In a joint announcement on Monday, the Prime Minister and Home Secretary unveiled a comprehensive plan aimed at curbing immigration abuse and reducing net migration in the United Kingdom. The multifaceted package includes stringent measures that are expected to impact approximately 300,000 individuals who would have been eligible to enter the UK under last year’s rules.
Key Measures of the Immigration Reforms:
- Restrictions on Care Worker Visas:
- Overseas care workers will no longer be allowed to bring dependants.
- Social care firms in England sponsoring care worker visas must provide services regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
- Skilled Worker Visas:
- Minimum earnings threshold increased from £26,200 to £38,700.
- Individual occupation ‘going rate’ thresholds aligned with the median full-time wage for equivalent jobs in 2023.
- Health and Social Care Visa Exceptions:
- Healthcare workers exempted from the £38,700 salary threshold applied to skilled workers.
- Education workers on national pay-scale occupations also exempted.
- Shortage Occupation List Transformation:
- Shortage Occupation List to be replaced with an Immigration Salary List (ISL).
- End of the 20% going rate salary discount for shortage occupations.
- Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) tasked with reviewing the ISL composition.
- Minimum Income Requirement for Family Visas:
- Gradual increase in the minimum income requirement for family visas, reaching £38,700.
- No separate child element to the minimum income requirement.
- Review of the Graduate route by the MAC in January 2024.
Transitional Provisions and Implementation Timeline:
- Carers and Senior Carers:
- Changes affecting carers and senior carers to be introduced in the new year.
- Existing care workers and senior care workers allowed to remain with dependants.
- Salary Thresholds:
- Changes to salary thresholds implemented in April.
- Skilled workers in the route before changes exempted from new median salary levels.
- Expectation for pay progression in line with resident workers.
- Immigration Salary List Commission:
- MAC to commission the Immigration Salary List in January.
- Current Shortage Occupation List remains until new salary thresholds in late Spring.
- Family Migration Minimum Income:
- Those with existing family visas assessed against current income requirements.
- Fianc(é)e visas granted before the threshold increase assessed against current requirements.
- Graduate Route Review:
- MAC to review the Graduate route in January 2024 to prevent abuse and protect UK higher education integrity.
The government emphasized that until Immigration Rules are amended, existing thresholds and policies will remain in place. Further details on transitional provisions and policy changes are expected to be announced next year.