LONDON, United Kingdom — The United Kingdom could make it easier for foreign professionals to qualify for work visas if the government adopts recommendations from the country’s independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) that propose lower salary requirements across several immigration routes.
Okay News reports that the proposals, focused on salary thresholds, are aimed at addressing labour shortages while maintaining competitive wage standards. If implemented, the changes could widen access to UK jobs for skilled foreign workers, including thousands of professionals from countries such as India and Nigeria who continue to seek employment opportunities in the country.
A major MAC recommendation is to reduce occupation-specific salary thresholds under the Skilled Worker visa route by basing salary requirements on the 25th percentile of earnings instead of the current median salary benchmark. This would effectively lower the minimum salary employers must offer for many sponsored roles.
The MAC recommends retaining the overall salary threshold of £41,700 (approximately $52,500), while also presenting an alternative option of £48,400 (approximately $61,000) for government consideration.
The proposed adjustment could improve access to sponsored roles in sectors including information technology, engineering, healthcare, construction, and education, where employers continue to face recruitment challenges.
The advisory body has recommended introducing a single salary threshold of £33,400 (approximately $42,100) for new entrants under the Skilled Worker route, designed to make it easier for younger professionals and recent graduates to enter the UK labour market without requiring employers to meet salary levels typically associated with experienced workers.
The MAC proposed scrapping salary discounts currently available to applicants holding PhD qualifications. Where postdoctoral salary concessions remain necessary, the MAC suggests replacing them with a single threshold of £41,700, applicable for a maximum period of four years.
The proposed changes also affect Global Business Mobility routes used by multinational companies to transfer employees into the UK. For Senior or Specialist Workers and UK Expansion Workers, the committee recommends that both general and occupation-specific salary requirements should be aligned with median earnings for each eligible occupation. Graduate Trainees would be subject to a single salary threshold of £33,400, with occupation-specific salary requirements removed.
The MAC proposed a minimum salary threshold of £30,900 (approximately $39,000) for jobs listed on the Temporary Shortage List. While such occupations may continue to receive immigration support, employers would still be required to offer salaries aligned with market rates.
The UK announced a broad increase in visa application fees for individuals applying from outside the country earlier in 2026. Short-term visit visas of up to six months rose from £127 (approximately $160) to £135 (approximately $170), while two-year visit visas now cost £506 (approximately $638), up from £475 (approximately $600). Five-year and ten-year visas increased to £903 (approximately $1,138) and £1,128 (approximately $1,422) respectively.
