On 4 December 2023 the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, announced future changes to visa rules in what he described as a “five-point plan” to reduce
immigration. The Home Office released more information on
21 December, including some adjustments to what had initially been
announced.

Some of the changes have come into force and most of the rest will by 11 April 2024, in accordance with two sets of changes to the Immigration Rules released on 19 February and 14 March.

What are the five changes?

• 1. Social care workers are no longer allowed to bring dependants (that is,
     partners and children) on their visa.
  2. The minimum salary to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa is increasing,
     with the baseline minimum rising from £26,200 to £38,700 (but not for
     the Health and Care Worker visa, which includes social care, or
     for education workers on national pay scales).
  3. Changes to the Shortage Occupation List to reduce the number of jobs where it will be possible to sponsor someone for a Skilled Worker visa on less than the
     usual minimum salary (which is the main purpose of the list).
  4. The minimum income normally required to sponsor someone for a spouse/partner visa is rising in stages from £18,600 per year to £29,000 and ultimately around £38,700.
  5. A review of the Graduate visa, a two-year unsponsored work permit for overseas graduates of British universities.

Key Dates

• • The ban on newly arriving care workers bringing immediate family has been in place since 11 March 2024.
  • The Skilled Worker minimum salary increases will happen on 4 April 2024.
  • An interim Immigration Salary List, replacing the Shortage
    Occupation List, will also come in on 4 April 2024; the list will be
    reviewed later this list.
  • The spouse/partner visa minimum income will first increase to
    £29,000 on 11 April 2024; to around £34,500 at an unspecified time later
    in 2024; and finally to around £38,700 “by early 2025”.
  • The review of the Graduate visa has begun, with Home Secretary asking for a report by 14 May 2024.

 Employment and Immigration

The Home Office implemented a new identity document validation technology (IDVT) from 6 April 2022.

The new digital right to work check tool will allow employers to verify identity of individuals through an Identity Service Provider (IDSP).

An employer will be able to rely on a verified identity from a certified IDSP for the purposes of claiming a statutory excuse against being liable for an illegal working civil penalty.

Newsletter October 2021

New changes to the UK’s entry requirements mean that EU, EEA or Swiss nationals can no longer enter the UK using national ID cards and will instead be required to show a passport to be granted entry to the UK.  The new rules came into effect on 1st October 2021 and could impact over 200 million Europeans who have ID cards but do not have passports.  ID cards have been used by European nationals to travel throughout Europe for a substantial amount of time, the UK was only one of few countries that didn’t issue ID cards.  This means that many European citizens do not have passports and concern is growing that the need for passports just for the UK could deter visitors and negatively impact the tourism industry.