Couples have previously told the BBC they have been “stuck in limbo” for years as they navigate the family visa process.

Some are faced with having to live apart or make the decision to leave the UK in order to be together.

Kayleigh Thys, 27, from south Bristol, met her husband Sander Thys, 31, from Belgium, when they were both on holiday in Italy.

They fell in love and wanted to live together in the UK before getting married.

Sander is a personal trainer and had a job lined up in the UK, but he did not qualify for the Skilled Worker Visa because of the salary threshold.

The couple decided to marry and applied for a family visa before the increase in the minimum income requirement was introduced in April.

“We were rushing to get engaged so much, we were applying for our notice of marriage in Belgium before my husband had time to get an engagement ring for me,” Kayleigh said.

“The stress that this whole situation caused was insurmountable and turned what should have been a happy moment in our lives into a race against government policies.”

Kayleigh was studying to be a teacher and had to delay her studies to find a job that would meet the old minimum income requirement of £18,600.

She said: “What we found particularly challenging was that it had to be my income that it came from and could not be for example with a job offer that Sander had received.

“If we were able to combine our income and proposed income at that stage, we would not have struggled.

“The policy overlooks accomplished and hardworking individuals who very often secure employment straight away, pay taxes and enrich British societies.”