Self – sponsorship Visa Route Gaining Momentum in the UK, Claims AY & H Solicitors, London, UK

Explaining the rationale, Dubal adds, “At A Y & J Solicitors, we expect to see the numbers of Skilled Work visas issued continue to decline during 2024, and the share of visas going to different industries is also likely to change due to higher salary thresholds being introduced earlier this year. This measure is expected to affect lower-paying industries such as hospitality the most. And while increased salary thresholds do not apply to Health and Care visas, holders can no longer bring dependents with them, making this category less attractive. Increased scrutiny on applications also makes it important for applicants to seek professional expertise when applying.”

The Skilled Worker route, the largest single work visa category, saw the most growth—almost 200,000 visas were granted (to principal applicants) in 2023, more than three times the number granted in 2021. In the first half of 2024, these figures fell sharply, driven by a reduction in Health and Care visa grants (Health and Care visas are a category of Skilled Worker visas and are included in overall figures).

Up until 2021, the number of Skilled Worker visas issued to non-EU workers remained stable at around 20,000 to 30,000 a year. Since then, they have risen dramatically. In the year ending December 2023, 200,000 Skilled Worker visas were issued to non-EU workers. However, that figure dropped to 175,000 in the year ending March 2024 and has continued to decline. Much of this growth was driven by the increase in work visas for medium skilled jobs in the health and care sectors.

Overall, Indian citizens received more main applicant work visas than any other nationality (22%), primarily because of their high take-up of Skilled Worker visas—indeed, over a quarter of Skilled Worker visa grants were to Indians, both in the health sector and in all other industries. Indian workers made up 27% of all Health and Care worker visa holders and 26% of all Skilled Worker visa holders excluding Health and Care visas.

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