The United Kingdom government has raised the general salary threshold for Skilled Worker visa holders from £26,200 to £38,700, aiming to reduce migration and prioritize British workers.
According to Home Secretary James Cleverly, the minimum wage has surged by 48%, intending to curb migration and prioritize British workers.
The changes, now effective, are aimed at reducing migration and preventing British workers from being undercut by employers seeking cheap labor abroad.
In a statement released on Thursday, UK businesses are now mandated to pay significantly higher wages to overseas workers arriving on Skilled Worker visas. The government aims to curtail the reliance on foreign labor and fulfill its commitment to reducing net migration.
This salary increase is expected to steer the UK immigration system towards recruiting highly skilled workers to bolster the economy while reducing overall migration numbers.
The government emphasized that no sector should depend permanently on immigration. Consequently, the shortage occupation list has been abolished, and employers can no longer pay migrant workers less than UK workers in shortage occupations.
A new Immigration Salary List (ISL) has been established based on advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Roles will only be included on the list if they are skilled, in shortage, and if it makes sense considering efforts to invest in the resident workforce.
Employers are encouraged to prioritize training, upskilling, and hiring domestic workers. These measures are part of the government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work plan, aimed at supporting over a million people into employment.
Home Secretary James Cleverly remarked, “It’s time to turn off the taps and end the flow of cheap workers from abroad. Mass migration is unsustainable and unfair, undercutting hard-working people. We are refocusing our immigration system to prioritize the brightest and best while reducing overall numbers.”
Recalling previous reforms, the UK government highlighted the recent end to postgraduate students’ ability to bring dependents to the UK, expecting a significant decline in dependent applications as a result.
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