UK Home Secretary James Cleverly has introduced a set of new regulations aimed at controlling migration, as reported by the BBC.
The minimum salary requirement for obtaining a skilled worker visa in the UK is slated to increase. Currently set at £26,000, the new threshold will be raised to £38,700, as disclosed by Cleverly in his address to Parliament on Monday.
It is noted that the enforcement of these rules in the preceding year could have led to a potential annual decrease of 300,000 migrants, according to Cleverly’s statements.
The BBC reports exemptions for health and social care visas, where individuals will not be subject to the higher salary threshold. However, overseas care workers will no longer be permitted to bring dependents, including partners and children.
This implies that in the case of a UK citizen marrying a non-UK citizen, the new spouse won’t be able to reside in the UK until they meet the £38,700 earning threshold.
In 2022, the net migration in the UK, reflecting the difference between individuals immigrating to the country and those emigrating, reached a total of 745,000, according to the BBC.
“We will ensure people only bring dependents whom they can support financially, by raising the minimum income for family visas to the same threshold as the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Workers, £38,700,” he said.
