New UK immigration rules were introduced throughout 2024. A number of changes have already been implemented, and more are due in the coming months!
- Advertisement
Some of these include raising the salary requirements for skilled worker and spouse visas to £38,700 and £29,000 annually, respectively, on April 4, 2024, and April 11, 2024, respectively.
Limiting the ability of holders of healthcare and care worker visas and international student visas to bring their spouses and children; reforming the Shortage Occupation List (SOL); and eliminating the 20% “going rate” salary discount for shortage occupations.
The Immigration Healthcare Surcharge (IHS) has also increased significantly, reaching £1,035 annually as of 2024. This article will discuss the new immigration regulations for 2024 in great detail.
In the upcoming weeks and months, we’ll keep you informed with the most recent official information as it becomes available.
1. UK Skilled Worker Visa
On April 4, 2024, the minimum wage needed to qualify for a skilled worker visa under the new immigration regulations for 2024 increased from £26,200 to £38,700.
- Advertisement
The income threshold for healthcare professionals, such as physicians, nurses, and caregivers, increased from £26,200 to £29,000, a somewhat smaller increase.
It is not necessary for those who get a “going rate” based on a national pay scale in the UK to meet the standards for a median wage. On the other hand, the most recent ONS wage data and national pay scales are used to update the going rates.
Will Newcomers Still Enjoy a 30% Lower Minimum Salary Requirement?
Yes, the most recent immigration regulations still include new entrant discounts. Those who apply for a skilled worker visa under the category of “new entrant” will still be entitled to a 30% pay discount.
Starting on April 4, 2024, new hires must make at least £30,960 (down from £38,700) annually, which is 70% of the average wage for their field.
Will the £38,700 Income Requirement Involve a Skilled Worker Visa Extension?
Before April 4, 2024, those who already possess a skilled worker visa will be eligible for a reduced minimum salary rise.
To apply for a visa extension, change employers, or settle in the UK, you will now need a salary of at least £29,000 (up from £26,200 but below the new threshold of £38,700) or the current going rate for your occupation.
The New Immigration Salary List Substituted the Shortage Occupation List.
A new Immigration Salary List (ISL) will replace the current Shortage Occupation List (SOL). The Home Office is doing this to exert more control over professions with lower income requirements.
The SOL is anticipated to have more eligible SOC codes than the ISL. However, there will still be a 20% reduction for occupations included in the ISL compared to the general salary criterion.
This will now be either £23,200 (where the £29,000 level would typically be utilized) or £30,960 (where the £38,700 threshold would generally apply).
Regretfully, the implementation of the ISL eliminates the previous 20% reduction in the going rate needed.
2. Update on the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code System
The Home Office will use the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes (SOC 2020) in accordance with the new immigration regulations, whereas SOC 2010 will be phased out.
The SOC coding system compares and classes various professions. A new edition based on SOC 2020 will take the place of “Appendix Skilled Occupations.”
Beginning on April 4, 2024, several SOC codes that are currently eligible for sponsorship will no longer be eligible since they do not meet the RQF Level 3 minimum skill requirement.
These include automobile salespeople, fashion stylists, nannies, and concierges. Current visa holders in specific fields are still eligible to apply for extensions, but they are not allowed to switch employers.
3. UK Skilled Worker Dependant Visa
As of March 11, 2024, care workers and senior care workers under the Skilled Worker Visa route are not allowed to bring dependants, while ordinary holders of a skilled worker visa can still get their family and children to the UK by filing for an experienced worker-dependent visa.
4. UK Spouse Visa
As of April 11, 2024, first-time applicants for a spouse visa under the new immigration criteria for the UK must provide proof that their UK partner earns at least £29,000.
Upward adjustments to £34,500 and subsequently £38,700 are anticipated. It is still unknown when the additional hikes will occur. The Spouse Visa minimum income criteria will no longer include a separate child element.
Starting on April 11, 2024, you will require £88,500 instead of £62,500 if you are only depending on your cash savings to meet the financial requirements for a Spouse Visa.
Will the £29,000 Income Requirement Affect a Spouse Visa Extension?
No, people who currently hold a spouse or family visa and are pursuing an ILR after five years will not be affected by the anticipated increase in the minimum income requirement for spouse visa applicants.
Furthermore, applicants seeking a partner visa through the five-year partner route will not be required to fulfill the increased income criteria if they were granted a fiancée visa before the change.
5. UK Student Visa
As of January 1, 2024, international students pursuing a PhD or other doctorate (at RQF level 8) or a research-based higher degree will be the only ones permitted to bring their spouse and children to the UK.
In May 2023, Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, announced that those with a UK student visa could bring their spouse and children.
Will the Graduate Visa (PSW) be Canceled?
The UK Graduate visa is currently out of order to be eliminated!
However, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is reviewing the program to guard against misuse and preserve the reputation and caliber of higher education in the United Kingdom. We’ll keep you updated on the review’s conclusion.
6. Changes to Visitor Visas
The Home Office released its most recent Statement of modifications to the Immigration Rules on December 7, 2023, and it made some significant modifications to the UK Visitor visa regulations.
The following activities are now included in the expanded list of activities that can be done while on a visiting visa:
- The prohibition on foreign visitors engaging in intra-corporate activities involving direct client work in the UK is being lifted. Instead, a new regulation will mandate that any client-facing action must be a) incidental to the foreign worker’s employment abroad and b) not result in the foreign employer outsourcing a project or service.
- Visitors to the UK are permitted to work remotely as long as this is not the main reason for their stay.
- Flight crews traveling to the UK from March to October as part of a wet lease agreement approved by the CAA will be permitted entry as guests.
- Academics, scientists, and researchers who are visiting the UK for research purposes are permitted entry as tourists.
- Legal professionals visiting the UK will now be able to give advice, appear in arbitrations, act as arbitrators, mediators, or expert witnesses, attend conferences, and provide certain other permitted legal services.
- Visitors can be paid for speaking at conferences.
According to the new regulations, no specific visa is required for tourists to engage in authorized paid engagement work while they are in the UK.
Nonetheless, the engagement has to be planned before traveling to the UK and completed within 30 days of arriving.
Why did the Government Make These Changes?
Ministers think that there is just too much immigration. In 2022, the estimated net migration, which is the difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants, was 764,000.
The recent surge in net migration was primarily due to asylum seekers, humanitarian visa programs, and social workers with dependents. International students were also significant contributors.
The December announcements come after separate May 2023 announcements of restrictions on student-dependent regulations that have been in effect since the beginning of 2024.
According to the Home Office, if all of these rules had been in place last year, 300,000 of the immigrants to the UK would not have been able to arrive.
These changes reflect the government’s aim to reduce immigration levels, particularly in specific sectors. Individuals and businesses need to stay informed and seek professional advice to navigate these new visa rules effectively.