Effective April 12, 2023, immigration changes from the UK Home Office will impact minimum wage thresholds for Skilled Worker visas, the Global Business Mobility Expansion Worker visa for Australians, and the Youth Mobility Scheme for New Zealanders.
Minimum Salary Threshold Changes for Skilled Worker Visas
The Home Office will increase the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker visa applications that include the following:
- Standard Skilled Worker visa: from £25,600 to £26,200.
- Skilled Worker visa (PhD): from £23,040 to £23,580.
- Skilled Worker visa (PhD STEM, skills shortage and new entrant): from £20,480 to £20,960.
Additionally, the minimum hourly rates will rise from £10.10 to £10.75.
Change to Expansion Worker Visa for Australians
This Global Business Mobility UK Expansion Worker route will be modified to align with the UK’s commitment under the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Australian nationals and permanent residents entering the UK to open a branch or subsidiary of their Australian employer will not need to demonstrate that they have worked for their overseas employer for 12 months prior to the coming to the UK. The individual must already work for the overseas business as either a senior manager or specialist employee.
Changes to the Youth Mobility Scheme for New Zealanders
The Youth Mobility Scheme route provides cultural exchange programs for young people within certain countries like Australia, Canada, and Iceland, among others. The UK’s existing reciprocal and bilateral arrangement with New Zealand has been amended to the following:
- The maximum age range has been expanded from 30 to 35.
- The length of stay is being increased from two to three years.
For specific questions, please reach out to the T&S (Tafapolsky & Smith) EMEA global team for a consultation.
