James Cleverly has begun unveiling a five point plan to tackle migration, in a move which could cut migration by up to 300,000.

He claimed the move will be the "biggest ever reduction" in migration.

The Foreign Secretary said that today's measures will mean 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would now be denied visas.

Cleverly said the Government will raise the minimum salary threshold for work visas to £38,700 and ban care workers from bringing dependents.

It will also scrap the shortage occupation list and replace it with a new Immigration Salary List.

The Government will raise the income needed to bring family into the UK to £38,700 and review the graduate visa route.

Cleverly told the Commons: “From January 2024, the right for international students to bring dependants will be removed unless they are on postgraduate courses designated as a research programme. We always want to attract the global brightest and best.

“We have also stopped international students from switching out of the student route into work routes before their studies have been completed. These changes will have a tangible impact on net migration.”

“Around 153,000 visas were granted to dependants of sponsored students in the year ending September 2023, today I can announce that we will go even further than those provisions already in place, with a five-point plan to further curb immigration abuses that will deliver the biggest ever reduction in net migration.”

He added: “In total, this package, plus our reduction in students' dependants will mean around 300,000 fewer people will come in future years than have come to the UK last year.”

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