What is the minimum salary for visa applicants and who can come to the UK?

The salary requirements for UK visas have risen sharply under government plans to reduce migration.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the record number of 745,000 people who came to the UK in 2022 – the last full year for which figures are available – was “far too high”.

Most people wanting to work in the UK still have to apply for a visa through the points-based system (PBS).

But from 11 April 2024, they need a job offer with a higher salary.

They have to earn at least £38,700 – an increase of nearly 50% from the previous £26,200 minimum

The threshold does not apply to some jobs – such as in health and social care, and teachers on national pay scales. But overseas care workers cannot bring family dependants with them.

When the plans were announced, groups including the CBI and the Royal College of Nursing criticised the government for failing to address the UK’s labour shortages.

But then-immigration minister Robert Jenrick insisted that any gaps in the labour market caused by the changes would “be filled by British workers”.

You need a family visa if you want to live with a relative who has the right to be in the UK for more than six months.

Official statistics show that 82,395 family-related visas were issued in the year to September 2023.

You can apply to live with your:

You have to demonstrate a good knowledge of English, and meet the minimum income threshold.

This was initially due to rise to £38,700 – a sharp increase from the previous £18,600 figure.

But after warnings the new rules risked separating families, the government dropped the new minimum to £29,000.

The amount will increase in the future, however, first to £34,500 and then £38,700. Mr Sunak said the higher threshold would be reached “in early 2025”.

Anyone renewing an existing family visa will not have to meet the new earnings threshold, the Home Office has confirmed.

Applicants need 70 points to qualify for a skilled worker visa.

You get 50 points from having a job offer above a minimum skill level, and speaking English.

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.

Visa applicants also have to pay a healthcare surcharge for each year of their stay.

The amount can vary – but from April 2024, the standard fee is £1,035 per year, up from £624.

The “shortage occupation list” helps employers fill vacancies in key sectors.

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

The list includes:

Employers used to be able to pay foreign workers 80% of the usual “going rate” to fill these positions.

But this rule has been abolished and the number of occupations on the list is being cut.

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.

Across the 2022 calendar year, net migration reached a record 745,000.

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

Of those, 39% came to study, 33% to work, and 9% for humanitarian reasons, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The top five non-EU nationalities were:

In the 12 months to the end of September 2023, the government issued 486,107 study visas.

Half of those were granted to Indian and Chinese nationals, with the next most popular countries for student visa applicants 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.

But since January 2024, international postgraduate students cannot bring dependants unless their course is designated as a research programme.