The United Kingdom may soon make it easier for foreign professionals to secure work visas if the government adopts a series of recommendations from the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
The proposals focus on revising salary thresholds across key immigration routes to help address labour shortages while maintaining fair wage standards.
If approved, the changes could expand employment opportunities for skilled workers from countries such as Nigeria and India, where interest in UK-based jobs remains high.
A major recommendation by the committee is the reduction of occupation-specific salary thresholds under the Skilled Worker visa route.
Rather than using the current median salary benchmark, the MAC proposed that salary requirements for specific occupations be based on the 25th percentile of earnings. The move would lower the minimum salaries employers are required to offer for many sponsored positions.
Despite this adjustment, the committee recommended retaining the overall Skilled Worker salary threshold at £41,700, while also presenting an alternative option of £48,400 for government consideration.
The proposed changes are expected to improve access to sponsored employment opportunities in sectors facing persistent recruitment challenges, including information technology, engineering, healthcare, construction and education.
The MAC also recommended introducing a single salary threshold of £33,400 for new entrants under the Skilled Worker route.
The proposal is designed to support younger professionals and recent graduates seeking to enter the UK workforce by reducing the salary levels employers must meet when hiring less-experienced workers.
In addition, the committee proposed ending salary discounts currently available to applicants with PhD qualifications.
Where postdoctoral salary concessions remain necessary, it suggested replacing existing arrangements with a single salary threshold of £41,700, applicable for a period of up to four years.
The recommendations also cover Global Business Mobility routes used by multinational organisations to transfer employees into the UK.
For Senior or Specialist Workers and UK Expansion Workers, the MAC proposed aligning salary requirements with median earnings for each qualifying occupation.
Graduate Trainees, meanwhile, would be subject to a single salary threshold of £33,400, with occupation-specific salary requirements removed.
The committee further recommended a minimum salary threshold of £30,900 for positions listed under the Temporary Shortage List, while maintaining the requirement for employers to pay prevailing market rates.
The proposals come amid recent increases in UK visa application fees across several categories.
Short-term visitor visas valid for up to six months increased from £127 to £135, while two-year visitor visas rose from £475 to £506.
Five-year and ten-year visitor visas now cost £903 and £1,128 respectively.
The revised fees also affect transit, study and family visa categories as part of wider immigration cost adjustments introduced by the UK government.
If adopted, the MAC recommendations could significantly reshape the UK’s work visa system by lowering entry barriers for skilled foreign workers while helping employers fill critical vacancies across key sectors.
