The immigration white paper, published on 12 May 2025 by the Home Office, presented by The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, outlines radical reforms to Britain’s immigration system. The objective is to restore control over borders, reduce net migration levels, and focus on admitting individuals who contribute significantly to economic growth. The 82-page document, titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System,” introduces various measures across several key areas:
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The Home Office has announced a new set of UK immigration and nationality fees that will come into effect from 9 April 2025. These changes will see increases across various categories, including work, study, and visit visa application fees, as well as naturalisation and sponsorship fees for employers.
Work Visa Fees:
From 9 April 2025, the application fees for various UK work visa categories will increase. For instance, the fee for a Skilled Worker visa for up to three years will rise from £719 to £769, and for over three years, it will increase from £1,420 to £1,519. The Health and Care Worker visa fee for up to three years will go up from £284 to £304, and for over three years, from £551 to £590. Other categories, such as the Senior or Specialist Worker and Scale-up Worker will also see similar increases.
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In a significant and noteworthy change, the Home Office has updated its caseworker guidance on assessing the good character requirement in nationality applications. This update, which was not announced elsewhere, states that for applications made after 10 February 2025, any person who has previously entered the UK illegally will generally be refused citizenship. This new rule applies regardless of the time that has passed since the illegal entry took place.
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As the year wraps up, I just wanted to take a moment to send warm wishes to you and your family. I truly hope that 2025 brings you loads of success and happiness in everything you pursue!
It’s been such a joy getting to know you and your loved ones this year. We’ve had an eventful 12 months with some significant changes, like: the huge rise in Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fees in February, the new Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) for spouse visas in April, the New Labour government that took office in July elections and the new E Visa System fully kicking in with BRP Cards becoming redundant from 31st December 2024.
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The British Nationality Act 1981 ( Section 41A(1)mandates that all applicants for naturalisation as British citizens must be of Good Character. This requirement also applies to individuals aged ten or over who apply for registration as British citizens. The good character requirement for British citizenship includes a long list of factors that could prevent or delay the process. These range from serious criminal offences to non-criminal attributes, such as being bankrupt or having previously violated immigration rules.
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