New UK Changes Related all visa categories | Student visa, Dependent & Skilled visa | STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION RULES
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION RULES: The many changes which was announced on 10th of September 2024 by the UK Home Office. However, for my readers, there are only three changes which are relevant which I’m going to cover, which is regarding the student visa, skill visa and carer’s dependant visa.
The official link in the bottom of this post. So there are two documents which is published. One is 15 page document and second is 78 page document.
1. UK Student Financial requirements
The first update is regarding the student financial requirement. What does it mean? It’s about the proof of funds. As you know for student visa people who come here for student visa, they have to show some funds in their account so that they can support themselves while they’re in the UK. And this does not include your tuition fee. It doesn’t include your flight or accommodation. This is completely about the proof of funds that you have to show. There’s increase in it.
As you know, in the UK the inflation due to high cost of living. The UK government did not touch the financial requirement for students from 2020. They thought this is a good time to update it to reflect the current changes or the current inflation rate, and hence they have updated a little bit. For people who are planning to study in London, the new maintenance cost for you, which you have to show is £1,483, which equates to around £13347. So make sure you have that kind of fund in your account. If you’re planning to apply for a student visa from second of Jan 2025, none of the students will be impacted. If you came here for the September 11th, it’s only for the future. Students from Jan 2025 now, for students who are coming outside of London, your new maintenance cost per month is £1,136, which equates to 10224 for nine months and approx in Indian rupees.This is going to cost you around ₹1126000. If you’re planning to come in Jan, make sure in December check the exchange rate. And it’s always advisable to have a little bit more money rather than having a less money. So make sure you just check the exchange rate before you arrange that fund. Now this little known to it.
Appendix Student
5.26 There is a maintenance requirement for student applicants to demonstrate they have
funds to support themselves for each month of their course (up to nine months). This
level of funds for international students to demonstrate was originally matched with
the maintenance loans available for home students, but the maintenance requirement
for international students has not been updated since 2020.5.27 This change increases the maintenance requirement for international students to match
the maintenance loans available for home students for the 2024-25 academic year. We
will ensure it aligns with home students’ maintenance loans in future.5.28 We have also updated the maximum amount for the accommodation offset in line
with the changes to the maintenance requirement. The accommodation offset allows
students to demonstrate less maintenance funds if they have paid a deposit for their
accommodation in the UK.
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- -The financial requirement will be updated regularly. Maybe in October, this may be updated if the cost of living has gone up. So make sure if you are arranging this money you keep looking through the UK government website if that amount is the same or is it changing?
- Now the figures which I talked about now this can be offset for students who are already making their payment for the UK accommodation. So say from India you’re sitting and booking your accommodation for six months, then you don’t have to show the whole funds. You may reduce that fund if you are showing that booking for say nine months, again, the amount will be very less because you’re already saying that you’re already paying £800 or £900 per month, so that amount will be reduced. You don’t have to spend, you don’t have to show that money.
- If you have been in the UK on another route for at least 12 months, you do not need to show any maintenance parts. So those are the updates.
This is just a snippet from the UK government website. Again, I’ll provide the link so that you can read it. This is based on my understanding of the updates which are provided.
2. UK Skilled visa: job code and Going rate update
Now let’s move to update number two which is about the skilled skill visa. There’s one major update.
Appendix Skilled Worker, Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Immigration
Salary list
5.40 The updates made in HC 590 to occupation codes and going salary rates contained a
number of data/drafting errors, which are being corrected.
You may think this is just one liner, but no, the impact is huge. The line says the updates made in 8592 occupation codes and going salary rates contain a number of data and drafting errors which are being corrected. So what does this mean? So first of all, we already know in the UK for anyone to be sponsored on skill visa, there’s a job code and there’s a going rate to it.It looks like the job code was also wrong and the going rate was also wrong for few of the jobs, which is now corrected. What did the UK Home Office did on 28th of August 2024? They send a message to all the licensed sponsors in the UK. They have a system which is called SMS system, which is used for sponsor licence management system. And this was the message which was sent by saying, hey, there were some errors on the job code and the going rate for the list of the job codes, and hence this is fixed now. So make sure you review this and whenever you issue a new visa, it needs to be with the correct us and with the correct going rate. Now I was trying to find out if there are more details around it.You can discuss with your sponsor if you are already on a skill visa. If your visa was rejected or any ground because of the error, you can still go back and work with the solicitor to put forward your case so that your visa doesn’t get rejected again.
Which Codes were affected by the error?
If you compare the going rates in the Appendix Skilled Worker Occupation Codes link in the Rules and the above guidance, it appears the following Occupation Codes are impacted:
Codes under the standard going rate:
1163 Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services;
1253 Hairdressing and beauty salon managers and proprietors;
1257 Hire services managers and proprietors;
2112 Biological scientists;
2462 Probation officers;
2464 Youth work professionals;
3411 Artists;
3413 Actors, entertainers and presenters;
3429 Design occupations not elsewhere classified;
3512 Ship and hovercraft officers;
5232 Vehicle body builders and repairers;
5243 Tv, video and audio servicers and repairers;
5314 Roofers, roof tilers and slaters; and
8232 Marine and waterways transport operatives.
Codes under the lower going rate:
1134 Purchasing managers and directors;
1135 Charitable organisation managers and directors;
1162 Senior police officers;
1163 Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services;
1212 Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services;
1253 Hairdressing and beauty salon managers and proprietors;
1257 Hire services managers and proprietors;
2112 Biological scientists;
2141 Web design professionals;
2142 Graphic and multimedia designers;
2317 Teachers of English as a foreign language;
2435 Professional/chartered company secretaries;
2471 Librarians;
3224 Counsellors;
3314 Prison service officers (below principal officer);
3411 Artists;
3413 Actors, entertainers and presenters;
3422 Clothing, fashion and accessories designers;
3429 Design occupations not elsewhere classified;
3531 Brokers;
3572 Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists;
4113 Officers of non-governmental organisations;
5212 Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations;
5221 Metal machining setters and setter-operators;
5232 Vehicle body builders and repairers;
5235 Boat and ship builders and repairers;
5243 Tv, video and audio servicers and repairers;
5245 Security system installers and repairers;
5314 Roofers, roof tilers and slaters;
5423 Print finishing and binding workers; and
8232 Marine and waterways transport operatives.
So these are the job codes. Either the job codes are fixed or the going rate is fixed, which is very important.
3. UK Carer – Dependent visa update
Last update, which is regarding the dependents of care workers. Now, till now, I see there are questions about the dependence of care workers, whether they allowed or not allowed some of the questions, which I have already picked from my last POST, which I published last week. People are saying, hey, I’m on a student visa now, I’m moving to PSW but I have got a job as a carer. Can I bring a dependant? Given that I’m already in the UK, the answer is no. For people who are already applied for a carer visa before March this year, then you can bring your dependents. Say you were not married in Jan, but you got married only say in July now because your visa was granted before March this year. You can bring your dependent not because you are already in the UK, say on a student visa or any other visa dependent visa.
But you do not have a carer or senior carer visa. You cannot bring your dependent. This is the biggest confusion. Now I know you are reading somewhere different information about children. There was a big confusion about children whether they are allowed or not allowed.
5.41 In order to avoid leaving children of care workers already in the UK in a position
where they are unable to make extension applications and to comply with
safeguarding objectives, two further allowances are being added to the immigration
rules for dependants of care workers under the Skilled Worker route. This does not
alter the overall position that these workers cannot bring dependants to the UK, nor
can their dependent children switch from other routes if there is another parent who
can reasonably care for them overseas.
Two rules they have said for children. Now, for people who are already in the UK, what are they saying? These rules will help ensure the children can stay longer if needed and meet the safety standards.If you’re already in the UK and you are a single parent. Yeah, whether you are a mom or a dad, you can keep your children. And the rule two says if the children have another parent who can take care of them in another country, they cannot switch to stay in the UK. You are a single mom and your partner has a father of the child is in India, and if your father of the child can take care of the kids, they cannot stay with you. They need to go back. So this is only for single parent, either mom, single mom or single dad who are on a carer visa. And if you have a children, they can stay with you only if nobody else can take care of them, especially the partner in a different country. This is what I have understood.
There is no other changes about care. Workers can bring their dependents. No, there’s no change. You cannot bring your family, basically your partner or your children or people who are getting a new visa after March 2024. So those are the three major updates.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION RULES
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM TO THE STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION RULES PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT ON 10 SEPTEMBER 2024 (HC 217) , can go and check this. Thanks
UK JOBS & IMMIGRATION NEWS UPDATES
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