Have you read the news? You may not have seen this if you have read this. The UK government has implemented many changes in their immigration and visa programme especially the work, study and family visa programme. Fortunately for the holder of work, study, and family/sponsored visa, some news was positive, others were neutral and beneficial. You don’t need to fret because we will break the down news for you to digest and turn the good tides towards your boat. In this article, we will give you the full news and explain in detail all the news highlights. Read to the end.
The Overview of UK visa
The United Kingdom visa application is the same as other visas of developed countries in the world having all types of visa programs for different types of purposes. Your purpose of visitation to the country will determine the type of visas that will be granted to you. If you are looking forward to working in the country, then apply for a work visa. The UK visas and immigration is the government agency established in 2013 from the fragment of the UK border agency that has been in charge of the visa programme. They are responsible for screening qualified applicants, conducting interviews and granting visas to qualified applicants. You should know all these changes made to the visa application system are carried out by UK visas and immigration, it is through this agency that the country controls the visas and immigration system.
The Big Changes In UK Visa “Work visa new trends”
The number of work visas granted to applicants may have increased but there are a lot of uncertainties around some specific sub-categories. The skilled worker and temporary worker seem to have gathered a lot of numbers while the healthcare worker visa goes down the ground. But nevertheless other important changes to highlight about the new changes in work visa category are:
1. Skilled worker; changes in the minimum salary
If you are under 26 years old when you apply, the changes in the minimum salary appeals to you if you are currently in the UK on a student visa or you have been in the country in the last two years studying for a bachelor’s degree. Other conditions for this change are: you must be a graduate, and working towards a master degree or higher, and working towards a professional degree or development.
2. Skilled worker visa: listing of jobs that qualify for a Phd salary discount
If your occupation code meets the eligibility for a Phd salary discount on the worker routes. The list also covers the minimum salary you will be paid for only if you have the following:
- A PhD certificate level in a science, technology, engineering or maths i.e STEM subjects.
- A PhD certificate level with a 90% of the standard going rate, in a non-STEM subjects.
3. Sponsoring a temporary worker and worker: Guide on sponsorship
This is mostly for employers who are keen on sponsoring extraordinary talent into the firm for growth and other benefits a special worker could contribute to the firm. This concerns you specially if you are looking for a sponsorship job in the United Kingdom. These new changes allow creative workers to prove themselves and make themselves worthy of a sponsorship job in the United Kingdom even though this will give them the opportunity to come and work in the country for a total of twelve (12) months with an option to extend their stay for another 12 month stay in the country.
4. You can now visit the United Kingdom if you are a Jordan national
As a citizen of the country, Jordan, you must apply for a visa to visit or work in the United Kingdom. Even if you have already moved into the country with an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), you must also follow the rules laid down on the application process by the UK visas and immigration – government agency.
5. Update on the commercial partner in application services
Most visa application centres are controlled and governed by the commercial partners who have agreement with the UK visas and immigration to accept visa application, screen eligible applicants, and approve visa application to the eligible applicants. The new changes made are locations of these partners and some mode of relieving applications from them and this will not affect anything about your visa application or delay your visa application grant. These commercial partners are just partnering with the UK visas and immigration and actions taken on them or policy changes will not in any way affect your application as long as you meet up with the requirement and eligibility criteria for the visa you are applying for.
For more info on the changes made for the commercial partners, you can find it here.
6. Registering of worker and temporary worker licensed sponsors
The changes made to the protocols of registering licensed sponsors who have been given the authority and power to sponsor their special or extraordinary worker who are very much skillful and meet the requirements and eligibility to be sponsored as laid down by the UK visas and immigration.
You may interested in the new changes made to the rules of registering licensed workers, you can get it here. Even though these rules do not really concern you, if you still want to have a look for other details you can click the link above to download.
7. New staff guidance rules for UK visas and immigration and commercial partners staffs
These new rules apply to changes in the conduct of some specific sub-categories of visa application programmes available to the general public and special national delegates. These sub-categories include: VIP delegate visa, permanent residency case for temporary workers, Afghan citizen resettlement scheme. This may not really concern you but you can find the details here online.
8. Increase in the Family visa application
In June 2024, there was a noticeable increase in the family visa application with a 40% increase and a finishing with a numerical value of 98,906 visas granted. And these family visa applicants tend to stay longer in the United Kingdom when compared to work and study visa applicants.
9. Higher chance of ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain)
It’s been seen in the migrant Journey 2023 report that most holders of family visa have a higher chance of obtaining the Indefinite Leave to Remain, which has also been significant in the rate of application of ILR.
10. Rise in the Settlement Grant
The rise in the settlement grant has been significant and cannot be neglected because in the month of June this year 2024, the United Kingdom government granted 137, 020 settlement visas to its applicants which is a very high increase compared to last year’s statistics.