Nearly half of the workforce in the United Kingdom fails to meet the government's minimum income requirement to sponsor a spouse or partner to come to Britain, a survey says.
The Oxford University Migration Monitoring Survey indicates that almost 50% of British workers earn less than £29,000 annually.
Starting April 1, the UK Home Office will enforce a minimum annual income of £29,000 for foreign spouses seeking to join their partners in the UK.
This represents a significant increase from the current threshold of £18,600. By 2025, the required income will be raised to £38,700.
However, according to the Oxford University survey, 70% of British workers fall short of earning £38,700 per year.
These new conditions are part of the UK government's efforts to regulate various visa categories, including care visas, work permits, and student visas, in response to a surge in net migration to record levels.
Despite the spouse visa accounting for only 5% of all visas issued in Britain, experts argue that the stringent visa policies will adversely impact the economy.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan criticizes the UK government's strict visa policies, stating that imposing additional conditions on thousands of foreign workers and their families will have negative consequences for the country's economy.
Barrister Shuvagata Dey, managing partner of Lexpert Solicitors LLP in London, said that frequent changes in visa conditions have created hardships for visa holders.
He suggested that a more comprehensive evaluation of visa conditions before their introduction would have allowed only genuinely skilled workers to enter the country, reducing fraudulent activities.
Upcoming changes to UK work visa
Upcoming changes in the UK work visa sector include the prohibition of bringing dependents on care visas from March 11.
Care homes under the supervision of the UK's Care Quality Commission can sponsor foreign workers.
The Home Office will announce the minimum salary threshold for skilled worker visas on March 14, with the salary limit increasing from £26,200 to £38,700, a 48% hike effective from April 4.
Additionally, the health surcharge will increase from February 6, and from April 6, the Home Office will remove license renewal conditions for sponsoring organizations.
The new Immigrant Salary List of Shortage Occupation List will take effect from the beginning of April.
