News and updates from the world of staff immigration in 2023.
Visit our immigration news page for updates from this year.
From 31 January 2024, the following will come into effect:
Unmarried partners
Visa applicants who are applying as dependants but are not married to the main visa holder will no longer have to prove that they have been living with the main applicant for at least two years. The wording of the requirement has changed:
“Partner” means a person’s:
(a) spouse; or
(b) civil partner; or
(c) unmarried partner, where the couple have been living together in a relationship similar to marriage or a civil partnership for at least two years.
Visitor visas
- The Permitted Paid Engagement route has been removed; activities are now listed under Appendix Visitor.
- Visitors may undertak activites remotely within the UK, provided this is not the primary purpose of the visit.
- Scientists, researchers and academics may now collaborate with, and conduct research on, a specific project which directly relates to their employment overseas but only if their stay is for 6 months or less. Academic Visitor visa holders whose stay is for 6-12 months cannot undertake collaborative research.
Please see:
- Updated Visitor pages
- Visitor tool
- Slides from our recent briefing (recording available soon)
7 December 2023
On 4 December 2023 the UK Government announced wide-ranging measures aimed at reducing net legal migration to the UK. These include:
- abolishing the 20% ‘going rate’ discount rate for the Shortage Occupation List (SOL);
- reviewing and replacing the SOL with a new Immigration Salary List (ISL);
- increasing the Skilled Worker visa salary threshold by nearly 50%;
- increasing the minimum income requirement for those joining on a family visa to £38,700 (phased approach starting at £29,000).
The changes will come into effect on 4 Aprill 2024.
Shortage Occupation List
The SOL is a list of occupations in which the UK Government deems there is a shortage of suitable skilled labour in the UK, and where it is considered appropriate to fill those shortages with migrant workers through a Skilled Worker visa. The advantages of jobs on the SOL are that they benefit from a lower minimum salary threshold and also a lower visa fee.
The Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), an independent public body sponsored by the Home Office, to undertake a rapid review of the SOL to ensure that the new ISL is fit for purpose, and this report has now been published. The MAC recommends that 8% of jobs eligible for Skilled Worker be on the ISL (down from 30% on the SOL). For us, the relevant roles are:
| SOC code | Description | Salary threshold if on ISL |
| 2112 | Biological scientists | £37,100 |
| 2115 | Social and humanities scientists (archaeologists only) | £36,400 |
| 3111 | Laboratory technician (3+ years experience required) | £30,960 |
These are currently only recommendations. We will update further once the UK government publishes its response.
Skilled Worker salary threshold
For those submitting an initial Skilled Worker visa application on or after 4th April 2024, the minimum salary is likely to increase significantly. This will be different for each job - salary must meet the higher of (a) the general threshold, which will increase from £26,200 to £38,700, and (b) the 'going rate' for the job, which we do not yet know.
However, we do know that:
- the 'New Entrant' salary discount will continue; and
- salaries of existing Skilled Worker visa holders will not need to be increased to meet the new minimum; and
- when existing Skilled Worker visa holders come to apply to extend their permission, move to a new UK employer ('change of employment' applications) or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, the new minimum will not apply.
We will update this page when further information is available.
4 December 2023
The cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), aka the NHS Surcharge, will increase in early 2024 (16 January at the earliest). A draft Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2023 was laid before Parliament on 19 October 2023 and the new fees will come into effect on the later of (a) 16 January 2024 and (b) 3 weeks after the Order is approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The new fees will be as follows:
- Student or Youth Mobility Scheme visa: £776 per year of visa (currently £470)
- Visa and immigration applicants who are under the age of 18 at time of application: £776 per year of visa (currently £470)
- All other visa and immigration applications: £1,035 per year of visa (currently £624)
24 October 2023
Until recently, the ATAS website has stated that applications will take at least 20 working days between October and March, and at least 30 working days between April and September. However, this has now been updated as follows:
"How long applications take
Student and researcher ATAS applications take at least 30 working days (6 full weeks) to process.
To ensure fairness and consistency we process applications in order of receipt. There is no ‘fast track’ service. You should submit your ATAS application as early as possible."
Date changes come into effect: 10 October 2023
Date of announcement: 10 October 2023
Biometric residence permits (BRPs) will now be delivered to home addresses in the UK by Royal Mail Group. The service will continue in a similar way to the previous provider; however the key differences are as follows:
- A signature is no longer required to receive the BRP, it will be posted through the letterbox or mailbox. However, if this is not possible, it will not be left in a designated 'safe place' or delivered to a neighbour; the individual will need to arrange redelivery or collection from Royal Mail’s local delivery office, details of which will be provided on the ‘Something for you’ card.
- Once the BRP has been produced and collected by Royal Mail for delivery, the individual will no longer be able to change the delivery address, so should ensure that their address details are kept up to date with UKVI.
Please see an image of the branded BRP delivery envelope, and a frequently asked questions document which provides further information about the service.
Date changes come into effect: 18 September 2023
Date of announcement: 27 September 2023
The UK government has announced that from 4 October 2023, certain visa or immigration fees will increase, as summarised below. Where possible, international staff applying for a visa should do so before 4 October to avoid these planned increases.
In addition, there is a planned increase to the NHS surcharge from £624 per year to £1,035 per year (£776 per year for dependants under 18). The government has announced that this will be scheduled for late 2023/early 2024. We will let institutions know when the date is known.
| Cost type | Current fee | Fee from 4 Oct |
| Skilled Worker Visa Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) | £199 | £239 |
| Temporary Worker GAE Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) | £21 | £25 |
| Skilled Worker/dependant visa – up to 3 years validity, applying outside the UK | £625 | £719 |
| Skilled Worker/dependant visa – up to 3 years validity, applying inside the UK | £1,235 | £1,420 |
| Skilled Worker/dependant visa – more than 3 year & up to 5 year validity, applying outside the UK | £719 | £827 |
| Skilled Worker/dependant visa – more than 3 year & up to 5 year validity, applying inside the UK | £1,423 | £1,500 |
| Global Talent visa - initial | Endorsement: £456 Visa: £167 |
Endorsement: £524 Visa: £192 |
| Global Talent visa - extension | £623 | £716 |
| Global Talent dependant visa | £623 | £716 |
| Temporary Worker GAE/dependant visa | £259 | £298 |
| Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) | £2,404 | £2,885 |
| British citizenship (naturalisation) | £1,250 | £1,500 |
| Super Priority ‘fast-track’ visa service (24 hour decision) applying inside the UK | £800 | £1000 |
| Super Priority ‘fast-track’ visa service (24 hour decision) applying outside the UK | £956 | £1000 |
| Priority ‘fast-track’ visa service (5 day decision) applying outside the UK | £250 | £500 |
This list is not exhaustive - please see the government’s website for changes to other immigration fees.
The University operates a visa loan scheme to assist with the costs of most of the visa application types being increased.
Date changes come into effect: 4 October 2023
Date of announcement: 21 September 2023
Without giving advance notice of its implementation, the Home Office has altered its rules on the timings for Tier 4/Student visa holders to switch into work visa routes, such as Skilled Worker and Global Talent.
Prior to this rule change, Tier 4/Student visa holders could switch into these visa routes at any time whilst pursing their studies. With immediate effect, Student visa holders can now only apply to switch into work visa routes in the following circumstances:
- Undergraduate and Masters students: cannot start work on a work visa until they have completed their course and can provide evidence of this. Completion is the earlier of (a) the course end date on their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) or (b) confirmation of early completion from Student Registry or, for external students, the equivalent in their awarding institution. They do not need to have been awarded their degree.
- PhD students: can start work on a work visa 24 months after the course start date on their current CAS.
The University, along with all other employers in the UK, was given no advance notice of this change. If you have concerns about how this may impact any ongoing recruitment you may have, please send us an email.
Date changes come into effect: 17 July 2023
Date of announcement: 23 July 2023
The following countries are added to the list of nationalities who must obtain a UK visa before travelling to the UK:
- Dominica
- Honduras
- Namibia
- Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Please see the UK government's website for the full list.
There is a transition period until 16 August 2023, where nationals of these countries who hold a confirmed booking made on or before 15:00 BST on 19 July 2023 can still arrive without having been granted a visa in advance.
Date changes come into effect: 19 July 2023
Date of announcement: 19 July 2023
This will affect some of our most-used SOC codes as follows:
| SOC code | % change in 'going rate' minimum |
| 2112 Biological scientists and biochemists | + 0.98% (shortage occupation) |
| 2114 Social and humanities scientists | - 1.16% |
| 2119 Natural and social science professionals | + 4.85% |
| 2135 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers | + 0.98% (shortage occupation) |
| 2136 Programmers and software development professionals | + 0.98% (shortage occupation) |
| 2311 Higher education teaching professionals | + 1.23% |
| 2426 Business and related research professionals | + 4.71% |
| 2429 Business, research and administrative professionals | + 11.28% |
| 2452 Archivists and curators | + 3.81% |
| 3111 Laboratory technicians | + 0.98% (shortage occupation) |
| 3131 IT operations technicians | + 0.82% |
| 3132 IT user support technicians | -2.46% |
Please see our Skilled Worker salary webpages for full details of the revised minimum salary levels.
Date changes come into effect: any Skilled Worker Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) issued on or after 12 April 2023
Date of announcement: 9 March 2023