By Ishaya Ibrahim
In the event you want to Japa to the UK, just be aware that the government has changed the migration rules.
The new rules are meant to reduce inflow of emigrants into the UK.
According to a BBC report, mass emigration into the UK has reached an all-time high, which is no longer sustainable.
Latest figures by the UK Office of National Statistics shows that majority of people arriving the UK, about 968,000 are from non-EU countries.
The top five non-EU nationalities were:
Indian (253,000)
Nigerian (141,000)
Chinese (89,000)
Pakistani (55,000)
Ukrainian (35,000)
Here are the rules at a glance as gleaned from a BBC report
Minimum salary for UK skilled worker visa to increase
To be eligible for a skilled worker visa to come to the UK, your job offer must meet a minimum salary requirement.
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Before the new rules, it used to be £26,200 (N27 million) per year. But with the new rules, which comes into effect from March next year, work visa applicant must show proof that they are earning £38,700 (N40 million) per year.
However, crucially health and care workers – who account for almost half of people on work visas – will be exempt from the increase.
People on national pay scales, such as teachers, will also be exempt.
Ban on care workers bringing family dependants to the UK
Nigerians who want to apply as care workers will no longer be able to bring their partner or children with them to the UK.
According to the BBC, in the year to September, more than 101,000 visas were issued to care workers, with an estimated 120,000 visas granted to associated dependants.
Care companies are worried the ban on dependants will put off potential recruits from coming to the UK, making staff shortages worse, the report added.
Minimum income requirement for family visa to rise
The minimum income required for British citizens who want to bring a foreign family member or partner to live with them in the UK is rising from £18,600 to £38,700 a year.
An estimated 70,000 people came to the UK on family visas in the year ending June 2023.
Students: review of graduate visa
A graduate visa allows someone to stay in the country for at least two years after successfully completing a course in the UK.
The government has launched a review of this visa route to prevent what it’s called “abuse” of the system.
More than 98,000 graduate visas were granted in the year to June.
The government has already announced plans to limit the number of students who can bring family members with them to the UK.
The changes, which come into force in January, remove the right of international students to bring dependents unless they are on postgraduate research courses.
Students will also no longer be allowed to switch onto work visas before their studies are completed.
