New rules to be laid in Parliament see skills and salary
thresholds rise, overseas recruitment for care workers end, and
more than 100 occupations no longer granted access to the
immigration system.
These changes, the first to be rolled out from the Immigration White
Paper, represent a fundamental shift in the UK's approach to
immigration and restore order to the points-based system,
focusing on higher skills, lower numbers and tighter
controls. They are an important step in ending the UK's reliance
on overseas, lower skilled recruitment.
The introduction of an interim, time-limited and conditional
temporary shortage list will make sure the immigration system
works better for the UK, with international recruitment only
providing support where occupations are key to the industrial
strategy or building crucial infrastructure.
Each sector must have a workforce strategy in place to train UK
workers, or it will lose access to the immigration system.
Home Secretary said:
We are delivering a complete reset of our immigration system to
restore proper control and order, after the previous government
allowed net migration to quadruple in four years. These new rules
mean stronger controls to bring migration down, to restore order
to the immigration system and to ensure we focus on investing in
skills and training here in the UK.
As part of the Plan for Change, we can build an immigration
system that serves the needs of the British economy and people –
one that values skills, tackles exploitation, and ensures those
who come to the UK make a genuine contribution.
The package of measures includes:
- raising the skills threshold for Skilled Worker visas,
removing 111 eligible occupations
- closing the social care worker visa route to overseas
recruitment in response to widespread abuse and exploitation
- only allowing time-limited access below degree level through
a targeted immigration salary list and temporary shortage
list, for critical roles only, with strict requirements for
sectors to grow domestic skills
- commissioning the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to
conduct a review of the temporary shortage list including
occupations, salaries and benefits
Workers in occupations on the temporary shortage list will no
longer be able to bring dependants and will not be permitted
salary and visa fee discounts. The occupations included on the
List are time-limited until the end of 2026 and will only remain
beyond that date if the independent Migration Advisory Committee
recommend it.
In the interim, the government will not hesitate to restrict
immigration access further, should there be clear signs of abuse
and exploitation in sectors. In time, we will also abolish the
previous government's immigration salary list. Subject to
parliamentary approval, the changes will come into effect from 22
July, and transitional arrangements have also today been set out
for overseas care workers already in the UK.
Next steps
Further changes to be implemented by the end of this year also
include:
- raising the immigration skills charge
- uplifting language requirements across the immigration system
- unveiling a new family policy framework to Parliament
The Immigration White Paper forms part of a broader programme of
immigration and border security reforms, with further measures on
asylum and border security to be announced later this year.
