Nigerians and other foreigners seeking to immigrate to the United Kingdom will need to earn at least £38,700 (N56,502,00) to live and work in the country as part of the “largest ever reduction in net migration.”
UK’s Home Secretary, James Cleverly, also announced a ban on care workers bringing family members to the UK and will stop bosses hiring from overseas at a cheaper rate.
As part of the blitz, the shortage occupation list that allows bosses to hire overseas workers for 20 per cent less than the going rate will be scrapped.
The salary threshhold for foreign workers will be hiked from £26,200 to £38,700. People already in Britain wanting to bring loved-ones on a family visa will also need to earn £38,000.
The new ruke also stipulated that skilled workers must now earn at least £37,800 (N55,188,00) to get a work visa
Mr Cleverly said: “Approximately 120,000 dependants accompanied 100,000 care workers and senior care workers in the year ending September 2023.”
This new policy was announced on Monday in addition to a ban on foreign care workers from bringing dependents in its move to slash net migration.
It further stated that Care workers hiring from abroad must also be registered with the regulator.
In a post made on Monday on X, formerly, twitter, Sunak said the policy will commence immediately. He said: “Immigration is too high. Today we’re taking radical action to bring it down. These steps will make sure that immigration always benefits the UK: Banning overseas students from bringing their families to the UK unless they are on postgraduate research degrees.
“Stopping immigration undercutting British workers and scrapping the 20 per cent going rate salary discounts offered for shortage occupations.”
Earlier in June, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, explained why the UK government banned international students from bringing family members with them.
Montgomery said the decision was to avoid pressure on the country’s housing infrastructure and control inflow of migrants.
“Many more students are trying to bring their dependents with them. But it’s not always possible to find housing and services to meet all the needs of all our existing student population. We’ll have to manage our migration in and out of the UK,” Montgomery revealed.
The UK Home Office had earlier announced that international students, including Nigerians, would be stopped from switching from the student visa to work visa until their studies have been completed.