A British father has spoken out about the UK’s visa income threshold, claiming the rules unfairly penalise working-class people and prevent families from living together.
Leighton Allen, from Worcestershire, has been separated from his partner and children due to tightened immigration policies, which he says are punishing people for being working class and in love.
Allen met his partner, Sophie Nyenza, in Tanzania in 2022. The couple had a son, Myles, and intended to settle together in the UK. However, new visa regulations introduced by the previous Conservative government have made that dream unattainable.
The minimum income requirement (MIR) to sponsor a partner’s visa was raised from £18,600 to £29,000 per year in April 2024, or alternatively requires a lump sum of at least £88,500 in savings. Allen, who earns £21,600 a year working at a petrol station, falls short of this threshold.
As a result, he lives in the UK alone, while Nyenza, a former baker, remains in Dar es Salaam with their two-year-old son and her 11-year-old son from a previous relationship. The prolonged separation means Myles barely recognises his father, creating emotional distance during crucial developmental years.
Allen’s experience highlights the growing impact of restrictive immigration policy on British families. He is supported by campaign group Reunite Families UK, which recently presented a report in Parliament detailing the harm caused by current visa requirements.
The report argues that the rules disproportionately affect lower-income families, particularly those from working-class and racially minoritised backgrounds, leading to long-term trauma and instability for children.
Allen explained that he is trapped in a difficult situation. Tanzanian law does not treat adult males as visa dependants in most cases, making relocation impossible.
At the same time, he sends most of his income abroad to support his family, while Sophie remains unable to contribute to the UK economy as she would if permitted to join him. He believes that together, they could thrive — with both of them working, paying taxes, and contributing to society.
A review by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has since recommended scrapping the planned rise in the MIR to £38,700, warning that it could breach the right to family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The committee has also suggested lowering the current threshold to better reflect economic realities.
The Home Office confirmed it is reviewing MAC’s recommendations and said it remains committed to clarifying how Article 8 is applied in visa decisions.
Campaigners argue that visa policies must be urgently rebalanced to protect the rights of ordinary families. Caroline Coombs, cofounder of Reunite Families UK, stressed that the current system severely disadvantages working-class families and reinforces inequality.
As the debate over migration and income thresholds continues, many families like Allen’s remain divided — not by borders, but by policies that fail to reflect the realities of modern British life.
