UK unveils tough new rules designed to cut immigrant numbers

Sad, the nicest people in the U.K. are foreigners.

"Cleverly said that from the spring of 2024, prospective immigrants will have to earn 38,700 pounds ($48,900) to get a skilled worker visa, up from 26,200 pounds ($33,000) now. British citizens who want to bring their foreign spouse to Britain will have to earn the same amount – almost double the current threshold."

Many couples cannot return to the UK with their foreign spouse because they cannot meet the requirements.

All too little too late.

Cleverly said that from the spring of 2024, prospective immigrants will have to earn 38,700 pounds ($48,900) to get a skilled worker visa, up from 26,200 pounds ($33,000) now. British citizens who want to bring their foreign spouse to Britain will have to earn the same amount – almost double the current threshold.

This is one of the dumbest moves ever from the UK and essentially keeps many UK citizens who have married abroad, exiles.

British citizens not allowed to live their own country together with their families. How is this a good thing?

Many couples cannot return to the UK with their foreign spouse because they cannot meet the requirements.

So the situation has been for over 10 years so nothing new really for them.

Dual nationals can land in Dublin though.

Elvis is here

Many couples cannot return to the UK with their foreign spouse because they cannot meet the requirements.

So the situation has been for over 10 years so nothing new really for them.

True, they have just made a bad situation worse. It was dumb policy then and it is dumb policy now.

I didn't think people with qualifications and skills who could find work were the problem, but I suppose this is more about desperately trying to hold on to a few votes than doing what's best for the country.

It's one of the many patches that is trying to fix the Brexit mess

If it weren't for immigration I wouldn't been able to study in the U.K. pet.

What is new is the amount one must earn £38,700 for six months before a spouse can apply for a spouse visa from their country. The length of marriage has no bearing on it. Retired people must have a considerable amount of savings.

So the situation has been for over 10 years so nothing new really for them.

That does not make the decision any better.

The length of marriage has no bearing on it. Retired people must have a considerable amount of savings.

I know. Nothing new. Live with it.

Irish citizens can enter the UK without any restrictions and with their other family members. The British in return can enter Ireland.

Good news

Good news

Yes. As an American living in Japan, I concur. Immigration is bad. There surely won't be any negative consequences to limiting legal immigration to the UK:)

bass4funk

Good news

What is good news about British citizens not being able to return with their foreign spouses? This does not happen in the US.

The British in return can enter Ireland.

Enter. Not reside. The topic is immigration not vacations.

Dual nationality is the key.

UK citizens can live and work in Ireland without restriction.

UK nationals: People who are citizens of the United Kingdom (UK) are entitled to live in Ireland without any conditions or restrictions.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/moving-to-ireland/before-you-come-to-ireland/#:~:text=UK%20citizens%20can%20live%20and,up%20a%20business%20in%20Ireland.

Simon Foston

I didn't think people with qualifications and skills who could find work were the problem,

The problem is, if a UK citizen isn't qualified or can earn a lot of money, they can't return home. Well they can but their spouse and children can't join them.

but I suppose this is more about desperately trying to hold on to a few votes than doing what's best for the country.

Yes. This is appealing to the worst of people's nature that drove Brexit.

Retired people must have a considerable amount of savings.

That is good. It reduces choices in the "second life" of retirement, making life easier.

I know that my Japanese partner would not want to up stick's in retirement and live in a foreign country after we have spent 40 years building a life in Japan.

What is good news about British citizens not being able to return with their foreign spouses? This does not happen in the US.

The British government announced tough new immigration rules Monday that it says will reduce the number of people able to move to the UK each year by hundreds of thousands.

Under the new rules, immigrants will have to earn more to get a work visa and will find it harder to bring family members to the UK.

Again, good news.

That is good. It reduces choices in the "second life" of retirement, making life easier. 

I know that my Japanese partner would not want to up stick's in retirement and live in a foreign country after we have spent 40 years building a life in Japan.

Makes sense to me.

bass4funk

Under the new rules, immigrants will have to earn more to get a work visa and will find it harder to bring family members to the UK.

Again, good news.

So you think exiling UK citizens and breaking up families is good news?

So you think exiling UK citizens and breaking up families is good news?

Of course!

That is good. It reduces choices in the "second life" of retirement, making life easier.

What a silly, absurd statement to make. Imagine thinking less choice is "good." By the same token, wouldn't life be easier if you could only eat one food for all your life? Perhaps it'd be easier if the government chose which house you were supposed to live in for the remainder of your life?

Please, this isn't about making life "easier."

You don't need to be a J national to retire here

But you shouldn't be allowed to do so. Remember, less choice is "good."

In many cases, a British citizen may need to return to take care of sick and infirmed parents but they have no automatic right to bring their foreign spouse, even if they have been married for 40 years.

The Tories playing to the lowest common denominator crowd to win the next election.

Nothing changes.

The Tory government is desperate to cut the rot in their party. Too little too late.

The British government is the proverbial headless chicken amidst an omnishambles mostly of its own creation. If I were a patriotic Brit, I would despair. I wonder if a great replacement has reached its time.

The UK is an open honest country always welcoming to foreigners and immigrants who apply lawfully and correctly for their necessary visa's and applications for British citizenship. (Unlike Japan whose system is deliberately obstructive to immigration).

If you have years of working history, savings and have retirement plans in Japan 

What about immigrants who have worked years in the UK? It's different for you. I get it. You're special.

But let's not pretend like it's about making life "easier" or even better for people.

It's funny is rather funny, though, to think the same people who are responsible for the Brexit foly are going to get immigration policy right this time around. Hey, what could possibly go wrong with preventing immigrant healthcare workers from being their families? Surely that won't negatively impact one's decision on immigrating to the UK.

The Tory government is desperate to cut the rot in their party. Too little too late.

How is that related to tough new rules designed to cut immigrant numbers?

British citizens who want to bring their foreign spouse to Britain will have to earn the same amount – almost double the current threshold.

This will effect quite a lot of Brits who meet their spouse in Japan and return with her (or him) to the UK, perhaps initially in a fairly low paying job. Even starting as a school teacher would not get you to this salary for some years.

automatic right to bring their foreign spouse, even if they have been married for 40 years.

Why would someone bring their spouse when required to look after an ailing spouse?

*ailing family member

sorry. My mistake.

Elvis is here

automatic right to bring their foreign spouse, even if they have been married for 40 years.

Why would someone bring their spouse when required to look after an ailing family member?

Because they are a family and don't want to live apart for years. They may decide to live in the country of their ailing family member. It's a pretty common scenario.

Elvis is here

automatic right to bring their foreign spouse, even if they have been married for 40 years.

> Why would someone bring their spouse when required to look after an ailing spouse?

Post the whole comment not just a selected part.

In many cases, a British citizen may need to return to take care of sick and infirmed parents but they have no automatic right to bring their foreign spouse, even if they have been married for 40 years.

They may decide to live in the country of their ailing family member. It's a pretty common scenario.

Thank you. I'm not sure it is a "pretty common scenario". I hear U.K. palliative care is much better than in Japan. The principle is to shift the burden from the family.

The Tories are destined to lose the General Election next year. They are 25 points behind Labour.

Thank you. I'm not sure it is a "pretty common scenario". I hear U.K. palliative care is much better than in Japan. The principle is to shift the burden from the family.

25% of care home workers are foreigners who are excused from the immigration restrictions.

25% of care home workers are foreigners who are excused from the immigration restrictions.

Not from my experience. 100% local. Caring professionals. Male and female. Excellent service.

Best left to them than an estranged sibling and his foreign partner.

Not from my experience. 100% local. 

Who cares about your anecdotal experience? Just because you haven't had that experience, doesn't mean it isn't true. They made exceptions to the income rule for foreign healthcare workers for a reason, and it's not because there aren't any foreign workers.

Health and social care, sectors that are highly reliant on immigrant staff, are exempt from the salary rule. But care workers from overseas will no longer be able to bring dependent relatives with them to Britain, leading to concerns in the industry that fewer will want to come.

The NHS and the care homes are unstaffed and would collapse with foreign workers.

‘Many care homes wouldn’t be here without foreign workers:’ fears over Tories’ plans to limit immigration

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/25/care-homes-foreign-workers-tories-plans-limit-immigration

Not from my experience. 100% local. Caring professionals. Male and female. Excellent service.

> Best left to them than an estranged sibling and his foreign partner.

How would you know, according to your claim you have lived in Japan for 40 years?

"Her" foreign spouse too.

A lot of palliative care is done at home if the circumstances can tolerate it. It's preferred as it saves money. Care works and district nurses appear on a schedule

This will effect quite a lot of Brits who meet their spouse in Japan and return with her (or him) to the UK, perhaps initially in a fairly low paying job. Even starting as a school teacher would not get you to this salary for some years.

There have always been ways around this, but unfortunately for the majority of people they usually involve having a very wealthy family.

British citizens who want to bring their foreign spouse to Britain will have to earn the same amount – almost double the current threshold.

Theresa May introduced by fiat these draconian laws dividing British families without the wherewithal stipulated by the Tories, or preventing them from moving to the UK which before Brexit created the absurd situation whereby EU citizens could freely bring their foreign (non-EU) spouse and children into Britain to live and work while British citizens were denied the same rights (a crazy, unique situation like a chapter out of "Alice in Wonderland". The plight of families unable to go back "home" is under the radar of 95% of Brits since the Labour Party has been silent on the forced exile of British citizens or the creation of "Skype" families and the MSM mum, too.

How would you know, according to your claim you have lived in Japan for 40 years?

Mods; please delete Wallace's intrusive rhetorical questions? They are doxing and not pertinent to the discussion.

All you have to do is come over to the UK from France on a boat or dingy, as thousands do every week. You are allowed into the country and given everything you need, money, nice hotel room, free medical and dental care, free new iphone etc. You don't have to bother anymore with minimum income levels etc. Just do what hundreds of thousands of people have done and will be doing for ever.....

There is no point in trying to cut down on legal immigration when anyone who wants to, is simply allowed to enter the country illegally and be offered everything free. Just like the US now.

umbrella

All you have to do is come over to the UK from France on a boat or dingy, as thousands do every week. You are allowed into the country and given everything you need, money, nice hotel room, free medical and dental care, free new iphone etc. You don't have to bother anymore with minimum income levels etc. Just do what hundreds of thousands of people have done and will be doing for ever.....

That doesn't happen.

The Tories haven't quite run out of things to break. These new restrictions will heavily impact the tech, agriculture, tourist, hospitality, engineering and services sectors. They will also further damage the finances of UK universities, that were badly hit by the loss of EU funding. And they may be the final nail in the coffin for the NHS, which the Tories have been trying to take down by backhanded means for years.

Before Brexit, the UK was one of the best places in the world to start, own or run a business. Well connected with easy access to whatever staff you needed. It's now a nightmare, with services collapsing, gaps on the shop shelves, hyper inflation, and a rubbish transport network with rail strikes, cancelled flights and a patchwork of different restrictions for anyone driving anywhere. The Tories have destroyed the economy and reputation of the country and there is unlikely to be any form of recovery for the forseeable future. It's now a good place to emigrate from, for anyone in a position to, with the relevant skills. If you are looking for quality staff, the UK is a good place to hire well qualified people across a range of disciplines, wanting to escape.

Having the Tories in power and implementing Brexit has had the same effect on the UK as losing a war. Putin could not have done so much damage.

British citizens who want to bring their foreign spouse to Britain will have to earn the same amount – almost double the current threshold.

God! Who do these loathsome people think they are, as they swan around sucking in enough money from salary, rorts and naked corruption to bring anyone they like into the country, lauding the conservative family while denying family reunions to so many. It's now unconscionable. How much more mean-spirited can they get? The UK is being run on behalf of a tiny minority of the rich, but to get the numbers in its so-called democracy (numbers which don't have to be that many in the ridiculous, twisted first-past-the-post system), they also have to appeal to a small and nasty portion of bigots who are always prepared to deny others because they see freedom as a zero-sum game. And their maw will always increase. Is this the kind of Britain anyone intelligent wants? Cos it deserves to lose out bigly, if they do.

Over the past ten years, there have been hundreds of stories in the media about British citizens not obtaining a foreign spouse visa and in some cases leading to the breakup or separation of families.

I did see a few articles in the Guardian and a brief mention on TV before Brexit and Covid. but there was no national outrage over the absurd legislation that was creating "exile" families and causing great hardship for those who had to or were unable to return home to care for sick, aging parents etc. Most British were oblivious to the plight of these families, or to go by comments in the press a common, callous refrain was "Why don't you go and live in your wife/husband's country?"

Excellent!!..

Protect UK..

I did see a few articles in the Guardian and a brief mention on TV before Brexit and Covid. but there was no national outrage over the absurd legislation that was creating "exile" families and causing great hardship for those who had to or were unable to return home to care for sick, aging parents

I get the sense they’ve looked at the huge numbers and ran out of commonsensical ideas which would get the numbers down to a level which they think enough voters would accept.

There is no point in trying to cut down on legal immigration when anyone who wants to, is simply allowed to enter the country illegally and be offered everything free. Just like the US now.

Yeah, who cares about borders? They mean nothing.

Just the press release......

Home Secretary unveils plan to cut net migration

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-unveils-plan-to-cut-net-migration

The package of measures will end the high numbers of dependants coming to the UK, increase the minimum salaries that overseas workers and British or settled people sponsoring family members must earn, and tackle exploitation across the immigration system. 

The government will tighten the Health and Care visa, which has seen a significant number of visas granted to care workers and their dependents, by preventing overseas care workers from bringing their dependants to the UK. In addition, care providers in England will now only be able to sponsor migrant workers if they are undertaking activities regulated by the Care Quality Commission.  

The full text needs to be fully scrutinized, word for word.

I fully support the principal of non wage suppression.

Such policies directly affect social justice legislation, in terms of renumeration, the ongoing abuses of off shore fake self employment migrant gang masters, in the poultry, meat processing, corporate agricultural sector.

The use of migrant labor in the zero hours, pattern work scheduling, hospitality sector.

The problem has always pointed to the lack of skilled accredited training of UK school leavers.

UK is kind of democracy right?

free elections and so on?

citizens are just getting they have voted for.

To a point. This administration has pissed off a lot of the voters which voted for their party in 2019 because they didn’t deliver what the people voted for. They’ve changed leaders twice since then with all kinds of ministers coming and going.

They probably don’t have much time left.

They certainly have plenty of corruption surrounding them but they don’t have the luxury of poisoning or disappearing their opponents.

Anyway, let’s see if this makes them less unattractive.

And just to serve the whole nasty dish with a side of hypocrisy: Five of the last 7 Conservative Home Secretaries (Howard, Javid, Patel, Braverman and Cleverly) are sons or daughters of immigrants. The PM is himself the son of immigrants - and is married to an immigrant (as are the Chancellor and the Immigration Minister Honest Bob Jenrick). Several other leading Conservatives are also sons and daughters of immigrants, including Kwarteng, Badenoch, Raab, Coutinho, Mark Francois, Kruger. What makes you odious people think you are safe from the bigotry you are unleashing.

Be aware the Home Secretary James Cleverly, is deploying a magic carpet , of political smoke and mirrors, a pretense of cynical ballot box, the pretense of a new world of non avoidance of statutory employee benefits and labor protection.

Read the small print  

The problem has always pointed to the lack of skilled accredited training of UK school leavers

This is very important.

If you look like areas such as construction and other skilled trades, recent governments have been banging on about the need for improvements in vocational training and apprenticeships but the attempts have been half-arsed at best.

This dates back decades to a creating a misguided career culture where the idea of making things and having a skilled trade was so 1970s.

@Jimizo

You obviously don’t know how much plumbers and carpenters earn now?

Eastman

UK is kind of democracy right?

free elections and so on?

citizens are just getting they have voted for.

Not really. It's politics 101 to make up for a failed government. Present immigrants as bad and other them (same as Brexit) to distract from the government's other failures.

Then convince the public that UK citizens' spouses are also immigrants that you tax payers are paying for in social programs.

So by the end of it, you have a policy that exiles UK citizens and breaks up families that the general public thinks is a good idea or, more likely, has little empathy for.

@Jimizo

You obviously don’t know how much plumbers and carpenters earn now?

What point are you making here?

Many couples cannot return to the UK with their foreign spouse because they cannot meet the requirements.

The real reason for this was to try to prevent mainly Pakistani British marrying their cousins and bringing them back to live in the UK. It failed miserably so why they think upping the requirement will make any difference is a mystery. They have a loophole that allows you to come if you can show 64,000 pounds in your bank account for three months prior to application. Families group together to provide these funds.

Kintsugi reminds me of someone. Funny how his activity increases once Wallace is banned

Oh stop bleating.

This is a good discussion to have. If you’ve got nothing to add, bleat elsewhere.

If a country any country neglects to invest, totally support, no matter their upbringing, school leavers from the time they enter the education systems, then UK is up poo creek without a paddle, screaming don't make a wave.

I have seen the next generation of Japanese school leavers, in Nagoya, they have moved on, they are hungry and fully loaded to take the IT sector by storm.

Companies have invested to secure a future.

That cannot be said in the UK.

Look, Home Secretary James Cleverly could well be rearraigning the deck chairs on his his own Titanic Government, about to collide with its own failure/destiny.

Who knows?

But this whole smoke screen of an immigration road to Damascus pushes insincerity, integrity voter opportunism to its very limits.

itsonlyrocknroll

Just the press release......

Home Secretary unveils plan to cut net migration

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-unveils-plan-to-cut-net-migration

The government will tighten the Health and Care visa, which has seen a significant number of visas granted to care workers and their dependents, by preventing overseas care workers from bringing their dependants to the UK. In addition, care providers in England will now only be able to sponsor migrant workers if they are undertaking activities regulated by the Care Quality Commission. 

This is disgusting. It's like saying, we have a shortage of this type of worker skills, so let's give them visas to help out our economy. We let them in because they will help us, but let's not let them bring their families.

TokyoLiving

Excellent!!..

Protect UK..

Protect UK from what? Families being together? Didn't know that was such a threat.

I think it’s pretty clear that both major parties see attitudes towards immigration hardening. Labour can only make so much headway with the ‘nasty party’ attacks here.

I was reminded of when Cameron attacked Brown for talking about ‘British jobs for British people’, telling him he was echoing what the BNP was saying.

Can’t imagine Dave taking that approach now.

meanwhile.... illegal immigrants......

If the earnings and savings qualifications in order for a Brit to return home with a foreign spouse were applied to the general population half of the UK might find themselves deported to Rwanda. Another fine Tory mess, indeed!

PM Sunak, Cleverly, Braverman and others can consider themselves very lucky their families slipped through the cracks and got into a First world nation.

Having a minimum salary requirement for British citizens to enter their own nation to reside with their kids and spouse is a disgrace.

2020hindsights,

It is harsh, lacks balance, or any reference to dependents numbers, and the need for flexibility.

It is the UK educational system that is hardwired to a past that some would suggest is ill equipped to cope with the necessary elementary ground floor skills and acumen employers need.

UK companies will look to central Europe for 2/3 year skilled IT development experience.

Yet UK teachers are more than able to prepare classes to skill students to offer an alternative.

Home Secretary James Cleverly is at the least being disingenuous.

The new rules should have excluded British citizens and foreign spouses.

No, that would defeat the original reasoning for the rule.

Stopping Pakistani British men (mainly) from marrying their first cousins and bringing them to the UK.

It's not politically correct for politicians to mention this, but if you research... It's all therein the parliamentary proceedings.

kintsugi

Today 02:24 pm JST

Care home staff who barely spoke English and couldn't tell 999 staff what had happened...

That doesn't prove a whole lot. How many patients in hospitals and care homes do you think suffer from the neglect, indifference or incompetence of British-born staff who do speak fluent English?

All British citizens regardless of their ethnicity should be able to marry whoever they want without restrictions

They can, nobody is stopping them.

The British government announced tough new immigration rules Monday that it says will reduce the number of people able to move to the UK each year by hundreds of thousands.

It's about time.

Very soon British citizens will have less rights than Russian ones do.

Oh come on, that would never happen .

Less penniless immigrants in the UK from the ME would be a great turn around!

All British citizens regardless of their ethnicity should be able to marry whoever they want without restrictions.

I'd have some restrictions for criminals and known, proven, terrorists. Also, there needs to be a process for non-citizens to be vetted.

But this story isn't about British citizens. It is about immigrants who want permanent residency and, perhaps, citizenship at a later time.

I never understood why so many refugees cross multiple European countries to get to the UK. Once they step off the boat in Croatia or hop the fence in Hungary or wherever, aren't they home free and safe from danger?

It's almost as if they have their sights set on the country where they can collect the most public money for sitting around and not working...

As if that still could help with anything. Even if a few less come, then come the more to continental Europe and UK earlier faces a complete and big Islamic / African neighborhood. So this is not even a postponement, but in fact a trigger for becoming taken over completely too.

What is good news about British citizens not being able to return with their foreign spouses? This does not happen in the US.

This article has nothing to do with the US.

Too late. That cat is already out.

I never understood why so many refugees cross multiple European countries to get to the UK.

They aren't just trying to get to safety for a few years, then return home. They are shopping for the best economy with freedom and probably have been studying English language, so other European countries are less ideal. Sure, lots of people everywhere speak English across Europe, but the corner store clerk doesn't, except in the UK. Croatia seems like a beautiful place, but don't they still have ethnic problems with their neighbor?

Avoiding the Napoleonic criminal system might be good too. Most of the world follows it, about 120 countries, but being presumed innocent really is a good thing in law.

The possibility of lengthy remand periods was one criticism, particularly voiced in common law countries, of the Napoleonic Code and its de facto presumption of guilt.

Not something I'd choose to live under. Sure, a short visit is fine, but that's different than immigration.

How sad. I went to England as a tourist in 1988, got a 6-month visa, got a job, as an Imports Executive, my first son was born in the UK, good old times, worked in London, Canterbury, lovely people and places. I worked for some time delivering meals to elderly people, Meals on Wheels. Margareth Thatcher was the Prime Minister at that time, no difficulty at all for immigrants as I remember, the Home Office officers were nice, polite.

@Makoto Shimizu

Japan will be next to

open up to immigrants.

The country has no choice

British citizens who want to bring their foreign spouse to Britain will have to earn the same amount – almost double the current threshold.

Very odd rule. I heard from some Brits that they cannot even return with their Japanese wives because hard to get a job in advance.

Wait a min, I’m no expert on UK politics, but isn’t the Prime Minister a product of immigration or something like that? lol @ the hypocrisy. And here I thought US and Japanese politicians had some nerve. Wow

theFu

But this story isn't about British citizens. It is about immigrants who want permanent residency and, perhaps, citizenship at a later time.

It is kind of a story about British citizens, because in most other countries, if you can prove your spouse is properly married to you, then you can enter the country.

In the UK, if your spouse doesn't earn enough, they can't live together with you in the UK. How cruel to the UK citizen, (let alone the spouse).

kurisupisuDec. 6  12:10 am JST

Less penniless immigrants in the UK from the ME would be a great turn around!

This legislation isn't going to do jack about that issue. Anyway, who really cares? If everything else in the country wasn't so messed up and the Tories weren't desperately pandering to a very narrow, narrow-minded segment of the population it would hardly be an issue.

Few if any are brave to admit what truly is the root cause of immigration. To solve immigration issues instead of making it more expensive, which only favor the well-to-do, rich&developed countries should address issues of poverty, dictatorship, climate, safety&security which cause people to search better life at where they're. Solve problems on own backyards only create corruption&bureaucracy.

tom toto

Few if any are brave to admit what truly is the root cause of immigration. To solve immigration issues 

That begs the question to say that immigration is bad. Or maybe you were referring to asylum, in which I would agree with you.