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:
1. Labour Market Evidence Group (LMEG)
The White Paper will establish the Labour Market Evidence Group (LMEG) to make informed decisions based on robust data rather than relying on migration. The government aims to end the long-term trend of increasing international recruitment at the expense of boosting domestic training and skills. Employers will be required to enhance domestic training, thus reducing dependence on international recruitment.
2. Raising Skilled Worker Threshold
The new white paper raises the threshold for skilled workers to RQF 6 (Graduate level) and above. Salary thresholds for these workers will also increase, and the immigration salary list, providing salary discounts, will be abolished.
The government will establish a new Temporary Shortage List, granting time-limited access to the Points-Based immigration system. Only occupations listed on the Temporary Shortage List and below RQF Level 6 will be permitted entry into the immigration system.
Access to the points-based immigration system will be restricted to occupations with long-term shortages, on a time-limited basis, based on advice from the Migration Advisory Committee, and employers are expected to cough up more money as the government proposes to increase the Immigration Skills Charge by 32% in line with inflation.
3. Ban Overseas Recruitment for Adult Social Care
The government plans to end overseas recruitment for social care visas. No new applications for social care roles will be accepted from abroad. During a transition period until 2028, visa extensions and in-country switching will be permitted for those already in the UK, while a workforce strategy is being developed.
4. Study Visa Restricted
Stricter requirements will be imposed on sponsoring institutions recruiting international students. Institutions close to failing their sponsor duties will be placed on action plans with limits on new student recruits. Graduates will have their post-study stay duration reduced to 18 months.
5. Change of Article 8 Family Claims
The policy will streamline complex family and private life immigration arrangements by establishing a more transparent framework. Legislation will clarify that the government and Parliament decide who has the right to remain in the UK. While Prime Minister Starmer has insisted that the government did not intend to leave the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), he would look at adjusting the interpretation of the convention’s Article 8 on respect for family life. This aims to address misuse of Article 8 right to family life arguments to obstruct deportation.
6. Highly Talented Visa Route
The white paper emphasises attracting very highly skilled individuals. It will expand the number of people on high-talent routes and facilitate quicker processes for individuals with critical skills. The government will increase places for research interns, ease the use of the Global Talent visa, and review the Innovator Founder visa and High Potential Individual route.
7. Stricter Policy to Tackle Abuse in Asylum
New policies will focus on individuals claiming asylum where conditions in their home country have not changed significantly. Measures will enhance visa controls and penalties for abuse. The government will ensure that other countries support the integrity of the UK immigration system, including improving cooperation in returning their nationals.
8. More Deportation for Foreign National Offenders
Reforms will ensure the Home Office is informed about all foreign nationals convicted of offences. Deportation thresholds will be revised to consider factors beyond sentence length, and criteria will be adjusted to reflect the seriousness of violence against women and girls.
9. New English Language requirement to include dependents
New English language requirements will be introduced across more immigration routes for both main applicants and their dependents. The government has proposed to increase our existing requirements for most settlement (ILR) immigration routes from B1 to B2. At the same time, there will be a new English language requirement for all adult dependents of workers and students at level A1. This aims to ensure better English knowledge, including language improvement assessments over time.
10. Qualification for Settlement (ILR) and Citizenship increased
The standard qualifying period for settlement will be doubled to 10 years. The points-based system will be expanded to apply to settlement and citizenship rules based on contributions to the UK Points-Based System and increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years.
Automatic citizenship eligibility will only be granted to someone who has lived in Britain for 10 years, not five, with the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society.
NB: The government’s proposed changes should not affect the five-year pathway to settlement for non-UK dependents of British citizens ( e.g. Spouse Visa). Existing safeguards, including settlement rights for victims of domestic violence and abuse, will remain in place. Further details will be presented to Parliament later this year.
11. New Bereaved Parent Route
On a positive note, the government is to introduce he new bereaved parent route, which allows those in the UK who are parents of a British or settled child, who have tragically lost their child, to settle immediately. This route is designed to provide immediate settlement to parents who were last granted permission as a parent of a British or settled child and have experienced the loss of that child.
The applicant must be in the UK to apply for this route. The application must be made online using the specified form on the gov.uk website. This route is part of the broader Bereaved Partner route, which also includes provisions for dependent children to apply for settlement.
When does it all kick in? – Implementation Timeline
ImplementationThese policies, part of the government’s Plan for Change, will be implemented over the course of this Parliament, with the first changes introduced in the coming weeks. Additional reforms to the asylum system and border security will be published later this summer in conjunction with the ongoing Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. Thus is if you can act now! A UK immigration lawyer can play a crucial role in navigating these changes and advising clients on the new regulations and requirements.
Conclusion: A UK Immigration Lawyer’s Perspective
In conclusion, while the White Paper represents a significant step towards reforming the UK’s immigration system, it is not without its criticisms. The focus on reducing migration numbers and raising the skills threshold may have unintended consequences for the economy and essential services, and this is also seen as a knee-jerk reaction to pledge a significant drop in immigration under pressure from Nigel Farage’s right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK party, which did very well in recent local elections.
Overall, the proposed changes are viewed as part of a broader strategy to reduce net migration, but they have been met with concerns about their potential impact on the labour market and the ability of employers to fill critical roles.
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Cross Border Legal Solicitors Ltd is a UK Solicitor law firm regulated by under the Solicitor Regulations Authority. It is Headed by Mr Tito Mbariti, a UK Immigration and Human Rights Solicitor practising lawyer and member of the Law Society of England and Wales.