£1,000 deposit to visit UK families

The money would act as a guarantee that they will return home at the end of their stay, under proposals floated by ministers.

The standard visa time for non-EU tourists could also be slashed from six months to three in a bid to crack down on illegal immigration and working.

The proposals were set out in a consultation paper published by the Home Office on Tuesday with the aim of ensuring that visitors to the UK comply with the conditions of their visas.

The paper also suggests the creation of a specific business and specialist visa - which could cover arts and showbusiness performers, as well as film crews making movies in the UK - and a special visa for one-off events like the Olympics.

The Home Office on Tuesday declined to confirm reports that the family bond may be set at as much as £1,000, but a spokesman said that any financial security would have to be set "at a meaningful level" in order to be an effective deterrent.

And Immigration Minister Liam Byrne stressed that, if adopted, the bond would not be applied in every case, but only where there was considered to be a risk that visiting relatives may not return home.

Mr Byrne said: "Tougher checks abroad mean we keep risky people out. By next spring we'll check everyone's fingerprints when they apply for a visa. Now we're proposing a financial guarantee as well - not for everyone, but where we think there's a risk."

Habib Rahman, chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), condemned the new plans as "discriminatory" and said the Government was trying to block families from visiting the UK.

"It will create hardship for families," Mr Rahman said. "This means that only people with fat wallets will be able to bring their families."