The UK has announced sweeping changes around the immigration and visa system in an effort to cut down on net migration and improve the asylum system. A core component of the change was the newly-released Immigration White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, which was released on 12 May 2025, which contains the most significant changes to legal migration rules in more than a decade.
Some of the headline proposals include doubling the residential requirement for settlement and citizenship, from five years to ten years, halting the international recruitment of care workers, and raising the skill level of workers on skilled worker visas to degree level. These changes represent a conscious shift to a selective and targeted immigration system after an unprecedented top change of arrivals over the last decade.
The skilled worker visa route is also being heavily tightened. With effect from 22 July, 2025 the minimum salary threshold increased to £41,700 (up from £38,700), new entrant rates went to £33,400, and eligibility was restricted to graduate-level jobs—many considered other levels have been removed. The immigration system has introduced a new temporary Shortage Occupation List; employers will need to show they have conducted domestic recruitment and workforce planning. Another consideration, the Social Care Worker visa is being removed for overseas applications with a transition period for in-country switching until 2028.
Financial and language requirements have also been increased across the board. Family visa applicants now have to meet new income thresholds that are in excess of £29,000 (in some cases). The English language standards have changed from B1 to B2 for skilled applicants, and even dependents must show A1 proficiency. The charge for employers under the Immigration Skills Charge has gone up by approximately 32%. For international graduates, the duration of the Post-Study Work (Graduate) visa has changed from 2 years to 18 months.
Some nationality-related rules will also be amended. Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, previously visa-exempt, will now need to apply for a visa or transit authorization, effective from March 2025. Distinct from the above, British National (Overseas) passport holders are no longer required to hold an Electronic Travel Authorization.
The UK has also looked to support Ukrainians under extensions that are available under new schemes. The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) that began in February 2025 will enable eligible Ukranians, and family members, to extend their stay for a further 18 month, although they must be able to work, access health care, access educational opportunities, and claim any benefits. The new scheme replaces the previous Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES) and includes biometric checks and standard application processes.
In terms of enforcement, the government is considering using a digital ID scheme to help track migration and avoid illegal employment, and currently looks to Estonia’s model. This will be part of a broader range of hopes for reducing overstayers more generally, with some of the 130,000 foreign students and dependents who have been flagged for overstaying their visas or applying for asylum without explanation, considerations will see further restrictions such as less post study work rights and business compliance obligations.
Policies affecting asylum and family reunion have also become tighter. The government has frozen the new family reunification application for asylum seekers under the impression that previous exploitation by referral networks were putting mounting strain on local authorities. Reforms will include financial and language conditions, with appeals being decided faster under a newly developed system. Support programs for refugee students and scholars from Gaza continue, and officials have reiterated that they will adhere to human rights obligations.
In summary, the UK’s immigration policy is making a seismic shift into a developing policy landscape – each of which seeks to combine tough and selective predictable conditions with new technological changes and targeted support schemes. While hoping to reduce numbers of low-skilled migration and rebuild the confidence of the public, these reforms present new potential barriers for families, students, and skilled workers who do not meet new and higher thresholds.