UNITED KINGDOM – Overview of the government’s immigration white paper.

May 12, 2025

By: Nicole Adams, Immigration Manager, Newland Chase UK

While this White Paper sets out a raft of proposed changes, it is important to note that this is an outline of the government’s intentions. No changes will be made to the immigration rules until a Statement of Changes is laid before parliament, at which time more details on how these proposals will be expected to work in practice will become known.

Yesterday, the UK government published a white paper setting out a range of measures it intends to introduce into the UK immigration system. Despite visa numbers already being down 40 percent since the Labour government took office, the white paper, entitled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System” outlines the government’s plan to reform legal migration, with the aim of restoring order, control, and fairness to the system, bring down net migration, and promote economic growth.

The plan is underpinned by five core principles:

1. Net migration must come down so the system is properly managed and controlled.
2. The immigration system must be linked to the UK’s skills and training requirements, so that no industry is allowed to rely solely on immigration to fill its skills shortages.
3. The system must be fair and effective, with clearer rules agreed by parliament to prevent confusion or perverse outcomes in areas like respect for family life.
4. The rules must be respected and enforced—from crackdowns on illegal working to the deportation of foreign criminals.
5. The system must support integration and community cohesion, including new rules on the ability to speak English and the contribution that people bring to the UK.

You can find a copy of the published paper here.

What this means for you and your business.

For businesses, the relevant changes relating to the work routes are as follows:

• Lifting the skill level for skilled workers back to RQF 6 and above—as a consequence, salary thresholds will also rise.
• Abolishing the Immigration Skills List and requesting the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) undertake a thorough review of salary requirements (including discounts).
• Increasing the Immigration Skills Charge, for the first time since its introduction in 2017, by 32 percent in line with inflation.
• Closure of the social care visas to new applications from abroad. A transitional period for current workers will apply until 2028 to allow visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the country with working rights.
• Establishing a Labour Market Evidence Group to draw on the best data available to make informed decisions about the state of the labour market and the role that different policies should play, rather than always relying on migration.
• Introducing new requirements for workforce strategies for key sectors where there are high levels of recruitment from abroad.
• Establishing a new Temporary Shortage List to provide time-limited access to the points-based immigration system. Occupations below RQF 6 will need to be listed on the Temporary Shortage List to gain access to the immigration system. For an occupation to be included on the list:
  • There must have been long term shortages,
  • The MAC must have advised it is justified,
  • There must be a workforce strategy in place, and
  • Employers seeking to recruit from abroad must be committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce.
• Allowing a limited pool of UNHCR-recognised refugees and displaced people to apply for employment through our existing skilled worker routes, where they have the skills to do so.
• Reducing the ability for graduates to remain in the UK after their studies to a period of 18 months.

Proposed incentives for domestic workforce development.

The Government also intends to explore how to ensure that employers, using the immigration system, are incentivised to invest in boosting domestic talent, including options to restrict employers sponsoring skilled visas if they are not committed to increasing skills training. They also intend to ensure that the very highly skilled have opportunities to come to the UK and access targeted routes for the brightest and best global talent.

In addition to the above, rules aimed at creating a system supporting integration and community cohesion will be introduced, including new rules on the ability to speak English and the contribution that people bring to the UK. These additional rules are det out as follows:

• Increasing language requirements for Skilled Workers and workers where a language requirement already applies from B1 to B2 (Independent User) levels, in accordance with the Common European Framework for Reference for Languages (CEFR).
• Introducing a new English language requirement for all adult dependants of workers and students at level A1 (Basic User) to align to spousal and partner routes and working towards increasing this requirement over time.
• Introducing requirements to demonstrate progression to level A2 (Basic User) for any visa extension, and B2 (Independent User) for settlement.
• Increasing the existing requirements for settlement across the majority of immigration routes from B1 to B2 (Independent User).
• Reforming the UK’s settlement and citizenship rules by expanding the points-based system and increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement to 10 years. However, individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society.
• Continuing to offer a shorter pathway to settlement for non-UK dependants of British citizens to five years, and retaining existing safeguards to protect the vulnerable, including settlement rights for victims of domestic violence and abuse.
• Refreshing the Life in the UK test and how it operates.

Measures to enforce compliance and prevent misuse.

Tighter controls, restrictions and scrutiny will also be introduced to deal with perceived abuse and misuse the immigration system, from crackdown on illegal working to the deportation of foreign criminals. This includes:

• Taking steps to tackle illegal working and continuing to surge enforcement resources into key sectors where illegal working is taking place – including in the gig economy – and using eVisas and modern biometric technology to support Immigration Enforcement raids – facilitated by the 1,000 staff redeployed into enforcement and returns since the election.
• Building on existing banking measures to ensure these reflect advances in technology and work across Government to take action against those who have not respected the rules by failing to pay tax owed.
• Continuing with the rollout of digital identity for all overseas citizens through the implementation of eVisas and new systems for checking visa compliance, replacing the former biometric residence permit cards in order to strengthen border security.

Later this year, it is expected the Government will also set out more detailed reforms and stronger measures to ensure laws are upheld, including streamlining and speeding up the removals process.

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Newland Chase dedicated contact or submit an inquiry here should you have any specific questions regarding this announcement.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.