UK work visas: new rules, new salaries, concessions for existing workers

By 1st 4Immigration - #1 UK Immigration Experts -

From 4 April 2024 the minimum salary for new applicants under the Skilled Worker visa is £38,700 per year. There are some exceptions where the min salary is £30,960, such as for health and care workers, teachers, new entrants (mainly aged under 26 years), those with a PhD relevant to the job.

If you already have a Skilled Worker visa, will it apply to you?

No, you can continue under the old rules, if you had this visa issued under the Rules before 4 April 2024. However, even for the existing workers, the new minimum salary is £29,000. Your Sponsor (employer) doesn't need to increase your pay immediately, but offer on the new COS during extension or during the change of employment application. Some concessions remain at a lower salary, such as for care workers. 

Salary for ILR: 

If you are applying for ILR as an existing worker (with a Skilled Worker visa issued before the change on 4 April 2024), your salary must be minimum £29,000 at the ILR application. Unless a concession applies where you can be paid less, such as a care worker etc. 

Can I still bring dependants? 

Yes, you can, as long as your job isn't a care worker or senior care worker. These were codes 6145 and 6146 on the old table, the same are 6135 and 6136 on the new 2020 Table in force from 4 April 2024. Here a different deadline applies, those who were sponsored as care workers under the Rules in place before 11 March 2024, can still bring dependants. Those who had a visa under the rule from 11 March 2024 - cannot. 

What if I applied before 4 April 2024 but got the visa approval after that? 

If you submitted your visa application by 3 April 2024, your case would be considered under the old rules, even if the decision came after that. Actually, it is even better than that: the date in question isn't even the date of visa application but the date of when your Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) was assigned to you. For example, if your COS were assigned on 2 April 2024, it was valid for 3 months, so even if you applied 3 months after that, you would still be under the old Rules!

Online consultation with a lawyer – book here WhatsApp, Zoom or email. As always, a consultation fee counts towards our future services!

1st 4Immigration is one of the most experienced UK immigration law companies, OISC – accredited at the highest Level 3. We have been in business for over 15 years, our OISC reference is 200800152, in which 2008 stands for the year accreditation. Office: Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HN. Website 1st4immigration.com 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Updated May 2020: UK visa work continues - latest update

By -
UK immigration authorities continue to process visa applications, albeit not as fast as they normally would. The visa centres are beginning to gradually re-opening from 1 June 2020 in the UK and abroad. Regardless of when your particular centre re-opens, it is still possible to submit your application online. If your visa expires soon, you can apply for your next visa "on-time", i.e. before your current visa expires, by making such an application online and then waiting for the further steps. This keeps you within the Rules and does not make you an overstayer.  Even better, the actual documents (supporting evidence) can be submitted later, thus giving you even more time to prepare while remaining within the Rule on visa expiry dates. We usually have 45 days to provide the documents (ie upload them online to the Government portal) after the online "submission" mentioned above. This is extended for as long as it will take to clear up the backlog.  If you
Read more

🇬🇧 Spouse vs Fiancée visa: pros and cons

By -
Image
    How are they different? What are advantages of each of them? Our helpful table below gives you the visa options for partners of UK citizens. Spouse visa (including civil partners) Fiancée visa Marital status Have to be married (or get married) and apply for a UK visa as a Spouse. Can come to the UK, get married within 6 months and then apply for a Spouse visa. Where to apply? Can apply outside the UK, in a country where a foreign spouse lives or works (but not visiting). Can switch inside the UK from most categories. Only outside the UK This includes a situation where the current UK visa allows switching to a Spouse visa but the couple has to take the Fiancée route (such as if they need time to meet the Financial Requirement). Duration of the visa 2.5 years, then extension for another 2.5 years, then permanent residency after 5 years. 6 months, then Spouse visa for 2.5 years, then extension for another 2.5 years, then permanent residency after 5 years on Spouse visas only (not coun
Read more

💸 10 common mistakes when meeting the Financial Requirement £18,600 for a UK Spouse visa

By -
Image
#1 Most common - submitting “everything I have’.  Some payslips, a tax return, some savings plus a property deed for good measure. Surely, should work? It may sound logical to provide as much as possible, this is often a nightmare scenario for immigration lawyers and often a direct path to a visa refusal. Financial Requirement is strictly based on the ‘rules’: what income can be used, how various sources can be combined and what documents are needed. We often say there is 75-page office guidance just on the finances: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/636618/Appendix_FM_1_7_Financial_Requirement_Final.pdf  #2 Savings - it’s not £18,600 and not £16,000.  The real amount (for this purpose) is calculated using this formula: threshold you need to meet (such as £18,600) x 2.5 plus £16,000. If you are using savings alone, it would be £18,600 x 2.5 + £16,000 = £62,500!  #3 Employment -  the minimum is 6 months for the sa
Read more