The British government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, proposed plans to extend the permanent settlement wait time from five to ten years, and this change will apply to some migrants already living in the UK.
While initial announcements did not clarify whether the new rule would affect only future arrivals, government officials confirmed on Thursday that the policy would impact certain migrants currently in the country.
According to Reuters, an official statement from the government revealed that those who entered the UK on family visas or as dependents would still be eligible for settlement after five years.
However, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wants the longer 10-year timeframe to apply to all other categories of migrants already in the UK.
Backstory
The UK government introduced a wide-ranging immigration reform plan through a new White Paper that proposes tougher rules across key migration routes.
According to Nairametrics, part of the proposals requires migrants would need to wait 10 years before becoming eligible to apply for settled status, doubling the current five-year threshold.
The UK Prime Minister stated that this is to reduce migration figures and overhaul what he has called a “broken” immigration system.
What you should know
The UK government will now require adult dependents of visa applicants to demonstrate a basic level of English for the first time.
According to the Home Office, this is to help them integrate into local communities, find employment, and reduce the risk of exploitation and abuse.
The post-study Graduate Route visa will also be shortened from two years to 18 months. In addition, the government is considering introducing a 6% levy on tuition fees paid by international students, with the proceeds to be reinvested in domestic higher education and skills training.
- Compliance requirements for universities that sponsor international students will be tightened, with institutions now required to meet a 95% course enrolment rate and a 90% course completion rate. Failure to meet these standards could result in sanctions, including limits on international student recruitment.
- A new “Red-Amber-Green” public rating system will be introduced to grade universities on their compliance performance, and the use of the Agent Quality Framework will become mandatory.
- To complement these changes, the government will roll out a fast-track settlement route for skilled professionals deemed highly valuable to the UK workforce.
Meanwhile, Unison, the UK’s largest union for health and care workers, has warned that the changes could trigger widespread uncertainty among foreign workers already in the country. It also urged the government to stop labelling care jobs as “low-skilled” and to take urgent steps toward fair pay agreements for workers in the sector.
