Foreign
UK Halts Increase in Family Visa Income Requirement
The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has paused plans to increase the minimum income requirement for sponsoring a family member on a family visa. This decision offers relief to foreigners looking to bring their families to the UK.
What is a Family Visa?
A Family Visa allows individuals to live with a family member in the UK for more than six months. It applies to spouses, partners, children, parents, or dependents of someone who is a British citizen or settled in the UK.
To obtain a UK family visa, applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria, including income requirements and proof of a genuine relationship with the sponsoring family member. These criteria ensure that the applicant can support themselves without relying on public funds while living in the UK.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a freeze on the current £29,000 minimum income requirement for family visas. The freeze will remain in place until the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) reviews the financial criteria.
In a written parliamentary statement, Cooper said, “The Family Immigration Rules, including the Minimum Income Requirement, need to balance a respect for family life while ensuring the UK’s economic wellbeing.”
“To help ensure we reach the right balance and have a solid evidence base for any change, I will commission the Migration Advisory Committee to review the financial requirements. The Minimum Income Requirement at £29,000 and will not make any further changes until the MAC completes its review.”
Planned Increases Paused
The government initially planned to raise the income requirement incrementally in three stages, aligning it with the minimum general salary threshold for skilled workers, set at £38,700.
The first increase was to £29,000, effective from April 11, 2024, aligning with the 25th percentile of the general salary threshold. A second rise to £34,500, matching the 40th percentile, was also planned.
On April 11, 2024, the minimum income threshold rose from £18,600 to £29,000 for new applicants. This change removed the separate child component, fixing the income requirement regardless of the number of children in the family.
Recent Changes to Student and Skilled Workers
In addition to the paused income requirement for Family Visas, the UK government has implemented several other changes to the immigration system:
1. Restrictions on Student and Graduate Visas: The UK government has tightened regulations on student and graduate visas to prevent visa abuse, including measures like stricter eligibility criteria and increased scrutiny of academic institutions.
2. Limits on Family Members: Most international students are now prohibited from bringing their family members to the UK, aiming to reduce strain on public services and prevent dependent visa abuse.
3. Care Worker Restrictions: Care workers and senior care workers are restricted from bringing their dependants to the UK, and care providers must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to sponsor migrant workers.
4. Increased Salary Threshold: The minimum salary requirement for skilled worker visas has been significantly raised from £26,200 to £38,700, ensuring that international workers receive competitive wages and do not displace UK workers.
5. Abolition of Going Rate Discount: Employers can no longer pay migrant workers less than UK workers in shortage occupations, eliminating the potential for exploitation and ensuring fair wages for all workers.
Family Visa Eligibility
You need a family visa to live with a family member in the UK for more than six months. However, you cannot apply if your family member is in the UK temporarily on a work or student visa. Instead, you must apply to stay as a dependant.
The UK’s decision to pause the increase in the family visa income requirement provides temporary relief to those wishing to sponsor family members. As the government reviews the financial rules, applicants should stay updated on potential changes that could impact their eligibility and preparation for family reunification.
South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has announced September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, as it staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Durban on Monday.
The group marched through central Durban under the theme, “It’s time to fetch your people,” calling on African leaders attending the 46th SADC Summit to take back their citizens living in South Africa without legal documentation.
March and March had earlier led nationwide protests on June 30, demanding tougher government action against undocumented immigration and warning that its campaign would continue until its demands were addressed.
Announcing its latest action, the group said the September 30 deadline would mark the beginning of what it described as the “mother of all protests”, while urging South Africans to assist the police in identifying undocumented foreigners.
The protest took place as the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government got underway in Durban, with leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states in attendance.
The demonstration has renewed debate over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals, particularly citizens of other African countries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemned discrimination and violence against foreigners, saying South Africa could not advocate regional integration at the SADC summit while practising exclusion within the country.
The June 30 protests were accompanied by security operations and reports of attacks and looting in some areas, according to police reports cited in the original report.
March and March has continued to demand tougher action against undocumented immigration, while tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals have prompted some African countries to evacuate their citizens from South Africa.
The latest protest has brought the immigration dispute directly to the doorstep of the SADC summit, placing the issue before regional leaders whose citizens are among those affected.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, while calling on Tehran to surrender.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing talks between Oman and Iran over future maritime navigation arrangements through the strategic waterway.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said, referring to the discussions between Oman and Iran as Washington pursues its own negotiations.
Iranian and Omani officials have been holding talks for weeks, with Iran’s Foreign Ministry saying Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration on the strait.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is under US control, despite Iran maintaining an effective blockade that has severely restricted maritime traffic.
On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, prompting Iran to insist that the strategic waterway “will remain Iranian.”
Trump also called on Iran to “put up the white flag of surrender,” according to Yingst.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran to the north and Oman to the south, was previously regarded as an open international waterway and carries a significant share of global energy shipments.
AFP
There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the Middle East war, with the exception of a rescue mission in April for a downed American pilot.
Hatami did not provide any details on where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place.
“Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” Hatami said, using an informal unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials.
The war between Tehran and Washington began on February 28 after the United States, joined by Israel, attacked Iran. It was followed by an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, and a June framework for peace talks that later collapsed.
Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.
AFP
The family of Philip Ifeanyi Elobuike, an indigene of Eziama Village, Ebe, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, has appealed to the public for assistance in locating him after his photograph surfaced on social media following nearly two years without contact.
Elobuike first travelled to the United States around 2004 and initially settled in the Los Angeles area of California. He later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Dallas, Texas.
According to his family, Elobuike remained in contact with his relatives in Nigeria until around 2024, when communication with him suddenly stopped. Before losing contact, he was active on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
His family had continued searching for him, and on August 11, 2026, they were relieved when his photograph surfaced on social media. The picture provided them with at least some reassurance that he was alive.
Elobuike Philip
However, contrary to reports circulating in some media outlets and on social media, Elobuike has not been reunited with his family or located by his kinsmen in the United States.
His relatives and members of the Nigerian community reportedly spent the entire day on August 12 searching for him in different parts of Dallas but were unable to locate him.
The family is therefore appealing to members of the public, particularly Nigerians and other individuals in the Dallas area, to assist in locating Elobuike and ensuring that he is safely reunited with his family.
The family also urged people to disregard reports claiming that he has already been found and reunited with his relatives, describing such reports as inaccurate.
Anyone who has information about Elobuike’s whereabouts or comes across him is urged to contact any of the following:
Dr. Fred Ngwu: (214) 418-8145
Moses Onyejekwe: (213) 479-2340
Law Okolo: (646) 302-2597
The family expressed appreciation to everyone who has shared his photograph and appealed for continued circulation of the information until he is successfully located.
No fewer than 205 Nigerians were deported from Canada in June 2026 as Canadian authorities intensified enforcement of the country’s immigration laws, according to official figures released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Immigration removal statistics published by the CBSA showed that 10,607 individuals were removed from Canada during the month, with Nigerians ranking among the top 10 nationalities affected by the exercise.
The figures indicate that Nigerians accounted for nearly two per cent of all removals carried out in June.
India recorded the highest number of deportations, with 3,323 nationals removed, followed by Mexico with 1,573. The United States accounted for 372 deportees, while Colombia and Romania recorded 354 and 293 removals respectively.
Other countries with significant numbers of nationals deported included Bangladesh, with 227, and Pakistan, with 207.
Explaining the rationale behind the removals, the CBSA said enforcing immigration laws was critical to protecting the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.
“Removing individuals who do not have the right to enter or stay in Canada is essential to maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration program and to ensuring fairness for those who come to this country lawfully,” the agency stated.
The latest figures underscore Canada’s continued enforcement against individuals found to have no legal right to remain in the country, as authorities seek to ensure compliance with the nation’s immigration laws.
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