The Home Secretary has announced a package of measures that seeks to deliver the biggest ever reduction in net migration. Changes to the immigration system will mean around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would now not be able to come. These changes include:

Increasing the minimum earnings threshold for the Skilled Worker visa

From spring 2024, the earnings threshold for overseas workers coming to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa will rise by nearly 50%, from its current position of £26,200 to £38,700. This move seeks to encourage businesses to look to British talent first and invest in their workforce, whilst brining salaries in line with the average full-time salary for these types of jobs. 

Ensuring those sponsoring dependents can support them financially 

As well as increasing the Skilled Worker visa earnings threshold, the Government will also increase the minimum income required for British citizens and those settled in the UK who want their family members to join them. The minimum income for family visas will increase to £38,700, in line with the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route.

Scrap cut-price shortage labour from overseas

To crackdown on cut-price labour from overseas, the Government will end the 20% going rate salary discount for shortage occupations and replace the Shortage Occupation List with a new Immigration Salary List, which will retain a general threshold discount. The Migration Advisory Committee will review the new list against the increased salary thresholds in order to reduce the number of occupations on the list. 

Tighten the Health and Care visa

Overseas care workers will be prevented from bringing their dependents to the UK. Care providers in England will also now only be able to sponsor migrant workers in they are undertaking activities regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Last year, 120,000 dependents came through this route. 

This new package of measures builds on the action already taken to tackle the substantial rise in students bringing dependants to the UK, which will come into force in the new year. This change is expected to have a tangible impact on net migration, with around 153,000 visas granted to dependants of sponsored students in the year ending September 2023.