Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to exempt people who arrived in the UK before 1 January 2024 from the new earnings threshold for skilled worker visa applications.

The Government position was originally set out on 8 December 2023. Updated details are available here: homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2024/02/01/reducing-net-migration-factsheet-december-2023/.

Those already in the Skilled Worker route before the Immigration Rules changes are exempt from the new median salary levels when they change sponsor, extend, or settle. We would, however, expect their pay to progress at the same rate as resident workers; therefore, they will be subject to the updated 25^th percentiles using the latest pay data when they next make an application to change employment, extend their stay, or settle. This is in line with normal practice.

Anyone switching into the Skilled Worker category after 4 April will be subject to the new salary requirement. This includes those in the UK switching from other immigration routes.