Government's immigration plan

On 4 December, the Home Office announced a number of measures aimed at reducing migration levels. The measures, expected from spring 2024, include:

• Increase the earning threshold for overseas workers (from £26,200 to £38,700) - the healthcare sector will be exempt
• Increases to the minimum income (£38,700) of British citizens and those on Settle status to bring family members into the UK
• The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) will be replaced with an Immigration Salary List, which will be reviewed by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) against the increased salary threshold and will retain a general discount
• The MAC was also commissioned to review the Graduate visa route. This is in addition to the changes announced earlier in the year to stop students from bringing dependents to the UK

The announcement also included changes to the Health Care Visa and you can read the full statement here.

The BRC is waiting to hear back from the Home Office with more details and timings of these changes and will update the HR Hub when we know more.

For the time being, we’re interested in hearing members' views of the announcements and overall experiences with the current immigration system. Please contact Luiza at luiza.gomes@brc.org.uk to share your views – any reflections will be highly appreciated.