Home Secretary announces ‘Five Point Plan’: package of changes to immigration rules

Today in the House of Commons, the new Home Secretary James Cleverly announced a package of changes to the immigration rules, which he referred to as a ‘five point plan’. The rule changes are targeted at workers, including those staffing the health and social care systems, and their families.

Point One: health and social care

Under the new rules, care workers on a Health and Care visa will no longer be allowed to bring dependents to the UK from overseas. Workers are recruited from abroad by the NHS and social care employers to fill staffing gaps, a step which is supported by Welsh Government. Sponsoring care firms in England will also now be required to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

The annual Health Surcharge for all migrants will be increased by 66%, from £624 to £1035. This comes on top of an increase in visas this year of 15% for work and visit visas, 20% for family visas, settlement, and citizenship, and 35% for student visas.

Point Two: skilled worker earnings threshold

The skilled worker earnings threshold will be increased by a third, to £38,700. Those arriving in the UK on Health and Social Care visa routes will be exempt from the rise.

Point Three: shortage occupations

The 20% “going rate salary discount” for shortage occupations will be ended. The list is currently under review by the Migration Advisory Committee, which acknowledges that there may still be shortages in occupations that are removed from the list.

Point Four: Family visa income threshold

The minimum income requirement for people on a family visa will be more than doubled, rising from £18,600 to £38,700.

The above measures will be introduced from Spring 2024.

Point Five

The Migration Advisory Committee has been asked to review the graduate route for overseas students. This follows a move banning overseas masters students from bringing their families to the UK.

Existing plans, re-packaged

None of the measures announced today were new. Rather, this was a packaging of already-planned changes, designed to make a statement about cutting legal migration, which the Minister accepted has reduced since last year.

Increases in the minimum income requirement and Health Surcharge are likely to have major financial impacts on families living in Wales, who are already struggling with cost-of-living rises and increases in visa costs.