The UK has announced new immigration laws meant to reduce the abuse of the Health and Care worker visa. This comes after approximately 120,000 dependents were brought into the UK by 100,000 care workers and senior care workers in the year ending September 2023. This has put severe pressure on the UK welfare system. Only 25% of dependents are estimated to be in work, meaning a significant number are drawing on public services.
The new immigration law include:
- Care workers can no longer bring family dependents.
- Care firms will be regulated by the Care Quality Commission in order for them to sponsor visas.
- Increase the annual immigration health surcharge this year by 66%.
- Increase the skilled worker earnings threshold by a third to 38,700 in line with a median wage for those kinds of jobs.
- The health and social care visa routes will be exempt.
- Scrap cut price shortage labor from overseas by ending the 20% salary discounts for shortage occupation list.
- The Migration Advisory committee to review the occupations and create a new immigration salary list with a reduced number of occupations.
- People only bring dependents who can support financially by raising the minimum income family visas to the same threshold as the minimum salary threshold for skilled workers.
- The minimum income requirements of 18,600 has not been increased since 2012.
- Ban overseas Master’s students from bringing family members to the UK.
- Review the graduate route to prevent abuse. To protect the integrity and quality of the UK is outstanding higher education sector It needs to work in the best interests of the UK, supporting the pathway into high quality jobs for the global talent pool but reducing opportunities for abuse.
Please watch the video above this post for more details.
