New UK Immigration Policy Unveiled in Immigration White Paper Dated May 2025
The Labour government has today published its immigration white paper. The white paper and its plans will disappoint many UK sponsor licence holders, those already in the UK on Student, Work, or Family Visas, and those hoping to move to the UK.
In this article, our UK Immigration Lawyers outline the key points in the white paper.
Contact our specialist UK Immigration Solicitors for expert immigration legal advice.
The immigration white paper
The white paper is called ‘’Restoring control over the immigration system.’’ The title gives readers an early indication of the purpose behind the planned policy changes, namely to:
- Reduce UK net migration, and
- Reduce the reliance of British employers on overseas workers.
The white paper is 76 pages long, so Immigration Solicitors are still grappling with the details and how the policy changes will impact UK employers, visa applicants and visa holders, and those looking to settle in the UK by applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain or British citizenship.
The full white paper can be read here.
Immigration changes
The white paper proposes wide-ranging changes to the UK immigration system. The proposed changes are not restricted to Work Visas, as many of those who come to the UK on different types of visas are able to work in the UK legally and can apply to settle in the UK once they meet the residence requirement for an Indefinite Leave to Remain application, such as those on Spouse or Unmarried Partner Visas.
The planned changes cover:
- Work Visas
- Student Visas
- Family Visas and settlement
The immigration white paper and changes to sponsorship and Work Visas
The key Work Visa proposals that will impact sponsor licence holders and individual visa applicants are:
- The immigration skills charge will increase by around 32%
- Minimum salary thresholds for Work Visas will rise.
- Salary thresholds for all visa holders seeking to bring dependents to the UK will be increased.
- Dependant Visas for the family members of low-skilled workers with temporary shortage occupation jobs will be restricted.
- The skill eligibility criteria for the Skilled Worker Visa will change. They are currently set at RQF Level 3 (the equivalent of an A-level job) but will be changed to RQF Level 6 (the equivalent of a degree level).
- Social Care Visa applications from new visa applicants will end. A transitional arrangement until 2028 will allow current Social Care Visa holders to apply to extend or switch visas. The transitional arrangements will be kept under review.
- A Labour Market Evidence Group will be established to examine data and make informed decisions about the state of the labour market and the role different policies should play in recruitment, rather than focusing on migration.
- A new requirement for workforce strategies for key sectors with high levels of overseas recruitment will be launched.
- A new temporary shortage list will be created. Occupations below RQF 6 must be listed on the temporary shortage list to qualify for Work Visas.
- Work Visas will be limited to occupations where there have been long term shortages, on a time limited basis, where the Migration Advisory Committee has recommended it, where there is an employer workforce strategy in place, and where employers recruiting from overseas are committed to increasing their recruitment of British and settled workers.
- The government will explore how it can incentivise sponsor licence holders to recruit from within the UK. This may include restricting employers from sponsoring Skilled Worker Visa applicants if the employer is not committed to increasing the skills training of domestic workers.
- The introduction of reforms to allow some skilled refugees and displaced people to apply for employment through existing skilled worker routes.
The immigration white paper and changes to the Student Visa route
Proposed Student Visa reforms include:
- Reducing the length of the Graduate Visa from two years to 18 months.
- A potential levy on higher education providers’ income from overseas students. If introduced, the levy proceeds would be reinvested in the higher education and skills system.
- Additional compliance requirements on education sponsors and their sponsorship of international students.
The additional compliance issues involve:
- Raising the minimum pass requirement of each Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metric by five percentage points.
- Implementing a Red-Amber-Green banding system to rate the BCA performance of each educational sponsor.
- Introducing an intervention system for sponsors close to failing on metrics, including action plans designed to improve sponsor compliance and imposing limits on the number of new international students they can recruit while on an action plan.
- Requiring all sponsors using recruitment agents for overseas students to sign the Agent Quality Framework. The framework is intended to raise and maintain standards of agent management and ensure that Student Visa applicants are genuine international students.
- Establish arrangements for future international student recruitment so that sponsors must demonstrate that they considered local impacts when making decisions about international student recruitment.
- Conducting a review of the short-term study accreditation bodies.
The immigration white paper and changes to Family Visas and settlement
Some of the key proposed changes to non-work visas and settlement applications include:
- Review of Family Visas and Dependant Visas, addressing issues of genuineness, English language skills, and financial resources for sponsoring dependents.
- Increasing the standard qualifying residence requirement for settlement/Indefinite Leave to Remain applications from five to ten years. Safeguards will be retained for the vulnerable, such as those in the UK on a Spouse Visa and leaving their relationship due to domestic violence.
- Accelerated settlement will be made available to reduce the ten-year residence requirement for those who have contributed to the UK economy and society.
- Conducting a review of the Life in the UK test for Indefinite Leave to Remain applicants.
- The English language eligibility criteria for Skilled Worker Visa applicants and workers where an English language requirement already applies will be increased from B1 to B2 level of the Common European Framework for Reference for Languages (CEFR).
- Introduction of a new English language requirement for adult dependents of workers and students at level A1 (Basic User).
- Introduction of a requirement to demonstrate progression to level A2 (Basic User) for any visa extension application and for B2 (Independent User) for settlement.
- Increasing the existing English language requirements for settlement across most immigration routes from B1 to B2 (Independent User).
- The creation of a new settlement route for bereaved parents.
Talk to OTS Solicitors to find out how the immigration white paper may affect your business or your visa application
OTS Solicitors specialise in business immigration and individual immigration. Our inclusion in Legal 500 W recognises our expertise in UK immigration law.
We are proactive and thorough, and we will work with you to examine how the proposed immigration rule changes may affect your business and its sponsorship of workers from overseas, your plans to move to live and work in the UK, or your plans to settle in the UK after having already committed to a move to the UK on a Work or Family Visa.
Contact our specialist UK Immigration Solicitors for expert immigration legal advice.
Appointments are available at our offices in central London or by phone or Zoom consultation.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo and Urdu/Punjabi.
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