From April people will be deported for earning less than £35,000

From next month, non-EU migrants earning less than £35,000 will be forced to leave.

The new Home Office policy, which comes into force on April 6, applies to all overseas workers who have been in the UK for five years on a Tier 2 visa.

If they can’t prove that they’re earning more than £35,000, they will be denied settlement and will face deportation.

Teachers, IT professionals and journalists could all be badly affected.
A petition launched at the beginning of the year called for the threshold to be reconsidered – it gathered more than 100,000 signatures and was debated in parliament last week.

To settle in the UK as a skilled worker, non-EU migrants need to have a Tier 2 visa. For this you need:

• An offer for a job in the UK that pays at least £20,800
• Have had at least £945 in your bank account for 90 days
• A certificate of sponsorship from your employer (which can cost between £536 and £1,476)
• To pay a £200 annual healthcare surcharge
• To prove your English language proficiency

After five years on this visa, skilled workers are able to apply for ‘indefinite leave to remain’ – and this is what is about to change.

From April, anyone applying for indefinite leave to remain will need to earn at least £35,000.