In order to reduce migration, the UK government announced a “radical” plan to ban foreign workers from bringing family members as their dependents.
The plan followed the release of official figures, with net migration rising to a record 745,000 in 2022.
UK Home Secretary James Cleverly revealed the government’s plan to tighten immigration measures. They will affect Indian and medical professionals on Health and Care visas, as they will no longer be able to bring family members with them.
For those applying for skilled worker visas through the alternative options, the salary threshold will increase from the existing £26,200 to £38,700. The same salary requirement will also apply to those seeking a family visa, which is currently set at £18,600.
Immigration policy must be fair, consistent, legal, and sustainable. In total, this package plus our reduction in student dependants will mean around 300,000 fewer people will come in future years than have come to the UK last year.
The five-point plan outlined by the minister will come into effect in the first half of 2024.
In May, former minister Suella Braverman introduced a proposal that would ban international students from bringing in dependent family members unless they are attending a postgraduate course designated as a research programme. Cleverly has stated its intention to ask the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to assess the Graduate Route visa “to prevent abuse and safeguard the integrity and quality of UK higher education.”
Furthermore, the Sunak government plans to “scrap cut-price shortage labour from overseas” by reforming the way people working in shortage sectors apply to come to the UK.
While the number of Indian medical visa applicants increased by 76 per cent, the number of skilled worker visas fell by 11 per cent from 20,360 visas in the year ending September 2022 to 18,107 in the year ending this September, according to a PTI report.
In terms of the student visa category, Indian nationals continue to make up the largest group of students granted under the relatively new graduate visa route, accounting for 43 per cent of all grants.
Moreover, 133,237 sponsored study visa grants were issued to Indian nationals, reflecting a slight increase of around 5 per cent from the year ending September 2022.
Among visas for dependents, Indian nationals ranked second after Nigeria. For the year ended September 2023, the number of visas approved rose from 2,127 to 43,445.
