On 12 May 2025, the Prime Minister has made an announcement on the proposals for future immigration legislation which has been published in the government’s white paper. We have summarised proposals from the paper below:

Changes to English Language requirement:

• Language requirements for Skilled Workers and workers where a language requirement already applies will be increased from B1 to B2 
• A new English language requirement for all adult dependants of workers and students at level A1 to align to spousal and partner routes and will work towards increasing this requirement over time. 
• An introduction of requirements to demonstrate progression to level A2 for any visa extension, and B2 for settlement. 
• Existing English requirements for settlement across the majority of immigration routes to be increased from B1 to B2.
• Settlement and citizenship rules to be reformed by expanding the Points-Based System and increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement from 5 years to 10 years.
• Individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society.
• A shorter pathway to settlement for non-UK dependants of British citizens will be maintained to five years, and existing safeguards to protect the vulnerable, including settlement rights for victims of domestic violence and abuse will also be retained. 
• A refresh of the Life in the UK test and how it operates and consider measures to reduce the financial barriers to young adults, who have lived here through their childhood, from accessing British nationality.

Changes specific to work routes:

• The level for skilled workers will be lifted back to RQF 6 and above and with that salary thresholds will also rise.
• Immigration Skills Charge set to increase by 32% in line with inflation.
• Social care visas to be closed to new applications from abroad. For a transition period until 2028, visa extensions and in-country switching will be permitted for those already in the country with working rights, but this will be kept under review.
• Parliament intend to launch new requirements for workforce strategies for key sectors where there are high levels of recruitment from abroad.
• A new Temporary Shortage List to provide time limited access to the Points-Based immigration system. Occupations below RQF 6 must be listed on the Temporary Shortage List in order to gain access to the immigration system.
• Access to the Points-Based immigration system will be limited to occupations where there have been long term shortages.
• There will be greater focus on encouraging sponsoring employers using the immigration system to invest in local talent by restricting employers from sponsoring skilled visas if they are not committed to increasing skills training.
• Reforms to allow a limited pool of UNHCR recognised refugees and displaced people to apply for employment through our existing skilled worker routes, where they have the skills to do so.

Changes to Study Routes

• There will be tighter requirements that all sponsoring institutions must meet in order to recruit international students. 
• Raising the minimum pass requirement of each Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metric by five percentage points, so that – for example – a sponsor must maintain a course enrolment rate of at least 95% and a course completion rate of 90% in order to pass the compliance threshold.
• A new Red-Amber-Green banding system will be introduced to rate the BCA performance of each sponsor, so to assess which institutions are achieving a high rate of compliance, and which are at risk of failing.
• A new interventions procedure for sponsors who are close to failing their metrics, including placing them on catered action plans, and imposing limits on the number of new international students they can recruit whilst undergoing the action plan.   
• All sponsors wishing to use recruitment agents for overseas students will need to sign up to the Agent Quality Framework, designed to maintain the highest standards of agent management, forcing institutions to take responsibility to ensure that the individuals whose visas they are sponsoring are genuinely coming to the UK to study.  
• A review of the Short-Term Study accreditation bodies to ensure that their processes are strong.
• Graduates to remain in the UK after their studies will be reduced from 24 months to a period of 18 months. 

New Route: Bereaved Parent Route

A new bereaved parent route is to be created, allowing those in the UK on the route of a parent of a British or settled child, but who have tragically lost their child, to settle immediately. 

Changes to the asylum system

Further reforms are set to be made to the asylum system in response to irregular and illegal migration, including a proposed new legislation building on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently passing through parliament.

Changes to Enforcement, compliance and deportation

There will be a number of reforms to tighten the rules in the following areas:

• Making it easier to refuse entry or asylum where the applicants have previously broken rules or laws
  • Stronger measures to track down, arrest and remove those who have broken rules or laws
  • Simplifying the process to remove foreign national offenders
  • Reforming processes to enable further action against recent arrival who commit crimes before they can reoffend
  • Digitalising identity checks for all overseas nationals through eVisas

SINCERE IMMIGRATION