The story so far: The government of the U.K. recently proposed new immigration rules to cut the net flow of immigration to the country, primarily by tightening visa requirements across several categories of workers seeking to move to the U.K. from abroad. Immigration policy has always been a key policy plank for the government headed by the Conservative Party, and there has been concern that in recent years the number of those immigrating to the U.K. compared to those emigrating abroad has risen sharply.
Why is the United Kingdom tweaking its immigration rules?
According to the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), net migration into the U.K. touched a record high of 7,45,000 in 2022, with reports suggesting that the number of work permits issued to foreign technology professionals in particular rose from 39,899 in 2021 to 52,686 in 2022, marking a five-year high. Specifically, it was the category of web design and development that saw the largest percentage increase with 76% more work permits issued during this period. Of the 11,80,000 people who entered the U.K. during the year ending June 2023, with the intention to stay for at least one year, the greatest majority of migrants — 9,68,000 — came from outside the EU.
According to the ONS, students comprised the largest cohort of non-EU migrants, both in 2023 and 2022. However, the proportion of workers arriving to take on roles in healthcare, to make up for the severe staff shortage in the NHS and social care, have also been rising steadily. The nations that sent the most migrants to the U.K. from outside of the EU were, in order, India (which sent 2,53,000 people), Nigeria (1,41,000), China (89,000), Pakistan (55,000) and Ukraine (35,000). Of these individuals, a total of 39% entered the U.K. for the purpose of pursuing studies, 33% to work, and 9% for humanitarian reasons, according to the ONS.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office has said that migration was “far too high” and putting “unsustainable pressure on communities and councils”, a sentiment echoed by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who said that “shockingly high” inward migration was a sign of the “failure not just of immigration, but also of asylum and of the economy”.
What are the proposed new regulations?
The new visa regulations propose to clamp down on the dependents of students arriving in the U.K. as well as other categories of foreign nationals with family ties in the country.
Skilled workers seeking visas will be impacted by an increase in the minimum salary requirement. At the moment this salary requirement is the highest, of either £26,200 per year or £10.75 per hour or whatever is defined as the “going rate” for the job in question. From early 2024, this is expected to rise to £38,700 per year. Health and social care workers, who comprise nearly 50% of work visa migrants, will reportedly be exempt from the increase, suggesting that the maximum impact will be on middle-skilled jobs including those working in the hospitality industry. Families of U.K. citizens too could be impacted — an aspect of the changes that has provoked the sharpest protests. For example, the minimum income necessary for U.K. citizens seeking to bring over a family member who is a foreign citizen will rise from £18,600 to £38,700 a year — and such a move would have impacted approximately 70,000 people who sought such visas during the year ending June 2023.
Other changes include a ban on immigrant care workers bringing family members with them, a review of student visas for graduates to prevent “abuse” of the system including a ban on students switching to work visas before completing their studies, and an increase in the immigration health surcharge paid to the NHS by annual fee visa holders, from £624 to £1,035.
What is the broader impact of the proposed changes?
Following a sharp backlash from immigration advocacy groups, the U.K. government has already walked back its proposal to raise minimum salary requirements for U.K. citizens to bring in non-U.K. family members, reducing the threshold amount from £38,700 to £29,000, “with further increases at unspecified dates thereafter.” Meanwhile, acting on fears that the new rules could lead to family separations across the border, advocacy groups such as Reunite Families, are said to be exploring legal avenues to challenge the proposed new immigration rules which amount to being “punished for falling in love”.
- The government of the U.K. recently proposed new immigration rules to cut the net flow of immigration to the country, primarily by tightening visa requirements across several categories of workers seeking to move to the U.K. from abroad.
- According to the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), net migration into the U.K. touched a record high of 7,45,000 in 2022, with reports suggesting that the number of work permits issued to foreign technology professionals in particular rose from 39,899 in 2021 to 52,686 in 2022, marking a five-year high.
- The new visa regulations propose to clamp down on the dependents of students arriving in the U.K. as well as other categories of foreign nationals with family ties in the country.
