The British government is planning to introduce significant changes to visa and immigration laws in an effort to cut migration and tighten control over who can live and work in the country.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government says the overhaul is necessary to end what it describes as a “failed experiment” of mass immigration and to bring down the number of people entering the United Kingdom (UK) through legal routes. The announcement was made on Sunday, May 11, ahead of the official unveiling of the government’s “Immigration White Paper” in Parliament on Monday.
The changes are part of a broader plan to reduce net migration, which stood at 7,28,000 in the 12 months to June 2024. Indian nationals were by far the largest nationality coming to the UK in that period, accounting for 20 per cent of overall immigration, followed by Nigerian and Pakistani citizens (10 per cent and eight per cent respectively).
Under pressure from growing public concern and the rise of the anti-immigration Reform UK party, Starmer said the new rules would restore “control” over the immigration system and ensure that only those who contribute meaningfully to the UK would be allowed to stay.
Care worker recruitment from overseas will be halted. Interior minister Yvette Cooper, who will present the white paper to parliament, said the Labour government will change rules to ensure this.
Instead, UK businesses will be expected to hire British workers or extend the visas of care workers already in the country.
Under the proposed UK visa laws, skilled worker visas will only be issued for graduate-level jobs. Under the new plans, high-skilled individuals, such as nurses, doctors, engineers and artificial intelligence (AI) leaders, would be fast-tracked.
The education threshold for Skilled Worker Visas is expected to be increased to a graduate level. This will ensure that skilled workers immigrating to the UK have a degree.
According to a news report, English language rules will also be strengthened, and all adult dependents will be required to demonstrate a basic understanding.
All adult dependents of visa holders will be required to demonstrate basic English skills upon arrival. They will need to pass an A1-level English test, which involves understanding simple phrases and answering basic personal questions (such as where they live or work).
When workers or their families apply to extend their visas, dependents will have to pass a more advanced A2 test, showing the ability to understand and use everyday expressions relevant to immediate needs.
Under the new plans, people will have to live in the UK for 10 years before qualifying for settlement and citizenship, up from five years currently. The right to settle—also known as indefinite leave to remain—will become significantly harder to obtain.
The Starmer government plans to end the current system where many foreign workers automatically become eligible for settlement after five years of legal residence. Instead, the new policy stresses that settlement must be earned, not assumed as a right.
India continues to be a major provider of skilled and semi-skilled labour for the UK, especially in the health sector. Closure of the overseas care worker route will affect Indian applicants in the thousands, who rely on this channel to join the UK workforce and bring over dependents. The proposed changes mean that:
Indian nursing assistants and caregivers will no longer have immediate access to UK employment under the care visa route.
Graduate-level IT professionals, engineers and healthcare professionals may face hurdles but still be eligible under the fast-track Skilled Worker Visa.
Indian migrant families will have more stringent English language tests, which will make it more difficult to settle as a family.
Indian workers and students intending to settle permanently will have to wait 10 years, doubling the existing timeframe.
(With inputs from multiple news reports)
