The UK government published press release on Sunday 11th May 2025 and started by ‘(…) immigration system will be radically reformed so the system is controlled, managed and fair under a landmark White Paper to be published tomorrow (Monday 12 May).’
The White Paper setting out the actual changes is due to be released today 12th May 2025 and it is highly anticipated.
The changes are radical and the impact will be across the various immigration routes including skilled workers & care workers, dependant family members, Indefinite Leave to Remain (permanent residence) and British Citizenship applications.
Skill level for work visas back to Level 6 graduate
New measures – skills thresholds for work visas will be returned to degree level – reversing a system that saw the proportion of lower-skilled visas issued increase between 2021 and 2024.
Raising the skilled visa threshold to RQF6 (graduate level) to reduce increasing numbers of lower-skilled workers coming to the UK – with salary thresholds reflecting the higher skill level.
For occupations below level 6, access to the immigration system will be strictly time-limited, granted only on the basis of strong evidence of shortages which are critical to the industrial strategy and where workforce strategies are drawn up so employers also commit to increasing domestic skills and recruitment. The shortage professions are currently listed in the Immigration Salary List which may be updated too and recruitment for those jobs tightened before a job can be given to a migrant worker.
Overseas recruitment for care workers to end
International recruitment for care workers will end under plans announced by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
According to the Home Office press release, there are around 40,000 care workers displaced, many of whom are ready to rejoin the workforce. They will be given the opportunity to do the jobs they were promised, while long-term plans are drawn up to train homegrown talent into the care sector.
International care workers who are already sponsored to work legally in the sector will be able to continue to extend their stay, change sponsors and apply to settle, including those who need to switch employers following a sponsor licence revocation.
10 years wait for settlement Indefinite Leave to Remain
Another UK government’s press release on 11th May 2025 suggests that standard will be for settlement Indefinite Leave to Remain after 10 years (rather than the current 5 years) unless certain conditions are met. ‘New contributions-based model will extend route to settlement from five to 10 years – with reductions for those who contribute to economy. The new system will end automatic settlement and citizenship for anyone living here for five years.’
‘Instead, migrants must spend a decade in the UK before applying to stay unless they can show a real and lasting contribution to the economy and society.’
Under a new framework to be rolled out high-skilled, high-contributing individuals who play by the rules and contribute to the economy and society would be fast-tracked, such as nurses, doctors, engineers and AI leaders.
The longer time to qualify for Indefinite Leave will of course also delay the time before someone can apply for the British citizenship.
English language requirement may be raised
The government will also raise English language requirements across every immigration route to ensure those wishing to live and work in the UK speak a higher standard of English. This may also include dependants of main applicants in work visa routes.
For the first time this will also extend to all adult dependents by requiring them to demonstrate a basic understanding of English – helping individuals integrate into their local community, find employment and reducing the risk of exploitation and abuse.
Graduate visas
There are also suggestions that the UK government will require that those who apply for Graduate visa will need to have job at Level 6 graduate level although it may be without setting a salary threshold.
Deportation rules to be changed
According to the UK government press release on 11th May 2025, new reforms to deportation and removal rules will make it easier to remove foreign criminals committing crimes in the UK.
Currently the Home Office is only informed of foreign nationals given prison sentences and deportation arrangements focus predominantly on those sentenced to more than a year in prison.
Under the new arrangements, the Home Office will be informed of all foreign nationals convicted of offences – not just those who receive prison sentences – and will be able to use wider removal powers on other crimes including swifter action to remove people who have recently arrived in the country but have already committed crimes.
The overhaul will make it easier to remove those who commit offences – including violence against women and girls, street and knife crimes – before the threat they pose escalates.
The Home Office will consider all offences, not just those that carry a 12-month custodial sentence, and strengthen powers to remove perpetrators of violence against women and girls.
Any foreign national placed on the Sex Offenders Register – regardless of sentence length – will be classed as having committed a ‘serious crime’ with no right to asylum protections in the UK.
British workers take priority before foreign recruitment
‘Employers will first need to develop domestic training plans to boost British skills and recruitment levels – increasing productivity and living standards for working people in the UK.’
The UK government pledges ‘Establishing the Labour Market Evidence Group (LMEG) to inform understanding of where sectors are overly reliant on overseas labour and reverse underinvestment in domestic skills.’
