Key Points
- The UK has announced wide-ranging immigration reforms to prioritize high-skilled workers and support economic growth.
- New rules will raise skill and salary thresholds, restrict specific visa categories, and extend the settlement timeline.
- Graduate visas will be shortened, and stricter compliance measures will be applied to educational institutions and family-based immigration.
Overview
On June 4, 2025, the United Kingdom released a white paper outlining a comprehensive overhaul of its immigration system. The reforms aim to shift focus toward high-skilled migration while encouraging employers to invest more heavily in domestic talent. These changes align with the UK government’s broader Plan for Change, designed to recalibrate the immigration system for long-term economic sustainability.
Among the most significant updates is the increase in the skilled worker standard to RQF Level 6 (graduate level), accompanied by higher salary thresholds and the elimination of the Immigration Salary List. This change restricts access to the immigration system, making it available only for occupations experiencing long-term shortages, as verified by the Migration Advisory Committee and relevant workforce strategies.
The Graduate Route will also be revised, shortening post-study work permission to 18 months and imposing new oversight measures for sponsoring educational institutions. Meanwhile, overseas applications under the social care visa will be phased out, although existing workers can still apply for extensions or change status until 2028.
Further provisions include stricter eligibility criteria for asylum claims, enhanced deportation measures for foreign national offenders, expanded English language requirements, and a longer qualifying period for settlement, now ten years. The new legislation will also reinforce Parliament’s authority in determining who may remain in the UK, limiting judicial discretion in deportation matters.
Key Changes
- Boosting Domestic Workforce: Employers must increase local training efforts to decrease dependence on foreign labor.
- Higher Skilled Worker Standards: The threshold for skilled workers will rise to RQF 6 (graduate level), and salary requirements will increase. The immigration salary list, which provided discounts, will be removed.
- Limited Access to Immigration System: Only occupations with long-term shortages, justified by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) and backed by workforce strategies, will be eligible.
- Changes to Social Care Visas: New overseas applications will no longer be accepted; however, extensions and in-country switches will be permitted until 2028.
- Stronger Oversight of Student Visas: Educational institutions must meet stricter requirements to recruit international students, with compliance plans in place for those failing to fulfill their duties. Graduate stay periods will be reduced to 18 months.
- Reforming Family Immigration: Legislation will clarify that Parliament decides who has the right to remain, preventing legal arguments from hindering necessary deportations.
- Encouraging High-Skilled Migration: More opportunities will be available for top global talent, including research interns and innovators.
- Tackling Immigration Abuse: Stricter visa rules will apply to asylum seekers where conditions in their home countries have not significantly changed.
- Reforming Foreign National Offender (FNO) Deportation: The criteria will be revised to ensure that violent offenses are treated with the appropriate seriousness.
- Expanding English Language Requirements: More immigration routes will require proof of English proficiency.
- Revising Settlement & Citizenship Rules: The standard qualifying period for settlement will increase to 10 years, with contributions to the UK influencing eligibility.
Looking Ahead
These sweeping changes signal a decisive move by the UK government to reshape immigration policy in favor of domestic workforce development and high-skilled migration. Employers and educational institutions should prepare for stricter compliance obligations and reassess workforce planning accordingly. As implementation unfolds over the coming weeks and into the summer, stakeholders are advised to monitor additional asylum, border security, and visa compliance reforms. Early engagement with immigration counsel is recommended to navigate the complexities of the evolving framework.
