[UK] New migrant salary thresholds

Earlier this month the Home Secretary announced a five-point plan to restrict work migration to the UK, Recruiter reports.

The changes, coming into effect in spring 2024, are intended to deliver the biggest-ever cut in net migration and curb abuse of the immigration system. 

The five-point plan includes:

• Increasing the minimum general salary for occupations under the Skilled Worker route from £26.2k to £38.7k (47.7 per cent)
• Prohibiting care workers from bringing dependents to the UK
• Removing the 20 per cent discount of the going rate salary level for occupations on the Shortage Occupation List
• Increased financial requirement for family applications (ie. partners of people who are British or settled in the UK)
• Review of graduate route
  
  

The measures are reportedly being introduced to intentionally reduce net migration levels, by making it more expensive for both employers and foreign nationals to immigrate to the UK. The plan also aims to increase the domestic workforce through its ‘Back to Work Plan’; focused on helping UK nationals get off benefits and transition into the workforce.

The proposed changes will bring additional challenges for recruiters and employers who continue to adjust to labour shortages post-Brexit and whose sectors have not yet progressed to the point of benefiting from alternatives to migration, such as increased training. The changes could also potentially undermine labour sector growth and reduce business and migration contribution to UK GDP.

Businesses should look at their 2024 workforce planning with these changes in mind and ensure they know in advance what roles and salary levels they are likely to need and the impact the new policies will have on those needs. 

Recruiter suggests five key steps that companies and their recruitment advisors should take: 

1. Review the roles and salary bands that could be impacted.
2. Seek headcount approval now to bring forward moves that require sponsorship before the changes.
3. Consider alternative non-sponsored visa routes such as Youth Mobility Scheme, Ancestry visas etc. 
4. Review options to recruit for the impacted roles from the UK’s settled workforce.
5. Talk key stakeholders - including the board, current sponsored population, recruiters, graduate recruitment, talent and reward teams - through the impact of the changes and proposed workforce plans.

Source: Recruiter

Earlier this month the Home Secretary announced a five-point plan to restrict work migration to the UK, Recruiter reports.

The changes, coming into effect in spring 2024, are intended to deliver the biggest-ever cut in net migration and curb abuse of the immigration system. 

The five-point plan includes:

• Increasing the minimum general salary for occupations under the Skilled Worker route from £26.2k to £38.7k (47.7 per cent)
• Prohibiting care workers from bringing dependents to the UK
• Removing the 20 per cent discount of the going rate salary level for occupations on the Shortage Occupation List
• Increased financial requirement for family applications (ie. partners of people who are British or settled in the UK)
• Review of graduate route
  
  

The measures are reportedly being introduced to intentionally reduce net migration levels, by making it more expensive for both employers and foreign nationals to immigrate to the UK. The plan also aims to increase the domestic workforce through its ‘Back to Work Plan’; focused on helping UK nationals get off benefits and transition into the workforce.

The proposed changes will bring additional challenges for recruiters and employers who continue to adjust to labour shortages post-Brexit and whose sectors have not yet progressed to the point of benefiting from alternatives to migration, such as increased training. The changes could also potentially undermine labour sector growth and reduce business and migration contribution to UK GDP.

Businesses should look at their 2024 workforce planning with these changes in mind and ensure they know in advance what roles and salary levels they are likely to need and the impact the new policies will have on those needs. 

Recruiter suggests five key steps that companies and their recruitment advisors should take: 

1. Review the roles and salary bands that could be impacted.
2. Seek headcount approval now to bring forward moves that require sponsorship before the changes.
3. Consider alternative non-sponsored visa routes such as Youth Mobility Scheme, Ancestry visas etc. 
4. Review options to recruit for the impacted roles from the UK’s settled workforce.
5. Talk key stakeholders - including the board, current sponsored population, recruiters, graduate recruitment, talent and reward teams - through the impact of the changes and proposed workforce plans.

Source: Recruiter