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.

https://destinydot.com/news/changes-to-uk-international-student-visas/

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.

JOIN WITH US WHATSAPP CHANNEL: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va4bIhd6GcGCVFJLgE2L

• -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

https://destinydot.com/news/hiring-foreign-workers/

https://destinydot.com/news/uk-visas-for-construction-workers/

https://destinydot.com/news/post-study-work-visa-2/

https://destinydot.com/news/uk-immigration-plans/

https://destinydot.com/news/immigration-enforcement-raids/

JOIN WITH US WHATSAPP CHANNEL: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va4bIhd6GcGCVFJLgE2L

UK Immigration Updates: Today we’ll cover the top four latest updates from the UK Home Office to good news and to not so good news for immigrants and cover everything that’s happening in the UK and how it will impact you.

Update Number 1. for professionals working in IT, Telecom, or Engineering in the UK.

Big changes might be coming your way, Let me give you some background. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has written to the chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, which is MAC, to commission a review of the IT and engineering sectors in relation to international recruitment. The aim of the review is to understand why employers within these sectors are overly reliant on international recruitment to fill skill gaps within their businesses. She mentioned in the letter that the new government is committed to bringing down the current high levels of migration and addressing ongoing skills shortages in the UK. As part of the review, the MAC has been asked to look at,

1. The types of jobs that are in shortage.
2. The reasons behind the shortages, such as training, pay and working conditions.
3. How employers in these sectors have tried to deal with the shortages besides hiring from overseas.
4. The impact of being on the shortage occupation list on these sectors or jobs.
5. What changes in the UK immigration system could encourage employers to hire more local workers, including whether the immigration salary list should stay the same.

Why this matters to you?

Because,
1.Your job security could be affected.
2.Bringing your family to the UK might become more challenging.
3.Competition for jobs could get tougher.
4.This could make it harder to get or renew your visa.
5.Salary requirements might increase.
However, the Migration Advisory Committee will be submitting our report with recommendations and suggestions to the government within nine months. So make sure to stay connected with me for the latest updates on this topic.

Update Number 2. Which is a big news for family visa.

UK government postpones increase in financial requirement for spouse visas. Few of you are still confused between family visa versus dependent visa. Now let me explain again and again. Family visa and spouse visa means the same thing. This visa is for family members of people who got British passport or island status. However, dependent visa is just for dependent visa of say different visa categories like school visa, student visa, PSW. So this new changes are for family visa, not for dependent visa.

JOIN WITH US WHATSAPP CHANNEL: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va4bIhd6GcGCVFJLgE2L

The Home Secretary has announced that the future increases in the financial requirement for spouse, visa and other family visas will be postponed, while the Migration Advisory Committee, which is Mak, conducts a full review. So let’s rewind a little bit. The previous government had increased the financial requirement from an annual income of 18,600 to 29,000. With further increases planned to eventually bring the annual figure to 38,700in 2025. Now, the Mac review is likely to take several months to be completed, so the financial requirement will remain at 29,000 during this time. Once that review is finalized, the Home Secretary will then decide what the annual figure should be. However, it’s important to note that anyone who applied for a visa while the financial requirement was 18,600, will remain at that lower level for future applications. This relates to anyone who applied before 11th of April 2024.

Update Number 3. 14,000 people can be at risk of deportation in UK

The UK government is making big changes to immigration. They want to deport 14,000 people by the end of this year, focusing on those whose immigration status is not clear or unresolved. If you’re wondering what not clear or unresolved immigration status means, well, it refers to situations where your legal right to stay in the country is uncertain, Uncertainty, such as,
1.Pending applications. You might have applied for a visa, asylum or residency, but the application is still being processed.
2.Expired visas. Your visa might have expired and you haven’t renewed it or applied for a new one.
3.Undocumented. You might have entered the country without proper documentation or overstayed your visa.
4.Legal issues. You might be involved in legal proceedings that affect your immigration status. The government is expanding detention centres and increasing immigration enforcement.

What should you do?

Make sure your immigration status is up to date. Seek legal advice if you are unsure.

Update Number 4. Which is on UK Riots Update.

Now, most of the students planning to start in September were worried and unsure whether to proceed with their plans or not. The good news is that the situation in the UK is now under control and the riots have stopped. If your flights are booked and your classes start in September do not postpone your plans any further. You don’t need to worry once you are in the UK. If you need local help and support, make sure to connect with INSA UK They are your home away from home. Inside is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the well-being and protecting the interests of Indian students coming to the UK. You can contact them at https://www.insauk.org/.

If you got any more questions for me, do let me know in the comment section below. Thanks

UK JOBS & IMMIGRATION NEWS UPDATES

https://destinydot.com/news/hiring-foreign-workers/

https://destinydot.com/news/uk-visas-for-construction-workers/

https://destinydot.com/news/post-study-work-visa-2/

https://destinydot.com/news/uk-immigration-plans/

https://destinydot.com/news/immigration-enforcement-raids/

JOIN WITH US WHATSAPP CHANNEL: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va4bIhd6GcGCVFJLgE2L

Chances of obtaining more UK visas for construction workers. Rayner suggested bringing in skilled migrants to fuel the housing boom. Seasonal visas, according to a think organisation, might address the workforce shortfall in the building industry.

According to a think group, increasing immigration to Britain is necessary to achieve Angela Rayner’s construction  boom.

According to a report by the Institute for Government (IfG), the Housing Secretary ought to think about relaxing immigration laws in order to meet the most ambitious housebuilding goal since the 1960s.

It asked Ms. Rayner to develop a plan for building skills, noting that in order to attract more foreign skilled labourers, visa regulations may need to be changed.

The IfG proposed using the standard agricultural visas for seasonal labourers to accomplish this.

According to Sophie Metcalfe, an IfG researcher, “the new Government has bold plans which set out encouraging first steps, but its housebuilding program poses huge delivery challenges as much as political ones.”

Ms. Metcalfe cautioned that attempts to meet the goal will be hampered by a shortage of construction workers brought on by the recent severe housing crisis.

Large home builders frequently depend on subcontractors, who falter in hard times and exacerbate the deficit.

“This creates critical labour shortages after a downturn, from which it takes time to recover,” the research stated. Since 2022, the homebuilding sector has been in decline; in order to reach the government’s targets, construction must be immediately ramped up from a standing start.

The warning follows the industry’s inability to deal with interest rates hitting a record high of fifteen years, which brought the housing market to a virtual halt.

Labour’s aspirations were further dashed on Thursday when the Office for National Statistics released numbers showing housing starts dropped to 162,350 in the year ending in March, a ten-year low.

Other organisations, like the Construction Skills Network, have issued warnings, stating that by 2028, there would be a need for 250,000 more construction workers due to the industry’s ageing workforce, low rate of influx, and improved growth prospects.

The government may not be too enthusiastic about calls to increase the number of foreign workers because, according to recent polls, immigration has emerged as a major source of concern for voters.

The IfG stated that by having Skills England, a new public organisation dedicated to enhancing training, create a strategy for the construction industry, the Government may assist prevent shortages of workers in this field.

But according to the article, the government’s temporary fix might be to relax the visa requirements.

“To enable more skilled construction workers from abroad to work in the UK, the Government may want to consider changing visa requirements where there are still labour market gaps. For example, construction workers could be sponsored by a scheme operator, similar to the seasonal agricultural worker scheme.”

A number of construction jobs were added to the shortage occupation list by the Conservative administration last year, which made it possible to waive the application fees and wage requirements for visas.

Among other jobs, they included bricklayers, carpenters, and plasterers.

The IfG also demanded that the Government retain the current housing secretary for the duration of this Parliament, pointing out that the tenure of previous ministers was, on average, nine months.

Additionally, the IfG asked Ms. Rayner to remain true to her pledge to prioritise national housing targets over local citizens’ objections.

JOIN WITH US WHATSAPP CHANNEL: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va4bIhd6GcGCVFJLgE2L

UK JOBS & IMMIGRATION NEWS UPDATES

https://destinydot.com/news/uk-immigration-update-3/

https://destinydot.com/news/uk-jobs-with-visa-sponsorship-in-2024/

https://destinydot.com/news/uk-student-visa-update/

https://destinydot.com/news/uk-companies-recruiting-in-august-2024/

https://destinydot.com/news/new-immigration-policies/