>>509129549
>>509129692
5. Lowered the general salary threshold from £30,000 to £25,600
External Driver:

University Sector + NHS Trusts + SMEs

Claimed that the £30k threshold would prevent vital jobs from being filled (nurses, lab techs, early career scientists).

Russell Group + Universities UK lobbied hard for this.
Result: Salary floor dropped to allow more visa applicants.

6. Reintroduced post-study work visa (2 years)
External Driver:

UK University Sector (especially Russell Group)

Tuition fees from international students = £8+ billion per year.

Falling visa appeal risked bankruptcy for several universities.
Result: Post-study visa reintroduced to attract student enrollment.

7. Issued humanitarian visas with no caps or sunset clauses
External Driver:

UNHCR + Refugee Convention 1951 + ECHR Article 3

Legal obligation under international law to process asylum and humanitarian claims.

Cannot apply arbitrary caps due to non-refoulement principle.
Result: No caps possible without breaking treaties.

8. Allowed dependents to join care workers and postgrad students (later reversed)
External Driver:

UN Family Reunification Obligations + Student Lobby Groups

Right to family life protected under Article 8 ECHR.

Reversals only occurred later under immense public backlash and legal workarounds.
Result: Initially allowed due to legal pressures; later reversed tactically.