The UK Home Secretary has made a new announcement to cut the migration levels to the UK. This involves a new requirement, which states that a minimum salary of £38,700 instead of  £18,700 would have to be a compulsory requirement. Meaning that anybody wanting to bring a family member to the UK would have to be earning a minimum of £38,700 per year in order to qualify for a visa. This change is due to be implemented by Spring 2024 leaving many people in distress, and forced to rethink significant plans. 

The announcement comes following the Office of National Statistics recently publishing figures that net migration added 672,000 people in the year ending June 2023. In addition, the net migration figure for the year ending December 2022 was revised to 745,000, which was much higher than previously predicted, placing immense political pressure on the Government to reduce figures. 

The number of overseas student visa applications could be affected as the change could axe approximately 153,000 from the net migration figure, meaning that around 300,000 people that to the UK last year would not be able to come.

The Government has also stated that anyone from the UK who was previously entitled for their visa at the time it was granted will not be removed from the country.