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The United Kingdom announced on Thursday that the minimum income threshold required to sponsor a family member’s visa in the country has been increased, as part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plans to cut down immigration levels. Effective immediately, the income benchmark has been increased from 18,600 pounds to 29,000 pounds – an increase of more than 55 per cent – with a subsequent increase to 38,700 pounds slated for early next year.
“Today’s change comes as the Home Secretary meets his commitment to implement his major package of reforms to the immigration system within weeks of announcing them – which came following the unveiling of measures to tighten the student visa route in May 2023,” the UK government said in a statement.
Immigration is one of the key poll issues ahead of general elections in the UK this year, with surveys indicating that Mr Sunak’s party, the Conservatives, is heading for a heavy defeat. The new regulations are part of Mr Sunak’s plan to “cut unsustainable and unfair levels of migration, and ensure those arriving here do not burden the taxpayer”.
UK’s Interior Minister James Cleverly, explaining the rationale behind the latest policy change, said it is important to mitigate the strains posed by mass migration. “We have reached a tipping point with mass migration. There is no simple solution or easy decision which cuts numbers to levels acceptable to the British people,” he said.
Cleverly stressed the UK government’s commitment to safeguarding British workers and wages while ensuring that those relocating to the UK do not become reliant on public funds.
The revised income requirement seeks to ensure that families seeking to reunite in the UK show self-sufficiency, with provisions allowing for various means of meeting the threshold, including savings and income from employment.
“I promised action and we have delivered at remarkable speed. We’ve acted to cut unsustainable numbers, to protect British workers and their wages, to ensure those bringing family to the UK do not burden taxpayers, and to build an immigration system fit for the future – and one the public can rightly have confidence in,” Cleverly added.
In addition to the alterations in income thresholds, the UK government also implemented stringent regulations on student visas, alongside a substantial 66 per cent escalation in the health surcharge for foreign nationals accessing the National Health Service (NHS).
With current immigration figures hovering at 745,000, the UK government aims to cut it down to 300,000.
In an unprecedented leap towards the stars, pilot Gopichand Thotakura is set to become the first Indian to venture into space as a tourist. Selected as part of the elite crew for Blue Origin’s New Shephard-25 (NS-25) mission, Mr Thotakura will make a journey beyond the Earth’s atmosphere along with five other candidates.
Gopichand Thotakura, an entrepreneur and pilot, joins a distinguished lineup of 31 candidates who have flown beyond the Karman line, the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.
A connoisseur of the skies since his youth, Mr Thotakura’s passion for flight saw him defy conventional norms, learning to pilot aircraft before mastering the art of driving. To further his passion, he graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science.
Describing him, Blue Origins wrote, “Gopi is a pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he could drive. Gopi pilots bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes, as well as gliders and hot air balloons, and has served as an international medical jet pilot. A lifelong traveler, his most recent adventure took him to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.”
Born in Vijayawada, the 30-year-old currently runs Preserve Life Corp, a global center for holistic wellness and applied health located near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Each member of the NS-25 mission will carry a postcard on behalf of Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, symbolizing the collective dreams and aspirations of young minds worldwide.
#NewShepard #NS25 crew will include Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Ed Dwight, Ken Hess, Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura. Read more 🚀: https://t.co/KbAJkbRTvj pic.twitter.com/8QBFYPJkYj
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 4, 2024
From an environmental standpoint, the NS-25 mission heralds a new era of sustainability in space exploration.
“Nearly 99% of New Shepard’s dry mass is reused, including the booster, capsule, engine, landing gear, and parachutes. New Shepard’s engine is fueled by highly efficient liquid oxygen and hydrogen. During flight, the only byproduct is water vapor with no carbon emissions,” Blue Origins said in their statement.
The launch date for the mission is yet to be announced.
The mission also includes former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, who was selected by US President John F Kennedy in 1961 as the country’s first Black astronaut candidate but was never granted the opportunity to fly to space.
Blue Origin has carried out six crewed flights — some passengers were paying customers and others were guests — since July 2021, when CEO Jeff Bezos himself took part in the first.
The company is also developing a heavy rocket for commercial purposes called New Glenn, with the maiden flight planned for next year.
This rocket, which measures 98 meters (320 feet) high, is designed to carry payloads of as much as 45 metric tons into low Earth orbit.