Tuesday 6 February 2024

This week the Minister for Legal Migration published a statement confirming the implementation dates for the much-trailed increases to income requirements in two key immigration routes:

• the Skilled Worker ‘general’ salary threshold will increase on 4 April 2024,
• the spouse/partner minimum income requirement will increase on 11 April 2024.

How much are the thresholds increasing by?

Skilled Worker

To be eligible for sponsorship in the Skilled Worker route, workers must be paid both in line with the ‘general’ minimum salary threshold and the ‘going rate’ occupational salary threshold applicable to the particular role (whichever is the higher).

The general salary threshold will increase from £26,200 to £38,700 on 4 April 2024 – representing a significant 48% increase. Migrants in the health and care sector, as well as those working in national payscale occupations (such as teachers), will however be exempt from the general threshold.

The occupational salary thresholds for each job type will also increase from the 25^th to the 50th percentile – the precise figures for those increases are however yet to be published.

Whilst the Home Office has stated that this change will “ensure that our immigration system is focused on attracting skilled, highly paid talent from around the world”, many commentators have raised concerns as to disproportionate (and potentially discriminatory) impacts for certain groups including female workers, regional business and certain sectors.

Family (‘Appendix FM’)

The minimum income requirement for British/settled persons to sponsor a spouse/partner under Appendix FM will increase in three stages. The first increase, on 11 April 2024, will see the threshold rise from £18,600 to £29,000 – representing a 55.9% increase. It will subsequently increase to £34,500 and finally to £38,700 by early 2025.

Impacts and action steps

These measures form part of the Government’s overarching aim of reducing net migration to the UK.

The Home Office previously published estimates that around 13% of skilled workers granted permission in 2023 would not have been eligible had the new salary requirements applied at that time and therefore projected a reduction of inflows in the route of around 15,000.  However it is likely that a proportion of sponsors experiencing labour shortages will simply increase salaries to meet the new thresholds in order to secure the workers their business need.  Displacement from other routes (as result of changes the Government is in other categories, such as ceasing to allow students and careworkers to bring dependants, resulting in some partners instead applying in the Skilled Worker route) is also likely to impact those projections

Employers and individuals wishing to benefit from the current income thresholds will need to ensure that they apply before the relevant implementation dates for these increases

Get in touch

Laura Devine Immigration offers strategic advice on all aspects of UK and US immigration and nationality law. If you would like advice on the upcoming increases to the minimum threshold for Skilled Workers and/or the minimum income requirement to sponsor a partner/spouse, please contact your assigned LDI lawyer or enquiries@lauradevine.com.