New visa rule: Workers from Down Under to be kicked out of Britain under new visa rules if they earn less than £35,000 a year

 New visa rule changes are due to take effect in April in Britain

Australians working in Britain may not be able to stay there indefinitely

Non-European workers will have to earn at least £35,000 ($72,000) a year

They must earn this to be allowed to settle for longer than six years in UK

Under new visa rule changes due to take effect in April, Australians working in Britain may not be allowed to stay there indefinitely if they are on a lower income.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that it will mean non-European workers will have to earn at least £35,000 ($72,000) a year if they are to be allowed to settle for longer than six years in the UK.

It’s a move that will apply to those outside the European Economic Zone in an effort to sever the connection between those working and staying permanently in Britain.

The British government’s push to reduce migration numbers would see the numbers of non-European skilled workers settling in Britain drop each year from 60,000 to 20,000 under the change.

Australians make up one of the top nationalities that are given work visas in Britain, along with the likes of Indians and Americans.

A spokeswoman for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the Sydney Morning Herald that Australia had ‘made representations’ to the British government about the migration changes.

A petition that has been lodged with the British Parliament against the change has so far generated more than 70,000 signatures. However, it will need to reach 100,000 signatures if it is to be debated in Parliament. 

This follows a report in December from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that suggested the tightening of UK visa rules discriminates against Australians and could undermine the 'unique' bond between the two countries in the long term.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by News Corp, surveyed 100 Australian businesses operating in the UK and two-thirds said changes to visa rules would impact the ability to recruit Australians.

Currently, Australians who are hired by a UK firm and don't have the correct visa need to return home to switch visas. This is not the case for other nationalities.

'The UK's refusal to allow in-country switching deters employers and discriminates against Australians,' the report stated.  

More than half of the businesses surveyed, which staff between 10 and 10,000 people, said new visas would impact investment in the UK.

'The UK's visa changes are making this country a less welcoming destination for Australians,' the report stated.

'This potentially harms the UK's image and reputation in Australia, and might even in the long term undermine the unique Australia-UK bond.

It also came after the Australian High Commission warned that new visa changes would cause 'structural damage' to bilateral relations between the two countries.