New Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 836
On 25 June 2025, the government published its latest Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules. Key changes include adjustments to the residence requirement for those with pre-settled status, as well as an update to the rules on continuous residence.
In this article, our UK Immigration Lawyers outline the key points in the 27-page Statement of Changes.
Contact our specialist UK Immigration Solicitors for expert immigration legal advice.
Changes to the EU Settlement Scheme absence rules
The key point is that individuals with pre-settled status must have resided in the UK for at least 30 months over the 5-year qualifying residence period to qualify for settled status. The new rules take effect on 16 July 2025.
Under the current rules, individuals with pre-settled status can be absent from the UK for up to 180 days in any 12 months preceding their application for settled status.
The rule change is intended to simplify the residence requirement and prevent pre-settled status holders from inadvertently losing their eligibility for settled status.
The new absence rules apply to those making a settled status application and to situations where the Home Office automatically upgrades a person to settled status.
The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules does not alter the rules regarding the evidence that can be used to demonstrate that the applicant has been living in the UK for the required period as part of their settled status application.
Changes affecting long residence applicants
The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules makes changes to Appendix Long Residence.
The change means time spent in the UK as a British citizen counts toward long residence, provided your British citizenship has not been deprived or revoked. Where citizenship is deprived, time spent cannot be counted towards the long residence requirement.
Changes to continuous residence requirements
The immigration rules in Appendix Continuous Residence will change on 29 July.
According to the Home Office, the only substantive change to the redrafted Appendix is that time spent in Crown Dependencies (the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey) on a route equivalent to those in the UK will count as lawful presence in the UK in the future.
Family and private life applicants
There are three key changes to Appendix Private Life:
- Settlement will be extended to those over 18 who meet or met the “half-life test” (have spent at least half their life in the UK) and were granted leave under Appendix FM or outside the rules before 20 June 2022.
- The five-year settlement is extended to include children who have or last had leave as a dependent child under Appendix FM or outside the rules before 20 June 2022, and who would have met the continuous residence requirement at paragraph PL 3.1(a) at the time the leave was granted.
- The alignment of the continuous residence requirements for children born in the UK who are applying for settlement, with those for children who were not born in the UK applying for permission to stay.
English language documentation
The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules also introduces new documentation requirements when relying on overseas academic qualifications as proof of English ability.
The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules
The complete 27-page Statement can be read here.
Our award-winning UK Immigration Lawyers will continue to analyse the changes. We are ready to answer all your immigration law questions whether you are an individual looking to apply for a visa or to settle in the UK or are a business concerned that your HR staff and key personnel are following the latest rules when accepting documentation as part of the Skilled Worker Visa or Health and Care Worker Visa recruitment process.
Contact our specialist UK Immigration Solicitors for expert immigration legal advice.
Appointments are available at our offices in central London, as well as by phone or Zoom consultation.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil, Tagalog/Ilonggo and Urdu/Punjabi.