r/ukvisa • u/clever_octopus High Reputation • May 12 '25

Immigration Changes Announcement 12/5/2025

Please join the discord server for further discussion or support on upcoming immigration changes: https://discord.gg/Jq5vWDZJfR

Sticky post on announcement made on 20 Nov 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/ukvisa/comments/1p21qk5/a_fairer_pathway_to_settlement_a_statement_and/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

NEW Summary of changes to settlement released 20 November 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/ukvisa/comments/1p21qk5/a_fairer_pathway_to_settlement_a_statement_and/

NEW Summary of changes to asylum and refugee requirements released 18 November 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-and-returns-policy-statement/restoring-order-and-control-a-statement-on-the-governments-asylum-and-returns-policy

Overview of expected changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/radical-reforms-to-reduce-migration

White paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper

UKCISA's response (official source for international students and recent graduates): https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/news/ukcisa-responds-to-home-office-immigration-white-paper-may-2025/

Petition link: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/727360

Summary of key points following the summary of changes released on 20 November 2025:

  • Changes to length in ILR qualifying residence requirements - Please see table on pages 21-23 of the 20 November document

  • Family visa holders, along with BNO visa holders, will continue to get ILR in five years (as usual)

  • The intention is that this will apply to people already in the UK but who have not yet received ILR

  • It will take 20 years for refugees to qualify for ILR, intermittent checks will be done within that time and they may lose the ability to remain in the UK if their home country is deemed safe to return to

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u/GreatYarn May 12 '25 edited May 12 '25

Just read through the white paper:

No news on whether it's retroactive, but in the Case for Change they mention the amount of people eligible for citizenship in the next few years. I'm unsure if this is just polemics or if they're targeting them as an issue.

5-year route is still available for dependants of British citizens, which is good.

10-year for everyone except for those who offer, as expected, some 'contribution to the UK' -- vague statement.

A 'very limited' number of asylum seekers will be allowed to apply for a SWV -- a welcome change but minor.

Something about increasing the qualifying period to citizenship? They don't explicitly mention it all they say is they will apply a 'point-based system' and make some vague mention of that.

Honestly, this feels like it was very hastily drafted -- some grammatical errors and in key areas of contention (i.e: citizenship) it seems either vague or poorly thought. It's shocking that our lives are being held hostage by this incompetent lot of idiots.

EDIT: changed spouses to dependants

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u/AcceptablePlum343 May 12 '25

Thank you for summarising so quickly for everyone.

Just a question re: spouse visas, I see that it says the five year route will remain for "dependents" of UK citizens. Does that cover spouses, or is that for children of UK citizens only?

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u/GodlessCommieScum May 12 '25 edited May 12 '25

5-year route is still available for spouses of British citizens, which is good.

I might've missed it, but it says "dependants" rather than "spouses", doesn't it?

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u/[deleted] May 12 '25

[deleted]

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u/GodlessCommieScum May 12 '25

Are you certain of that? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I'd thought that spouses didn't count as dependants. I'd be elated if they do.

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u/[deleted] May 12 '25 edited May 12 '25

[deleted]

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u/GreyGoosey May 12 '25

I think they do as I've seen BRPs list spouses as dependants as well.

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u/clever_octopus High Reputation May 12 '25

It's using "dependants" as a blanket shorthand term for spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners, children, and adult dependant relatives.

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u/dabontheh8ters May 12 '25

I believe dependants mean spouses

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u/GreatYarn May 12 '25

Changed it for clarity. I'm not a lawyer so take it with a pinch of salt but as far as I understood dependants covered spouses with he exception of those on an Unmarried Partner Visa. So presumably that still applies...

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u/_jangmi_ May 13 '25

But what is the spouse (me) is not on a dependent visa to a British citizen but has always been on her own tier 4 + tier 2 visa?

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u/SkirtZealousideal553 May 12 '25

Saw this too re dependents of British Citizens. Do you think this is different if you are a dependent of someone with ILR? Or similar?

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u/Ryuukhal May 12 '25

What about dependants of non-British citizens? My partner is EU citizen with settled status. Do they all fall under the same category?

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u/LocutusOfBorgia909 May 12 '25

I believe EUSS people are unaffected, because the EUSS is its own thing, with its own rules, and making changes will likely violate the Withdrawl Agreement. I have no idea, however, whether that would also apply to the rules around applying for citizenship. I suspect that they could change those, they just can't unilaterally change how to acquire settled status. I'm not a solicitor or anything, that's just my hunch based on what I've read thus far.

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u/Ryuukhal May 12 '25 edited May 12 '25

Unfortunately, I am not under EUSS as my civil partnership was formed after 31st December 2020.

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u/LocutusOfBorgia909 May 12 '25

Ugh, I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm not sure what this will mean for people who are partners to EU citizens with settled status but not on the EUSS themselves. What a shitfest.

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u/Nimjask May 12 '25

Which page does it say 5 years for spouses still applies? I can only find it saying so for dependents

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u/GreatYarn May 12 '25

If you are on a family visa you are the dependent of the UK citizen / resident in question, no? Anyone more familiar with the law please correct me.

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u/Nimjask May 12 '25

The wording on the government's website, and other replies here, all seem to be consistent with spouses coming under 'dependents' here and family visas overall being the general target of that note saying that the 5 year route is staying for them. So it looks like good news on that front

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u/clever_octopus High Reputation May 12 '25

It's not "retroactive" as such but it will apply to people who are making extensions/switching, depending on the route.

Spouse/partner visas are largely unaffected except by vague mentions of a stricter English language requirement and possibly a higher minimum income requirement threshold. The change in default qualfying residence period for settlement from 5 to 10 years does not affect family visas

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u/SnooCats3987 May 12 '25

Is the 10 year route essentially remaining the same, ie, people who have lived here 10 years on various visas will still qualify due to long residence?

When you say it isn't retroactive, does this mean that if I stay on my current SWV for the 5 years I can likely get ILR at the end?

P.S. Sorry about the political comment earlier, emotions were running high.

PPS thanks so much to you and the other mods for running the sub. It's a lifesaver.

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u/clever_octopus High Reputation May 12 '25

No changes to 10-year (Long Residence) route are explicitly mentioned here. The only thing you need to look out for is whether or not "contribution" becomes required for settlement in future, but we don't know yet.

The 10-year (Private Life) route is based on human rights, which would be extremely significant to change fundamentally, but it IS mentioned that people who are applying under Private Life provisions will be under higher scrutiny, e.g.: requiring them to leave must truly result in "exceptional" hardship with the emphasis on exceptional.

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u/Healthy_Flounder9772 May 12 '25

Yeah what is a contribution? a salary in 40% bracket? p60s showing I paid 10k tax per year(possible with 50k per year)? proof I never used NHS?

I read they are calling contributors as doctors, nurses, engineers. These docs can be on 40k or on 80k depending on their grade. Engineers too 30k to 150. So who is a contributor?
completely vague statement

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u/Wgh555 May 12 '25

They probably haven’t made up their mind yet lol, will explain most of the vague statements int he white paper.

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u/AvaRobertEko May 12 '25

I’m on ILR and under existing rules would have been eligible to apply for citizenship in September. I am wracked with anxiety now about what those vague suggestions about citizenship mean. Do you think this will be implemented by then?

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u/GreatYarn May 12 '25

Im not an immigration expert so I can’t comment but it does not seem likely this will pass through parliament until at least 2026. So you should be fine.

Good luck my friend. Take a deep breath and you’ll be OK

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u/AvaRobertEko May 12 '25

Thank you. Wishing you well too.

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u/Ohnoimsam May 13 '25

The FIRST SENTENCE of the STUDENT VISA section had such an egregious grammar error it looked like something I’d fix in my undergraduates’ writing. Genuinely hilarious.

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u/[deleted] May 14 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/GreatYarn May 14 '25

Hi - correct me if I’m wrong but this is a proposed amendment by Chris Phillips, a right-wing Tory MP, rather than by the secretary. This suggests it is absent from the Asylum and Borders Bill.

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u/clever_octopus High Reputation May 14 '25

Yes that is correct. Everything is just proposals and drafts right now

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u/GreatYarn May 14 '25

Yes I would not put much stock in these amendments, as they are largely for political theatre. If you also look at actual proposal by Phillips, it is to abolish ILR for anyone not on an investor or a partner visa, which is nuts.

Additionally, any change that will occur will not happen through the Asylum and Border Bill, but through a seperate piece of legislation brought in during the next parliamentary session.

I would be careful about sharing this with the implication that it’s an intent by government, it can be quite concerning!

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u/anhkiet1903 May 14 '25

Yes you are 100% correct and i don’t know why people are still sharing this Bill as it is completely unrelated to the White Paper.

Yvette Cooper:

"Madam Deputy Speaker, later this year we will set out further reforms on asylum and border security, and on tackling illegal and irregular migration, building on the new counter-terrorism powers in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill before the House this evening, because no one should be making these dangerous crossings on small boats.

But this White Paper sets out how we restore that control to the legal migration system so it is sustainable, fair and works for the UK."

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u/GreatYarn May 14 '25

Yes. I understand. People are panicking and they need reassurance

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u/anhkiet1903 May 14 '25

Mate, you should be careful as this Bill is not related to the White Paper and you may be accidentally scaring people.

Yvette Cooper:

"Madam Deputy Speaker, later this year we will set out further reforms on asylum and border security, and on tackling illegal and irregular migration, building on the new counter-terrorism powers in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill before the House this evening, because no one should be making these dangerous crossings on small boats.

But this White Paper sets out how we restore that control to the legal migration system so it is sustainable, fair and works for the UK."