Tougher UK visa measures for foreign workers tabled in Parliament

The British government on Tuesday tabled the first set of tougher visa norms in the House of Commons to curb the recruitment of foreign skilled workers across different sectors, including the care industry, dubbing it a “complete reset” of the country’s immigration system.

The new rules, proposed as part of an ‘Immigration White Paper’ back in May, will involve the skills and salary thresholds for foreign workers – including Indians – rise, overseas recruitment for care workers end, and more than 100 occupations including chefs and plasterers being taken off the shortage list which allowed certain visa exemptions.

These changes, once approved by Parliament and effective from July 22, are designed to attract graduate level or above workers by making several low-paid jobs ineligible for visas.

“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,” said UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

“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,” she said.

The minister said her department’s tougher approach “values skills, tackles exploitation and ensures those who come to the UK make a genuine contribution”.

According to a Commons statement tabled by Home Office minister Seema Malhotra, skilled workers already in the UK will be exempt from the increased skill level requirement which stipulate a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent for applications from July 22 onwards when these changes come into force.

“Salary requirements for work visas are being raised in line with the latest Office for National Statistics data, ahead of an upcoming thorough review of salary requirements (including discounts) by the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC),” reads Malhotra’s parliamentary statement.

Overseas recruitment for social care worker roles will close on July 22 and while new overseas applications will no longer be accepted, transitional provisions will allow “in-country switching” for care workers already in the UK for another three years until July 2028.

These changes restore order to the points-based system, focusing on higher skills, lower numbers and tighter controls, the UK Home Office said. They are an important step in ending the UK’s reliance on overseas, lower skilled recruitment, it added.

Only time-limited access below degree level will be allowed for certain professions on a “temporary" shortage list of so-called “critical roles", with the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) commissioned to conduct a review of this time-limited list – including occupations, salaries and benefits.

“Workers in occupations on the temporary shortage list will no longer be able to bring dependents 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,” the Home Office said.

The next set of changes recommended in the White Paper are also in line to be implemented by the end of this year, including raising the immigration skills charge on companies employing overseas workers and toughening English language requirements on visa applicants.

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