James Cleverly, the home secretary, has triggered alarm in the health and care sectors by announcing sweeping plans to restrict immigration.
He said the measures would cut annual immigration by 300,000 and, promoting the plans on social media, the Conservative party described this as the “biggest ever cut in net migration”.
“Enough is enough,” the home secretary told parliament as he laid out his proposals, which will take effect early next year.
The UK is set to raise the minimum salary requirement for obtaining a skilled worker visa. Currently set at £26,000, the new threshold will be increased to £38,700.
Cleverly told parliament on Monday that the implementation of the rules in the previous year could have resulted in a decrease of 300,000 migrants annually.
According to the BBC, those coming on health and social care visas will be exempted from the higher salary threshold.
Meanwhile, overseas care workers will no longer be allowed to bring dependents that is, their partners and children.
The implication is that if a UK person marries a non-UK citizen, their new spouse will be unable to go to the UK to live with them until they earn £38,700.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people who arrived in Britain last year was 745,000 more than the number who left
“We will ensure people only bring dependents whom they can support financially, by raising the minimum income for family visas to the same threshold as the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Workers, £38,700,” he said.
