In an effort to address immigration concerns, the UK government is set to announce a crackdown that will prohibit most foreign students from bringing their families to Britain, according to an exclusive report by The Sun.
However, the Home Office’s proposal to raise the salary threshold for foreign workers from £26,000 to £33,000 has been rejected by No10.
This move comes as official figures, expected to be released this Thursday, indicate a significant surge in net migration to 1 million, causing a growing number of Conservative MPs to express alarm and call for Rishi Sunak to take action.
Ministers are now rushing to unveil the immigration clampdown, which is likely to be announced on Tuesday or Wednesday in an attempt to get ahead of the concerning statistics. Under these measures, all master’s students and many other postgraduates will be barred from bringing their families to the UK.
However, the ban will not apply to PhD students, who are typically highly skilled and pursue courses lasting between 3 and 5 years. Although Home Secretary Suella Braverman and her deputy Robert Jenrick supported lifting the salary threshold, their recommendations were overruled due to opposition from the Treasury.
Currently, foreign workers must meet a £26,000 salary threshold to relocate to Britain. The Home Office had proposed increasing this threshold to £33,000, aligning it with the average wage of workers in the country. Nevertheless, this proposal was not accepted.