Net Migration Measures Enacted: Family Visa Restrictions Tightened
Los Angeles/Apr 11, 2024
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/A.Gary Singh
UK Increases Income Threshold for Family Sponsorship in Latest Migration Policy Move
The UK's Home Secretary has made good on pledges to overhaul the country's immigration framework, aiming to slash what's deemed unsustainable and inequitable migration levels while ensuring newcomers don't strain taxpayer resources.
As the last step of a comprehensive plan to reduce legal migration, the minimum income requirement for sponsoring family members entering the UK has surged from £18,600 to £29,000, marking a significant 55% increase. This figure is set to rise further, reaching £38,700 by early 2025 to align with the new salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas.
These changes swiftly follow the Home Secretary's vow to implement a series of reforms within weeks of their announcement, which came on the heels of measures to tighten student visa regulations in May 2023. The adjustments mean approximately 300,000 individuals who arrived in the UK last year would now be ineligible.
The comprehensive package of measures also includes restrictions on students bringing dependents, limiting family members for care workers, and mandating care providers sponsoring migrant workers to register with the Care Quality Commission. Additionally, the minimum salary requirement for Skilled Worker visas has been hiked, and a new Immigration Salary List replaces the Shortage Occupation List, ensuring migrants aren't paid less than UK workers in high-demand roles.
Home Secretary James Cleverly emphasized the necessity of decisive action to tackle mass migration, asserting that mere words or optimism won't suffice. The staged approach to income requirement increases provides families with predictability while ensuring financial independence and integration into British society for migrants.
Acknowledging that current immigration levels strain public services and undercut British workers, the government emphasizes the need for a high-skill, high-wage economy that doesn't rely on mass migration. The measures aim to protect British workers, encourage domestic recruitment, and prioritize top talent from abroad.
This comprehensive immigration overhaul coincides with intensified efforts to curb both legal and illegal migration, with a notable decrease in small boats crossings last year. The government pledges to continue addressing this global challenge
through enhanced enforcement and international cooperation against criminal networks.
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