Monday 12 May marked a significant day for UK immigration law as UK PM Keir Starmer announced an ambitious plan to overhaul the current system and bring migration levels down significantly.
The 76-page UK immigration white paper outlines bold measures aimed at prioritising domestic skills development with proposals including the closure of the health and care work visa route for social care works, increasing the English language requirement threshold for both main applicants and their dependants as well as increasing the standard five year route to settlement to ten years.
At Visa Positive, we’re here to break down what these changes mean for you, whether you’re a skilled worker, international student, or family migrant.
Work Visas
- Skilled Worker visas will be limited to roles at RQF Level 6 and above (equivalent to graduate-level qualifications). This reverses the 2020 decision which allowed A-level equivalent roles (RQF Level 3) to qualify. Salary thresholds to also increase.
- The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) will rise by 32%—its first increase since 2017. The revenue has been earmakred for training and upskilling the current UK workfoce.
- No new overseas applications will be accepted under the social care visa from 2025. Those already in the UK on this route can extend their visas until 2028.
- Lower-skilled workers under the temporary shortage cccupation list will face tighter restrictions on bringing family members. Across all categories, salary requirements for sponsoring dependants will increase.
Students
- Educational institutions will need to meet enhanced compliance standards to continue hosting international students.
- The graduate route will be reduced from the current 24 months to 18 months.
- A proposed levy on international student tuition fees may be introduced, with the proceeds reinvested in UK higher education.
Family Route, Settlement & Citizenship
- The qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain [Settlement] will be increase to ten years instead of five. This may be shortened for those who contribute significantly to the UK’s economy or society.
- Naturalisation requirements will be revised to reflect the new settlement policies.
- The family route would see it’s first major overhaul since 2012 clearer [maybe increased] expectations around income, relationship genuineness, and English language proficiency.
What the new UK immigration proposals mean for you
Whether you’re planning to come to the UK or are already here on a visa, these changes may impact your long-term plans. From new thresholds and fees to altered timelines for settlement and stricter compliance for sponsors — forward planning is now more important than ever.
🤙 Schedule a consultation and stay ahead of these upcoming changes.