Immigration News

In the White Paper published this morning, the Government has announced a Plan for Change, introducing some major immigration reforms. It is the intention of the government to start introducing changes in the coming weeks. More dramatic changes, such as earned path to settlement and citizenship, are to be evolved before the end of the

New rules on recovery of loans from sponsored workers and restrictions on recruitment of care workers from outside the UK

Applications for British citizenship made after 10 February 2025 will normally be refused for persons who previously entered the UK illegally. The length of time spent in the UK since illegal entry will not mitigate the offence. “Normally” stands for a very high threshold and many media outlets describe it as a ban on citizenship

The following changes to the Skilled Worker route are coming into effect on 4 April 2024: The general minimum salary threshold will increase from £26,200 to £38,700 For PhD related employment the general minimum threshold will be £34,830 or 90% of the new going rate For PhD holders in a STEM related subject the general

IHS is set to increase dramatically on 16 January 2024 and Skilled Workers are the worst affected category with the standard fee rising from £624 to £1035 per year, and from £470 to £776 for children, students and Youth Mobility applicants.

Spouse visa minimum income requirement is to increase to £29,000 in spring 2024, then to £34,500 later this year, and then to £38,700 next year. Immigration lawyers anticipate that people who were granted partner visa under the current rules will be permitted to make their applications for extension of stay and indefinite leave to remain on the basis of the same income threshold. It is not entirely clear if transitional arrangements will protect those who entered the UK on a fiancé visa, although it is expected that their income threshold should also be ringfenced.

Challenged with net migration figures, Mr Cleverly, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has come up with what was described as a most robust proposal designed to reduce net migration figures by… drastically undercutting legal migration. Immigration lawyers may be perplexed about the efficacy of the proposed measure, but there is no doubt that the measures are strong, if not particularly robust in the conventional sense.  The plan is expected to be implemented in spring 2024 after some further elaboration.

Immigration fees will be going up in September 2023 by at least 15% for work related visas and by at least 20% for other types of visa. The immigration health surcharge will increase from the current £624 per year to £1,035, and for children under 18, students and Youth Mobility applicants – from the current £470 to £776.

From 17 July 2023, international students can only switch into a sponsored work route after they have completed their course of studies. PhD students can switch into the sponsored work route 24 months after the start date of the course. The emphasis in this new rule is not conditional but temporal. There is no requirement to have completed the course of study successfully or to have passed the exams, but you cannot switch mid term or before the end date of your CAS unless you finished the course early.

Sponsor licence application can be eligible for a priority service at a cost of £500. This service can now be requested online when applying for the licence or at any time after before the application is taken for processing by the Home Office.