Rishi Sunak Toughens UK Visa Rules To Cut Immigration: ‘Radical Action’

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the British government has introduced a series of robust measures to significantly curtail migration levels, responding to pressure from Tory MPs. The new immigration rules are expected to affect approximately 300,000 individuals, altering eligibility criteria for entry into the UK. This includes a notable increase in the minimum salary requirement for migrants in skilled jobs, a move described as “radical action” by Sunak.

Key Measures Introduced:

1. Dependant Restrictions: The government aims to reduce the number of dependants entering the UK, forming a crucial component of the strategy to lower migration levels.
2. Salary Threshold Increases: The minimum salaries for overseas workers and British or settled individuals sponsoring family members will see substantial increases. The earning threshold for overseas workers will surge by almost 50%, from £26,200 to £38,700, with a similar increase for British citizens sponsoring family members.
3. Health and Care Visa Tightening: Significant changes to the Health and Care visa include restrictions on overseas care workers bringing dependants to the UK. Care providers can only sponsor migrant workers involved in activities regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
4. Crackdown on Cut-Price Labour: The government plans to eliminate the 20% salary discount for shortage occupations and introduce an Immigration Salary List, reviewed by the Migration Advisory Committee to align with increased salary thresholds.
5. Student Dependant Restrictions: Existing measures to address the rise in students bringing dependants to the UK will continue. These changes are anticipated to significantly impact net migration, affecting approximately 153,000 visas granted to dependants of sponsored students in the year ending September 2023.

Sunak, in a social media post, declared this move as “the biggest ever cut in net migration,” emphasizing his determination to address what he perceives as excessively high migration levels. The government argues that these measures collectively reinforce the principle that individuals wishing to live and work in the UK must be self-sufficient, contribute to the economy, and not become a burden on the state.

Labour’s home affairs spokesperson Yvette Cooper criticized the Conservatives, accusing them of being in a “chaotic panic” over immigration.

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