Earlier in the year, the government revealed a set of actions aimed at reducing the issuance of student visas. These actions involved revoking the privilege for international students to bring dependants unless they are enrolled in postgraduate research courses. Additionally, they eliminated the option for international students to transition to work pathways before completing their studies. These changes are slated to take effect for courses commencing in January 2024. Let’s look at them one by one.
1)Tightening the Health and Care Worker visa was a part of the plan, preventing care workers from bringing dependants to the UK and imposing stricter regulations on care providers sponsoring migrant workers.
2)The government will increase the earnings threshold for overseas workers by nearly 50% and raise the minimum income required for British citizens and settled individuals bringing family members to join them. The threshold is increased from £26200 to £ 38700
3)The plan involves ending the 20% salary discount for shortage occupations, replacing the Shortage Occupation List with an Immigration Salary List, and reviewing the Graduate visa route to curb misuse and prevent undercutting of British workers
4) Additionally, the Immigration Health Surcharge will increase from £624 to £1035 to ensure migrants contribute fairly to public services, with workers and their dependants making up a significant proportion of issued visas.
5)The Migration Advisory Committee is set to evaluate the Graduate visa, a two-year unsponsored work permit granted to international graduates from British universities.
According to the Home Secretary James Cleverly emphasized the need to reduce net migration, prevent undercutting of British workers, and alleviate strain on public services, promising the largest reduction in net migration ever.The government anticipates a tangible impact on net migration by restricting student dependants in the UK and introducing measures to safeguard the quality of higher education.
Disclaimer- Please refer to HMRC website for more information and any changes in guidelines