New laws to cut migration and put British workers first in force

Summary:

The UK government has introduced new measures to reshape its immigration system. Key changes include:

An increase in the general salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas from u00a326,200 to u00a338,700, to focus on recruiting high-skilled workers and reducing net migration.
The abolition of the shortage occupation list, replacing it with a new Immigration Salary List (ISL), which will only include roles that are skilled, in shortage, and sensible to include.
Encouragement for employers to invest in training, upskilling, and hiring domestic workers first.
The introduction of an accelerated and comprehensive programme of reforms to address unsustainable numbers of legal arrivals in the UK.

These changes aim to prioritize the brightest and best who have the skills the UK economy needs, while reducing overall numbers. The government has also taken action to address illegal migration, with small boat crossings decreasing by around a third last year.