Fact Sheet On Net Migration measures – 21 December 2023

A fact sheet was published by the Home Office on Thursday, December 21, 2023, the details of which will be announced later. As it is known, on Monday, December 4, 2023, the Prime Minister and Home Secretary  announced the plan to prevent immigrant abuse and reduce net migration; The plan, alongside a package of restrictions on people financially dependent on students, is expected to mean around 300,000 people will be affected by the new rules.

Some of the new immigration rules will be as follows;

• Home care workers from abroad will no longer be able to bring their financial dependents to the UK. Additionally, social care companies that wishing to sponsor care workers will need to comply with rules set out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
• The minimum earnings threshold for Skilled Worker visas will be increased from £26,200 to £38,700 and individual occupation going rate thresholds will be increased in line with the average full-time wage for equivalent jobs in 2023.
• Health, social care and education workers will be exempt from this minimum salary threshold. In this way, it is thought that the care sector and the NHS can continue to easily employ the healthcare professionals needed.
• The list of Shortage Occpation will be rearranged and the 20% salary reduction in this list will be terminated. Additionally, the Migration Advisory Committee will conduct investigations on this issue.
• Family visas will also be brought into line with this increased earnings threshold rule. The minimum income for family visas will be gradually phased in;
• In Spring 2024 the earnings threshold will be increased to £29,000. It will be gradually increased to £34,500 and £38,700 in the future.

Existing thresholds and policies will remain in place until the Immigration Rules are changed. For example;

The rights of a care workers who has already brought their family to the UK will be protected, similarly, people who are in the UK on their visa route but have not yet brought their family will also be able to bring their families.

However, employees who were on the Skilled Worker visa route before the changes will be exempt from the new earnings threshold limit when they change sponsors or extend their visas. But their wages must be ensured to rise at the same rate as settled workers, so when they next apply to change, extend their stay or settle, they will be subject to the updated 25 per cent bracket using the latest pay data.

In addition, applications from people who currently hold a family visa under the five-year partner route or who applied before the minimum income threshold was increased will continue to be assessed against the current income requirement and will not be required to meet the increased threshold. This will also apply to dependant children who wish to join their parents

However, those already in the UK and applying to switch to the five-year partner route via a different route will be subject to the new income requirement after the minimum income requirement has been increased.

The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) will be renamed the Immigration Salary List and the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will advise which of the existing SOL occupations should remain on the list in line with the new salary thresholds. The current SOL will remain in effect until new salary thresholds are implemented in late spring.

Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will continue to work on the details of these changes from January until the end of 2024 to ensure that the integrity and quality of the UK immigration system is maintained, in line with the UK's interests and priorities.