Rishi Sunak toughens UK visa rules to cut immigration —here's how it will impact Indians

In another online statement, Sunak said, “We've just announced the biggest ever cut in net migration. No Prime Minister has done this before in history.”

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly, addressing the House of Commons, announced a comprehensive immigration crackdown that would also impact Indian nationals. As part of the new measures, individuals on Health and Care visas, including medical professionals, will no longer be permitted to bring their family members.

For other skilled worker visa categories, the salary threshold is set to rise from GBP 26,200 to GBP 38,700. This increased threshold will also apply to the family visa category, currently established at GBP 18,600. Cleverly underscored the necessity for a fair, consistent, legal, and sustainable immigration policy.

He mentioned that the collective impact of these measures, along with a decrease in student dependents, is expected to lead to approximately 300,000 fewer people arriving in the UK in the future compared to the previous year. Cleverly's five-point plan, effective from the first half of 2024, was introduced following his recent appointment to the Home Office.

Cleverly outlined plans to review the Graduate Route visa, aiming to safeguard the integrity of higher education in the UK. This signals a potential crackdown on dependents within that post-study route. Furthermore, the government aims to reform the entry process for individuals in sectors facing staff shortages.

This includes eliminating the 20% discount on the minimum salary for shortage occupation visas and reviewing the types of jobs listed on the Shortage Occupation List.

The government aims to reduce migration by restricting the entry of dependents into the UK. This forms a crucial part of their strategy to manage and control immigration.

Minimum salaries for overseas workers and British or settled individuals sponsoring family members will undergo a substantial increase. The earning threshold for overseas workers will experience a nearly 50% surge, rising from £26,200 to £38,700. A similar increase will apply to British citizens sponsoring family members.

The Health and Care visa, previously a significant avenue for care workers and their dependents, will face new restrictions. Overseas care workers will no longer be permitted to bring dependants to the UK. Additionally, care providers can only sponsor migrant workers involved in activities regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

The government plans to eliminate the 20% salary discount for shortage occupations and introduce an Immigration Salary List. This list will be reviewed by the Migration Advisory Committee to align with the increased salary thresholds, addressing concerns related to cut-price labour.

Measures have been implemented to address the increase in students bringing dependents to the UK. These changes are expected to have a significant impact on net migration, with approximately 153,000 visas granted to dependents of sponsored students in the year ending September 2023.

The visa crackdown responds to record-high immigration figures released by the Office for National Statistics, which reported a net migration of 672,000 to the UK. India dominates several visa categories, including skilled workers, medical professionals, and students.