The government has unveiled a package of measures to reduce the number of people coming to the UK.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said the changes, which are due to take effect from next spring, would deliver the biggest ever cut in net migration.
Tougher visa rules unveiled in plan to cut migration
It comes after net migration – the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those leaving – reached a record 745,000 last year.
Minimum salary for UK skilled worker visa to increase
To be eligible for a skilled worker visa to come to the UK, your job offer must meet a minimum salary requirement.
At the moment this is whichever is highest out of £26,200 per year, £10.75 per hour or the “going rate” for your job.
From next spring, this will rise to £38,700 per year.
However, crucially health and care workers – who account for almost half of people on work visas – will be exempt from the increase.
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People on national pay scales, such as teachers, will also be exempt.
The Migration Observatory says the main impact is likely to be on middle-skilled jobs like butchers or chefs, where pay tends to be less than £30,000.
Minimum income requirement for family visa to rise
The minimum income required for British citizens who want to bring a foreign family member or partner to live with them in the UK is rising from £18,600 to £38,700 a year.
An estimated 70,000 people came to the UK on family visas in the year ending June 2023.
As the change affects those on lower incomes, it will have a bigger impact on groups who tend to earn less, such as women, younger people and those living outside London and south-east England.
Ban on care workers bringing family dependants to the UK
Overseas care workers will no longer be able to bring their partner or children with them to the UK.
Home Office data suggest health and care workers are more likely to be joined by family members than people on other work visas.
In the year to September, more than 101,000 visas were issued to care workers, with an estimated 120,000 visas granted to associated dependants.
Care companies are worried the ban on dependants will put off potential recruits from coming to the UK, making staff shortages worse.
But the government says it believes there will still be high demand from overseas workers for care roles in the UK, even if individuals cannot bring family members with them.
What impact might migration changes have on the care sector?
Care worker
Salary discount for shortage occupation list scrapped
Currently jobs on a shortage occupation list can be paid at 80% of the usual going rate to qualify for a skilled worker visa.
The list covers a wide range of sectors including health, education, care work and construction and is designed to make it easier for employers to fill vacancies where there is a shortage of workers in the UK.
The government says it wants to stop immigration undercutting British workers and is planning to scrap the 20% discount.
Healthcare surcharge to rise
The annual fee visa holders must pay to use the NHS – known as the immigration health surcharge – will rise from £624 to £1,035.
There are some exemptions, for example health and care workers do not have to pay the charge, and there is a reduced rate for students and under-18s.
Students: review of graduate visa
A graduate visa allows someone to stay in the country for at least two years after successfully completing a course in the UK.
The government has launched a review of this visa route to prevent what it’s called “abuse” of the system.
More than 98,000 graduate visas were granted in the year to June.
The government has already announced plans to limit the number of students who can bring family members with them to the UK.
The changes, which come into force in January, remove the right of international students to bring dependents unless they are on postgraduate research courses.
Students will also no longer be allowed to switch onto work visas before their studies are completed.
