How are the visa rules changing and how many people come to the UK?

The government is making it harder for people to get work and family visas for the UK.

They will need to earn at least £38,700 – an increase of nearly 50% from the current £26,200 minimum.

The threshold will not apply to some jobs – such as in health and social care. But overseas care workers will not be able to bring in family dependants.

From spring 2024, the government will raise the minimum income level needed to qualify.

It was initially set at £38,700 – a sharp rise from the £18,600 currently required.

However, after warnings that the new rules risked separating families the government changed the minimum to £29,000.

It said the amount would increase in the future – to £34,500 and then £38,700 – but no dates were given.

The Home Office also confirmed that anyone who wants to renew an existing family visa will be able to, without having to meet the new earnings threshold.

The remaining 20 points can come from a higher salary, working in a sector with job shortages, or having a relevant PhD.

The standard fee for a skilled visa is usually between £719 and £1,500.

This will increase to £1,035 a year from spring 2024.

These jobs have a lower salary threshold, making it easier for applicants to gain enough points to get a visa.

The list currently includes:

This will be abolished from spring 2024, and the government will also reduce the number of occupations listed.

In the year ending June 2023, 1,180,000 people came to the UK expecting to stay for at least a year, and an estimated 508,000 departed.

That means net migration – the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving – stood at 672,000.

The vast majority of the 1,180,000 – 968,000 – came from outside the EU.

The top five non-EU nationalities were:

Half of those were granted to Indian and Chinese nationals, with the next most popular countries for student visas being Nigeria, Pakistan and the US.

Those on postgraduate courses could also apply for visas for qualifying dependants: a husband, wife, civil or unmarried partner and children under 18.

In the year ending September 2023, 152,980 visas were issued to dependants.

Students who have already completed their degree can stay in the UK for two years – three years for those with a doctoral degree – to work under a graduate visa.

In the year to the end of September 2023, 104,501 such visas were issued, excluding dependants.

An application costs £298.

Before Brexit, EU and UK citizens had the freedom to live, work or study in any EU country without needing a visa.

However, this freedom of movement ended on 1 January 2021 when the UK left the EU.

In the 12 months to June 2023, net EU migration was -86,000, meaning more EU nationals left the UK than arrived.

Net migration of non-EU nationals – the difference between those arriving and those leaving – was 768,000.

Net migration of British nationals was -10,000, meaning more British people left the UK than came back.