Family visa applications fall 4 percent in latest Home Office figures
15 Jun 2026
If you hold a family visa or are planning to apply to join a partner in the UK, the Home Office has published its latest monthly statistics. Family visa applications fell 4 percent in the year ending May 2026, with 71,700 applications recorded compared to 74,900 in the year to May 2025.
The decline has been driven largely by a pause on Refugee Family Reunion visas. The report states that "the number of monthly applications has fallen since September 2025, following a pause to new applications for Refugee Family Reunion visas" introduced on 4 September 2025. Monthly volumes dropped sharply over this period, falling from 8,400 in September 2025 to 4,800 in May 2026.
For those on the standard partner or spouse route, these figures provide context on overall application volumes but do not signal a change in eligibility rules. The Home Office notes the statistics are provisional, and records for 28 to 31 May may be incomplete, though this is expected to have a minimal effect on headline trends.
The next monthly release is due on 9 July 2026.
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