Britons face £5000 fine if family members overstay their visa as cash bond scheme abandoned

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Ministers have abandoned plans to force Britons to pay a £1,000 cash bond for foreign relatives who visit the UK.

Immigration minister Liam Byrne floated the idea of a 'financial security' last December to deter foreign visitors from staying in the country beyond the allowed time limit on their visa.

But under revised Home Office proposals published yesterday, Britons will instead be asked to sponsor a 'family visitor visa' for relatives from abroad.

The sponsor could be sent to jail for up to 14 years if the relative stays too long, or be hit with a £5,000 fine.

The scheme will be used for immediate family members coming to the UK from abroad who need a visa, as well as grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles and first cousins.

British relatives would need a licence to sponsor family members, and would have a duty to ensure their visitors leave the country before the visa expires.

Mr Byrne said: 'We want the UK to stay open and attractive for both business and visitors.

'But at the same time we are determined to deliver a system of border security which is among the most secure in the world.'

The Home Office document said a public consultation on penalties had shown 64 per cent backing for the idea. Pilot schemes are due to begin by the end of the year.

Currently, foreign family members come to the UK under general tourist visas.

They will still be able to visit as tourists but the minister said he expected the new family visas to be processed more quickly.

The Home Office also published proposals for two new types of business visa for sportspeople and entertainers, both professional and amateur, intended for use at the London Olympics in 2012.

There will also be a new short-term, low-cost group travel visa and a separate category for people coming to the UK for one-off cultural events such as the Edinburgh Festival, the Home Office said.

All of the changes proposed today will run alongside the points-based system for immigrants who want to work in the UK.