The Home Office introduced a significant number of Immigration rule changes in the year 2024. Here are some of the key changes:

  1. Skilled worker route

From 4 April 2024, the minimum salary threshold increased from £26200 to £38700 on 4 April 2024. For individuals already in the UK under the Skilled worker route who apply to extend their leave or change employers, the transitional minimum salary threshold of £29000 applies.

The New entrant discount increased the minimum salary threshold from £20,960 to £30,960, or 70% of the going rate. The discount only applies for four years and includes time spent on a Graduate visa.

The Shortage Occupation List was replaced by the Immigration Salary List, which significantly reduced the number of occupation codes on it and removed the 20% reduction in minimum salary levels for those on the list.

Supplementary employment that Skilled workers are permitted to undertake was expanded. Skilled workers can now undertake supplementary work in any role which would be eligible for Skilled worker sponsorship, and not just the roles listed on the immigration salary list or in the same occupational code under which they are sponsored.

 

  1. Global Business Mobility route

Global Business Mobility -Senior or Specialist Worker – the minimum salary threshold increased from £45800 to £48,500.

Global Business Mobility- Graduate Trainee – the minimum salary threshold increased from £24220 to £25410.

  1. Health and Care Worker Visa route

From 11 March, care workers sponsored under the Health and Care Visa route can no longer bring dependants with them to the UK.

Firms sponsoring migrant workers under the Health and Care Visa route are required to register with Care Quality Commission.

The minimum salary threshold of £29000 applies.

You can be paid between 70% and 90% of the lower going rate for your job if your salary is at least £23,200 per year and you meet one of the following criteria:

  • you’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training
  • you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job (if you have a relevant PhD level qualification in any other subject your salary must be at least £26,100)
  • you have a postdoctoral position in a scientific role

If your job is on the immigration salary list, you need to be paid at least £23,200 or your job’s full going rate, whichever is higher.

  1. Scale up route

For the Scale-up route, the minimum salary threshold increased from £34,600 to £36,300.

  1. Immigration Health Surcharge

 From 6 February, the Immigration Health Surcharge was increased from £624 to £1035 per year for adults, and it increased from £470 to £776 for students and their dependants, Youth Mobility Scheme applicants and children under the age of 18.

  1. Introduction of eVisas and end of BRP and BRCs

The year 2024 marked the end of the era of Biometrics Residence Permits and Biometrics Residence cards, and the gradual introduction of eVisas for all visa types and nationalities.

  1. Introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisation ‘ETA’

The ETA process started in October 2023 and was introduced for most non-visa nationalities in 2024, except for Europeans, for travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025. The ETA application process will open on 5 March 2025 for European nationals for travel to the UK on or after 2 April 2025.

  1. Partner Visa

From 11 April, the partner minimum salary threshold increased from £18600 to £29000, with further increments planned to take the salary threshold to £34,500 and then to £38,700, thus aligning it with the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Workers. However, the current government has paused additional increases pending a comprehensive review, expected to report in June 2025. It has been argued that the increase in the minimum salary threshold disproportionately affects lower-income British citizens, preventing them from living in the UK with their foreign partners.

The minimum income requirement which increased with each additional dependant child applying with the main application was removed.

On 31 January, the definition of partner was updated to include spouse, civil partner and unmarried partner, where they could have been in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years. The requirement to prove that the couple have been living together in a relationship was removed.

  1. Long Residence route

Those individuals who have lived in the UK lawfully for a continuous period of 10 years are eligible to apply for settlement under the Long Residence route. If you have received permission to stay after 11 April 2024, you must have had your current permission for one year to qualify for settlement under this route.

  1. Visa Schemes for Ukrainians

The Ukraine Family Scheme closed on 19 February 2024

Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme – From 11 March, the length of permission granted to new applicants is reduced from 36 months to 18 months, with no extensions permitted.

Ukraine Extension scheme – From 4 February 2025, holders will be able to apply to renew them for another 18 months.

Permanent residence is not allowed. This makes the schemes different from standard visas or grants of refugee status, which allow permanent residence after five years. Both Conservative and Labour governments have said Ukraine will be safe to return to and the visas are therefore temporary, in line with the wishes of the Ukrainian authorities.

 

  1. Business Visitor visa rule changes 

The changes to Business Visitor visa rules have increased the number of permitted activities business visitors can undertake during their visit to the UK.