SCOTLAND'S equalities minister has called on the UK Government to change family visa rules to allow couples to be reunited in the country.
A report by the Scottish Government said changes to the UK Family Visa Route would support the well-being of married couples and families by helping them come together in Scotland.
Under the current rules, people living in the UK need to earn a minimum of £29,000 to bring an immediate family member from abroad to live with them.
Planned increases to this threshold were paused in July 2024 by the UK Government, which is seeking views on whether the requirements should continue in their current form.
The Scottish Government’s report said the minimum salary requirement does not support Scotland’s interests and disproportionately impacts women and part-time workers.
Sarah Douglas, from the Scottish Borders, is currently living in Perugia, Italy, with her husband and their three children.
She said she would like to return to Scotland with her family but due to the minimum income requirement, they are unable to move to the UK.
Douglas said: “The minimum income requirement is currently preventing me from living in Scotland with my Italian husband.
“As a mother to three young children, meeting the threshold is challenging especially since I’m expected to do so whilst being separated from my husband and caring for my children alone.
“I am faced with a choice between separating my family or permanent exile. It is a cruel policy which places unnecessary emotional and financial strain on families.
“A new policy should be implemented to ensure that families like mine can stay together.”
Demi Kara, from Edinburgh, married her husband, who is from Adana, Turkey, in 2024.
Due to the minimum income requirement, the couple said they are currently living separately in Scotland and Turkey.
She said: “A price on love seems very much unfair. Younger long-distance couples have no chance in this generation – you pay the price and put your life on hold, or you leave, it’s as simple as that.
“I put my degree on hold to fight for my husband to be by my side – a basic right every person should have. A change in the minimum income requirement would allow my life to be whole, allow my heart to be full of love and not broken and torn between two countries.”
Equalities minister Kaukab Stewart said: “This Valentine’s Day, I am calling on the UK Government to make the changes needed so that couples and families who do not meet the current financial requirements can be reunited.
“People who live in Scotland should be able to build a life with their spouse and raise children here – wherever in the world their husband or wife is from.
“Allowing more people to bring their families to live here would enrich communities, support public services and contribute to the economy.
“The UK Government’s review of the income threshold is welcome, and the Scottish Government is clear that the minimum income threshold needs to be reduced or removed altogether to allow more families to build their lives here in Scotland.”
