London: Highly skilled migrants, including those from India, who wish to go to UK will have to show they have a solid bank account to support themselves and their families during the initial months in Britain, before they can apply for visa.

Detailed Home Office guidance for the new points-based system indicated that each highly skilled migrant must show that they have at least in their bank account the local equivalent of £2,800 for themselves and £1,600 for each family member or £7,600 for a family of four for sustenance for three months.

The new rules require overseas students who want to come to Britain to study for 12 months or more to show they have £9,600 pounds for themselves and £535 for each dependent in addition to the funds to pay their fees in full.

A Home Office spokesman said that the £2,800 represented a cash reserve for highly skilled migrants to support themselves for just over three months as they were not entitled to public funds. The student rate of £800 a month followed a British Council recommendation.

“We think this is a fair, reasonable amount to require them to have,” the spokesman said.