Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to ensure that internationally recruited health and care workers on Band 3 salaries will be able to renew their visas after the proposed salary threshold increase.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Salary thresholds are an important way of ensuring those coming to work in the UK are able to support themselves. These workers do not have access to public funds so it is important a rate is set which will ensure people are earning sufficient income without having to rely on public funds. A number of health and care and education occupations are subject to lower rates of pay than other occupations.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been asked to consider whether there should continue to be a different threshold for health and care worker visas. We look forward to receiving the MAC’s recommendations in due course.
Individuals who are sponsored in the roles at band 3 before the rules changed on 22 July will be eligible to extend their visa providing they meet all of the requirements at the time including being paid the appropriate salary. Salary thresholds and going rates are routinely updated and sponsored workers will need to meet the salary requirements in place at the time when they apply for their visa to be renewed.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take into account NHS-agreed pay scales when setting salary thresholds for Health and Care Worker visa renewals.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Salary thresholds are an important way of ensuring those coming to work in the UK are able to support themselves. These workers do not have access to public funds so it is important a rate is set which will ensure people are earning sufficient income without having to rely on public funds. A number of health and care and education occupations are subject to lower rates of pay than other occupations.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been asked to consider whether there should continue to be a different threshold for health and care worker visas. We look forward to receiving the MAC’s recommendations in due course.
Individuals who are sponsored in the roles at band 3 before the rules changed on 22 July will be eligible to extend their visa providing they meet all of the requirements at the time including being paid the appropriate salary. Salary thresholds and going rates are routinely updated and sponsored workers will need to meet the salary requirements in place at the time when they apply for their visa to be renewed.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the guidance entitled Immigration Rules, updated 10 October 2024, whether the rules applicable to a person with a Skilled Workers visa are those (a) currently in place or (b) when a person's leave was granted.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The most recent changes relating to the Skilled Worker immigration rules will apply to all applications made using a certificate of sponsorship issued from 8 October 2024. These changes were corrections to the salary going rates for the Skilled Worker route which came into force in April 2024.
Changes made to the rules for partner and dependent child of a person will apply to all outstanding applications by Skilled Workers, and their dependents, regardless of the dates the applications were made, so they can benefit from the new provisions.
These changes only affect applications which have yet to be decided. They do not apply to applications which have already been granted.