As we are at the end of February 2024, the government’s main objective of lowering net migration has driven substantial changes in the immigration landscape of the United Kingdom this year. These immigration reforms have significant ramifications for people, companies, and families in addition to reflecting the goals of the current administration.

We provide a timeline of the most significant changes to the UK’s immigration laws so far this year in this post. Furthermore, our goal is to help readers comprehend when the planned changes to the UK immigration system are expected to take effect in the early months of 2024.

The important dates and pertinent revisions to the Immigration Rules that you should be aware of are as follows, for those who would rather a brief rundown:

For those who prefer a quick summary, the key dates and relevant changes to the Immigration Rules to be aware of are follows:

• 1 January 2024: UK Student Visa rules amended to prevent most international students from being accompanied or joined by a dependent whilst studying in the UK;
• 31 January 2024: Permitted activities for Visitors expanded, right to work conditions for Visitors amended to allow remote working, Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor route merged into the Standard Visitor route and new Appendix Bereaved Partner, Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse and Appendix Statelessness introduced;
• 1 February 2024: Electronic travel authorisation (ETA) application process opened for nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan;
• 6 February 2024: Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) will increase by 66%;
• 13 February 2024: Fines for illegal working will triple under a new Civil Penalty regime;
• 11 March 2024: Care workers (SOC code 6145) and senior care workers (SOC code 6146) will not be permitted to bring dependents to the UK and care homes in England will be required to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in order to sponsor migrants under the Health and Care Worker visa route;
• 14 March 2024: A new Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules will be laid before Parliament which will replace the existing Shortage Occupation List (SOL) with a new Immigration Salary List;
• 4 April 2024: The minimum salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa will rise from £26,200 to £38,700 per annum;
• 6 April 2024: The requirement to renew Sponsor Licences will be removed;
• 11 April 2024: The minimum income requirement for partners applying under Appendix FM will be increased from £18,600 to £29,000.

1 January 2024: Changes to the UK Student Visa Rules For Dependants

The UK Student Visa regulations were changed on January 1, 2024, making it illegal for the majority of foreign students to study in the country with a dependent.

Students who applied after 3 p.m. on July 17, 2023, for a course of study starting on or after January 1, 2024, are subject to the new student dependent regulations. The new regulations state that a student who enrols on or after January 1, 2024, will only be permitted to bring dependents into the UK if they are enrolled full-time in a government-sponsored course lasting more than six months, a full-time student pursuing a PhD or doctorate degree, or a research-based higher degree course lasting nine months or more.

This effectively means that students pursuing a Master’s degree without a research component are no longer eligible to sponsor their relatives under the terms of a student visa. Regarding undergraduates, the only people who can now bring their dependents to the UK are Bachelor students enrolled in a government-sponsored programme for a minimum of six months.

31 January 2024: Changes to the UK Visit Visa Rules

At the end of January 2024, three major changes were made to the rules for getting a Visit Visa in the UK.

Visitors were allowed to do more things on January 31, 2024. This was done to make it easy for Visitors to do business in the UK. Notably, the rule that said Business Visitors couldn’t work directly with clients for intra-corporate activities was lifted. However, any work done with clients must be unrelated to the visitor’s job abroad and shouldn’t be seen as outsourcing a project or service to their employer overseas. Scientists, researchers, and academics can now do more than just independent research for personal reasons.

Traditionally, visitors to the UK have not been able to work there or, with few cases, get paid by a UK source for any work they did in the UK. This general idea will still be the same, but on January 31, 2024, the right to work conditions for Visitors was changed so that people coming to the UK could work from home while they were there. One important thing to keep in mind, though: the main reason for the trip to the UK must be to do an allowed activity, not just to work from home there. That is, working from home must not be the main reason for the visit.

Lastly, the Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor route was combined with the Standard Visitor route on January 31, 2024. Without a special visa, this means that all tourists can now do paid work that is allowed. It’s important to remember, though, that anyone who wants to take part in a PPE must have planned their exercise before coming to the UK. Also, the action has to be finished within 30 days of entering the UK, even though the visitor’s visa is good for 6 months.

31 January 2024: Introduction of new Appendix Bereaved Partner, Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse and Appendix Statelessness

Part 8, Appendix FM, and Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules no longer applied to grieving partners and their children who lived with them after January 31, 2024. Instead, Appendix grieving Partner was added. Notably, Appendix Bereaved Partner includes plans for children who depend on their Bereaved Partners. This is to acknowledge how connected family units are when someone dies.

On the same day, Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse replaced the parts of the Immigration Rules that dealt with victims of domestic abuse and their children who depended on them, which were Appendix FM and Appendix Armed Forces. People who have been abused at home and their children can apply for entry clearance from outside the UK using Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse. This is especially important for people who have been abused at home and then ended up being abandoned abroad.

Also on January 31, 2024, Appendix Statelessness took the place of the parts of the Immigration Rules that dealt with stateless people.

1 February 2024: Changes to the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme

People who are coming or passing through the UK and don’t need a visa for short stays or don’t already have any other UK immigration status must now get an electronic travel authorization (ETA).

Since October 25, 2023, people from Qatar who want to travel to the UK have had to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization.

For the last few people from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, as well as Jordan, the electronic travel authorization (ETA) application process began on February 1, 2024. From February 22, 2024, people from these countries will need to have a UK ETA in order to visit or travel through the UK.

Before the end of 2024, all other non-visa nationals will have to get an electronic travel authorization.

6 February 2024: Increase in the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

For people who want to use the National Health Service (NHS) while they are in the UK, the Immigration Health Surcharge is a one-time fee that must be paid along with most visa applications. The NHS is available to everyone, at any time. Additionally, applicants cannot choose not to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, even if they think they will not use the NHS or would rather pay for private health care.

The UK government revealed on October 13, 2023, that the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) would go up by a huge 66%. Tuesday, January 16, 2024, a designated legislation committee of the House of Commons passed the Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2023. Now we know for sure that the rise in the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) will happen on February 6, 2024.

The Immigration Health Surcharge will go up from £470 per year to £776 per year on February 6, 2024. This includes students, student dependents, people asking for entry clearance or leave to remain under the Youth Mobility Scheme, and children under the age of 18.

People who are at least 18 years old at the time of application for any other type of immigration (entry clearance or leave to remain), the Immigration Health Surcharge is going up from £624 per year to £1,035 per year.

13 February 2024: Increase in Fines for Illegal Working

On February 13, 2024, a new set of civil penalties will start to be used.

At the moment, the civil penalty for hiring an illegal worker is up to £15,000 per illegal worker if it is the first time the company has done this. If the company does it again, the biggest fine goes up to £20,000 per illegal worker.

A first-time criminal will now have to pay a fine of up to £45,000 for each illegal worker they hire under the new civil penalty system. People who break the law more than once will be fined up to £60,000 per illegal worker.

11 March 2024: Changes to Health and Care Worker Visa Rules For Dependants

If you are a trained doctor, nurse, or other health or adult social care worker who wants to work for the NHS, an NHS supplier, or in adult social care, you can get a Health and Care Worker Visa.

At the moment, any Health and Care Worker can bring a partner over the age of 18 who depends on them and/or a child under the age of 18 who depends on them.

Care workers (SOC code 6145) and senior care workers (SOC code 6146), on the other hand, will not be able to bring children to the UK after March 11, 2024.

Care workers and senior care workers who are already on the Health and Care Worker route will be able to stay with their dependents. This includes extending their stay, changing jobs (within the above SOC codes), and settling down.​

There is still time for care workers and senior care workers who are on the route before the changes to the immigration rules to bring their children with them. They will be able to do so while they are being sponsored on the route.

Also, as of March 11, 2024, care homes in England will need to be licenced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in order to support Health and Care Worker visa applicants.

Before the rules changed, care providers who were only supporting workers for activities that were not regulated (so they did not have to be registered with the CQC) will still be able to do that, even if it means extending the workers’ visas under the old rules. However, they will not be able to hire new workers.

There will be a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules that will be brought to Parliament on February 19, 2024. This will make the changes to the Health and Care Worker way happen on March 11, 2024.

14 March 2024: Introduction of a New Immigration Salary List

As of March 14, 2024, Parliament will be given a new Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules. This will replace the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) with a new Immigration Salary List.

Due to the new Immigration Salary List, the 20% going rate discount on the minimum wage for shortage occupation jobs will no longer be there.

This is because the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said it should be done. The MAC will now tell the government which jobs should be briefly added to the new list.

If the amount of jobs on the list goes down, employers should be ready for that to affect how they hire people in some industries.

4 April 2024: Increase in Skilled Worker Minimum Salary Threshold

The minimum salary requirement for a Skilled Worker visa will go up from £26,200 per year to £38,700 per year on April 4, 2024. The ‘going rate’ thresholds for each position will also go up in line with the median full-time wage for similar jobs in 2023.

If you were on the Skilled Worker visa path before the Immigration Rules changed, you will not have to meet the new threshold when you change jobs, stay longer, or settle in the UK. The Home Office will expect their pay to rise at the same rate as resident workers, though, when they apply to change jobs, stay longer, or settle down again.

People coming in on a Health and Care Visa will not have to meet the £38,700 salary requirement for Skilled Workers. The same goes for education workers in national pay scale jobs.

These changes to the Skilled Worker method will go into effect on April 4, 2024. They will be included in a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules that will be presented to Parliament on March 14, 2024.

6 April 2024: Sponsor Licence Renewals Abolished

The Home Office just recently said that Sponsor Licences will not need to be renewed after April 6, 2024.

A Sponsor Licence is good for four years at the moment. People who have a pass must pay to renew it every four years if they want to keep it after that.

After April 6, 2024, people who have a Sponsor Licence will not have to renew it or pay a fee to do so. Instead, all sponsor licences will immediately have their expiration date pushed back to 10 years from now.

This change takes away the need to renew all sponsor licences that are set to end on or after April 6, 2024. It does not just affect new licences that are issued after this date. The Sponsors will not have to do anything for the increase of the expiration date to happen.

11 April 2024: Increase in Minimum Income Requirement for Family Visas

The lowest amount of money a partner must make to apply under Appendix FM will go up from £18,600 to £29,000 on April 11, 2024.

A Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules will be presented to Parliament on March 14, 2024, which will include this change to the minimum income standard for partners applying under Appendix FM.

People who are already on the five-year partner route before the minimum income requirement goes up to £29,000 on April 11, 2024, and want to apply to stay longer or settle in the UK will still only have to meet the £18,600 income requirement. They will not have to meet the new £29,000 threshold.

Furthermore, people who apply for a partner visa through the five-year partner route before April 11, 2024, when the minimum income requirement rises from £18,600 to £29,000, will only have to meet the current £18,600 income requirement. They will not have to meet the new £29,000 requirement.

Contact Atty Magsino

For expert advice and assistance in relation to a UK visa application or immigration appeal, contact our immigration barristers on 07446 888 377 or email him at attymagsino@gmail.com.