty frugal people," the 32-year-old said.

"But we were constantly worried if we bought something beyond our day-to-day expenses, or had fun, that would take money for our visa."

While Ms Gardner and Mr Caruso eventually got the visa in January, she feared the costs could make it "impossible" for many people to be with who they loved.

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"We have a beautiful relationship that's turned into the best thing in my life," she said.

"I can't imagine what it must be like for people, for whatever reason, who can't meet those requirements or pay for the visa and have to live apart.

"It just doesn't bear thinking about."

Changes to the spouse visa were announced by then Home Secretary James Cleverly in 2023 as part of wider measures to curb migration, which he said was "far too high".

In 2024, 86,000 family-related visas were granted, marking a 7% increase from the previous year, according to government figures.

'Shocked by the rigmarole'

Michael Lucas and his Turkish wife Hediye, whom he has known for 16 years, tried for several months to get a spouse visa so they could live together in Eastbourne.

But he told the BBC their application was rejected as his income partially came from a rental property he also lived in, which was not allowed under the rules.

The 64-year-old said the rejection was "either forcing us to separate or effectively exiling" him from his own country.

Mr Lucas said he had to solve the issue by moving out and renting another property.

He then had to pay the £1,800 application fee to reapply, plus an extra £500 for a fast-tracked decision.

"The whole thing was far more stressful than I imagined," he said.

Michael said people are shocked when he tells them what the couple went through

Though he was in favour of rigorous checks to prevent misuse, Mr Lucas called the "inflexibility" of the rules "ridiculous".

"Thankfully, I was able to stay in Turkey, but quite frankly felt that I wanted to sell up in the UK and not bother with the visa."

He added that the public did not know how expensive and difficult applying for a spouse visa could be.

"People assume that if you marry a foreigner, you can just bring your other half to the UK," he said.

"They are so shocked when I tell them the rigmarole we went through."