The upcoming increase in minimum salaries for sponsored work visas, set to take effect on April 4, 2024 (with family visas following suit on April 11), has prompted employers to evaluate their workforce composition and visa statuses.
With the new threshold set at £38,700, employers are scrutinizing the visa types of their employees whose salaries fall below this mark. Visa categories like Youth Mobility, Graduate, and High Potential visas come with capped durations and cannot be renewed beyond their maximum validity period.
For employees under such visas whose salaries won’t reach the £38,700 threshold by the end of their visa term, employers must assess the feasibility of transitioning them to sponsored visas before April 4, even if the current visa still has a substantial duration remaining. This proactive approach mitigates the risk of potential termination due to unattainable sponsorship criteria. From the employee’s perspective, it provides added job security and initiates the countdown toward their settlement as skilled workers.
While there’s still time to orchestrate these transitions before April, sponsors requiring a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) allocation must act promptly due to current delays in the system.
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