Radical changes to the UK legal migration rules for family, students and work visas in 2024

On 4 December 2023 the former Home Secretary, James Cleverly, announced future changes to visa rules in what he described as a “five-point plan” to reduce immigration.

The Home Office released more information on 21 December 2023, including some adjustments to what had initially been announced which includes an increase in the salary requirement for skilled worker visa to £38,700 per year on 4 April 2024 and spouse visa to £29,000 on 11 April 2024, restrictions on healthcare and care worker visa holders as well as international student visa holders.

The changes came into force, in accordance with two sets of revisions to the Immigration Rules released on 19 February and 14 March 2024.

However, goverment under Labour has a different plan and approach on UK immigration matters.

Sir Keir Starmer, the newly elected prime minister of the UK recently confirmed that, Labour would resume processing asylum applications for people who have previously arrived in the UK illegally while previous government's Illegal Migration Act prevented an estimated 50,000 arrivals to the UK since last year from being granted refugee status.

Under a law passed in July last year under the previous government, tens of thousands of such people, including those who arrived on small boats, are effectively blocked from gaining refugee status here in the UK.

The newly elected prime minister under Labour planned to scrap the previous government's Rwanda scheme, arguing it would only ever account for a fraction of illegal arrivals and would fail in its aim of deterring people from crossing the English Channel in small boats to the UK.

Instead, it argues it could do more to tackle the gangs smuggling people across by giving police greater powers and hiring specialist investigators.

Could a change in policy under new government be a "turn of the tide" for all UK migrants?

Check back soon as we elaborate on the aforesaid under the UK new government once made available to us.

We have been supporting migrants in the UK for over a decade.

Help available at: Leeds Immigration Advice Centre