UK Raises Income Thresholds, Enacts Stricter Visa Rules In Immigration Overhaul

The UK government has announced major revisions to its visa regulations, including the change in income thresholds, to manage “unfair levels of migration” in the country after reaching a “tipping point.”

Under the new measures unveiled by the Rishi Sunak government, the minimum income required to sponsor someone coming to the country on a family visa has been spiked. The income threshold has surged from £18,600 to £29,000, reflecting an increase of over 55%. Further increments are scheduled, with the threshold set to rise to £38,700 by early 2025, aligning with the salary requirements for the Skilled Worker visa.

“Today’s change comes as the Home Secretary meets his commitment to implement his major package of reforms to the immigration system within weeks of announcing them – which came following the unveiling of measures to tighten the student visa route in May 2023. It means approximately 300,000 people arriving in the UK last year would no longer be able to,” the UK government said in a press statement.

The full set of measures, which have all been implemented, include:

• Ending the ability of nearly all students to bring dependants to the UK
• Restricting care workers from bringing family members
• Requiring care providers to register with the Care Quality Commission if they are sponsoring migrant care workers
• Commissioning the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a rapid review of the Graduate route for international students to prevent abuse, protect the integrity and quality of UK higher education and ensure it works in the best interests of the UK
• Increasing the minimum salary required for those arriving on the Skilled Worker visa, from £26,200 to £38,700
• Replacing the Shortage Occupation List with a new Immigration Salary List, with employers no longer able to pay migrants less than UK workers in shortage occupations

‘Tipping point’

The sweeping changes come as part of an immigration overhaul spearheaded by the UK’s Home Secretary, James Cleverly. Speaking about the reforms, Cleverly stressed the necessity of decisive action in addressing what he termed as a “tipping point” with mass migration.

“We have reached a tipping point with mass migration. There is no simple solution or easy decision which cuts numbers to levels acceptable to the British people,” Cleverly said, highlighting the government’s commitment to building an immigration system aligned with the nation’s future interests.

“We’ve acted to cut unsustainable numbers, to protect British workers and their wages, to ensure those bringing family to the UK do not burden taxpayers,” he added. The revised regulations encompass a range of provisions aimed at streamlining immigration processes and ensuring fiscal sustainability.

These include restricting the ability of most students to bring dependents to the UK, imposing limitations on care workers bringing family members, and mandating care providers sponsoring migrant care workers to register with the Care Quality Commission. The UK Migration Advisory Committee has been tasked with conducting a rapid review of the Graduate route for international students to prevent abuse and uphold the integrity of higher education in the UK.