The UK government put forward a statement of changes to the Immigration Rules on 9th March. It’s no secret that immigration is already quite a controversial policy this year, and staying up-to-date about all the changes can be difficult. But don’t worry because we are going to discuss all the important ones in this blog.
Innovator Founder Route
In 2019, the Innovator Visa had relatively strict eligibility requirements, but the newly introduced Innovator Founder route seems promising for individuals genuinely interested in setting up a business in the UK. The new route will become available for new applicants from 13 April 2023. Most importantly, the Start-Up route will not cater to new applications and sponsorships from 13 April 2023.
Another good thing about the new Innovator Founder route is that it doesn’t demand applicants have £50,000 while applying. Plus, the new permits allow holders to seek employment elsewhere while running their businesses. All of this is being done in the hopes of attracting talented and skilled business people to the UK. Of course, the UK government wishes to strengthen the country’s economy by attracting new investments and opening this route for more applicants.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Scheme
Strengthening border security has been one of the top priorities of the UK immigration policy this year, and the introduction of the electronic travel authorization (ETA) scheme proves it.
This scheme is for people belonging to specific countries who don’t need a visa to visit or travel through the UK. The ETA scheme will become operational from 15 November 2023 for people coming from Qatar. It will, later on, be extended to the citizens of Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE from 15 February.
However, the process of this newly developed scheme isn’t disclosed yet. Regardless, we know that more nations will be added to their scheme in separate phases, and it will become mandatory for visitors who don’t require visas to visit the UK for a short period.
Increased Salary Requirements For Different Visa Routes
In other news, the minimum salary requirement for the Skilled Worker route is now £26,200 instead of £25,600 because of the rising inflation. Similarly, the government has increased the salary requirements for the Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist route to £45,800 and £24,220 respectively. Plus, the salary requirement for the Scale-up Worker visa is now £34,600
All prospective applicants applying for visas under these routes should be fully aware of these changes to avoid refusals in case of non-compliance.
We hope you found this information helpful. Follow our blogs for the latest updates and informative content on UK immigration.
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