Who is allowed to come to live in the UK?
By Tom Edgington & Tamara KovacevicBBC News
UK net migration hit 672,000 in the year to June 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
While the ONS said the latest figures indicated “a slowing of immigration”, last year’s net migration total was revised up to a record 745,000 – far higher than previously thought.
How many migrants come to the UK?
In the year ending June 2023, 1,180,000 people came to the UK expecting to stay for at least a year, and an estimated 508,000 departed.
That means net migration – which is the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving – stood at 672,000.
This represents a decrease on 2022, when a net migration reached a record 745,000.
The vast majority of people arriving in the UK were from countries outside the European Union (EU).
The latest figures show that 968,000 came from non-EU countries.
Study (39%) was the main reason for non-EU migrants to come, followed by work (33%) and humanitarian reasons (9%), according to the ONS release.
The top five non-EU nationalities were:
- Indian (253,000)
- Nigerian (141,000)
- Chinese (89,000)
- Pakistani (55,000)
- Ukrainian (35,000)
Official immigration data gathering was disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic and there have been considerable changes to the way the figures are collected.
How many students come to the UK?
In the 12 months to the end of September 2023, the government issued 486,107 study visas.
Half of those were granted to Indian and Chinese nationals.
Students from Nigeria were the next most common nationality of student visa holders, followed by Pakistan and the United States.
Students on postgraduate courses could also apply for visas for qualifying dependants: a husband, wife, civil or unmarried partner and any children under 18 years old.
In the year ending September 2023, 152,980 visas were issued to dependants.
However, on 23 May, the government announced it was removing, from 2024, the right for international students to bring dependants unless they were on postgraduate courses designated as research programmes.
Students who have already completed their degree can stay in the UK for two years (three years for those with a doctoral degree) to work under a graduate visa. In the year to the end of September 2023, 104,501 such visas were issued, excluding dependents.
How has Brexit changed immigration?
Before Brexit, European Union and UK citizens had the freedom to live, work or study in any EU country without needing a work visa.
However, this freedom of movement came to an end on 1 January 2021.
In the 12 months to June 2023, net EU migration was -86,000. This means more EU nationals left the UK than arrived.
Net migration of non-EU nationals – the difference between those arriving and those leaving – was 768,000.
Net migration of British nationals was -10,000. More British people left the UK than came back.
What are the current visa rules for economic migrants?
Most people wanting to work in the UK have to apply for a visa through a points-based system (PBS).
A points system was first adopted by the Labour government in 2008, when it applied to migrants from non-EU countries. It was then overhauled by the Conservatives after the Brexit vote.
The current PBS – which covers EU and non-EU migrants – was launched at the end of 2020.
How does the points-based system work?
Applicants need enough points to qualify for a skilled worker visa.
All applicants need to get the initial 50 points from having a job offer above a minimum skill level and speaking English.
The remaining 20 points may come from a combination of salary, working in a shortage occupation or having a relevant PhD.
The standard fee for a skilled visa is usually between £719 and £1,500 and applicants also have to pay the £624 healthcare surcharge for each year of their stay.
What is the ‘shortage occupation list’?
A “shortage occupation list” exists to help employers fill certain roles. These jobs have a lower salary threshold, making it easier for applicants to gain the required number of points to get a visa.
Jobs currently on the list include:
- care workers
- graphic designers
- construction workers
- vets
The government updates the list based on advice from an independent group of experts – called the Migration Advisory Committee.
What about seasonal workers?
Temporary workers such as fruit pickers and poultry workers are covered by seasonal worker visas.
For 2023 and 2024 there are between 45,000 and 55,000 seasonal worker visas available, plus another 2,000 for poultry workers.
There is an application fee of £298. Workers must be paid at the the minimum wage.
