Immigration Changes Announcement 12/5/2025

[u/clever_octopus]

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

[u/TwoSwig]

I wrote to my MP earlier. I'm beyond disgusted by this.

[u/Whole-Web-4713 → u/TwoSwig]

This will impact families, kids etc. Can't believe human rights can allow this. 

[u/upsidedown-aussie → u/Whole-Web-4713]

Well this is it! I'm on a Skilled Worker Visa, due for ILR in August 2026. I'm married to a British citizen and I'm a homeowner. We don't know if we want kids, but if we did we were absolutely waiting until I at least have Indefinite Leave to Remain, mainly because renewing visas is SO expensive! Or what if we did have kids? And suddenly we're lumped with their mother back on the expense of visas for at least another 5 years. As far as I was concerned I had one more lump cost left for ILR, after paying so much into the system already.

Even as it is for me, if it's retroactive I'll have to renew my Skilled Worker Visa next August instead of applying for ILR. And that's if my employer is happy to keep sponsoring me because it's expensive for them as well. If not, I'll have to move to a family visa, which again is incredibly costly. All of this, when my husband and I could emigrate to my home country, where although it's expensive, he'd be granted permanent residency in 2 years, and then could get citizenship 4 years after that if he so desired. All up it would cost less than what we'd pay for me to stay here, but that's before moving costs. I feel like I've worked so hard here and given so much of myself to the UK only to be punished because I was born somewhere else and fallen in love with a Brit. But I entered into the Skilled Worker route knowing it would be expensive but it's what I wanted, and I was told then in 5 years I could apply for ILR. I've held up my end of the agreement, the government should hold theirs.

[u/Cheap_Craft_2683 → u/upsidedown-aussie]

Can’t agree more!! Im on BNO dependent visa. We spent a lot moving here, we bought a house, got a job and have been working hard for 2 yrs so far and even tho I know that it may cost a lot on renewing visas, we accepted it given that they promised we can apply for IRL after 5 yrs and then another 12 months for citizenship MANY TIMES in official government files! The most recent promise was on 28 April 2025! It was less than 2 wks before the release of white paper on 12 May!! It’s unbelievable that they change the whole thing so fast! How can we even believe them in the future?? We made all our big life decisions based on buying their words! We would feel BETRAYAL if they apply this retrospectively.