Yesterday, the Conservative Government outlined plans to deliver the biggest ever cut to net migration, meaning 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would now not be able to come – taking radical action to curb abuse of the immigration system and put the British people in control of who comes to the UK.
Immigration is far too high. The pandemic and impact of conflict like the war in Ukraine has led to unprecedented levels of immigration, but this is not sustainable. That is why yesterday the Government announced a five-point plan to cut net migration.
Measures include:
- Stopping overseas care workers and students from bringing family dependants - A huge change which will see 240,000 fewer people eligible for entry to the UK.
- Overseas care workers must also receive visa sponsors from CQC-registered social care firms to work here.
- Increasing the salary threshold for skilled workers by almost 50%, ensuring people can only bring dependants they can support financially.
- Scrapping the 20% salary discounts for shortage occupations and replacing the Shortage Occupation List with the Immigration Salary List.
- The salary threshold for Skilled Workers will be raised from £26,200 to £38,700 — a 48% hike.
- For those entering through Family Visas the minimum salary of the individual working in the UK will also need to be £38,700.
Rebecca Harris commented:
“This Government remains committed to taking meaningful action to control our borders, whether that is stopping the boats and addressing illegal migration or ensuring that levels of legal migration do not place undue pressure on public services, housing supply or integration. These changes will make sure that we achieve this."
By making these changes we are not only taking the long-term decisions to deliver the biggest reduction in net migration on record, but we are putting British workers first and incentivising business to invest in domestic workers. See Home Secretary James Cleverly speak about the plan here.
