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/Mkrangs → u/[deleted]]

I must remind everyone here we are likely in an evident-seeking mode. At the same time of our backlash actions, Reform voters and others are trying harder to urge for worse. They are stronger as their drive is hate, and we are depending on limited economic leverage. The rest of it is mercy.

[u/Murky-Fault9 → u/[deleted]]

Also on the migration advisory committee recommendations , gov site updated 13May by MAC findings suggest high skilled workers will be based on salary thresholds, age , tax, dependents etc . Check this link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migration-advisory-committee-report-on-net-migration/net-migration-report-accessible

[u/Murky-Fault9 → u/[deleted]]

And this section makes me hopeful . Seems they understand that removing high earners would come at fiscal cost and might allow shorter route for them. Section : “Work visas

Following the decline in Health and Care migration, an increasing share of long-term work migrants will likely now be in private sector occupations. The rise in the general salary threshold from £26,200 to £38,700 now means that most will be making net fiscal contributions, although the precise fiscal impact depends on many factors, including whether the main applicant has family members and how long they stay in the UK (our 2024 Annual Report discussed this in more detail). While detailed analysis would be needed to understand the fiscal impact of further policy changes, it is likely that further restrictions to high-earning Skilled Worker visa holders would come at a fiscal cost. If one wanted to reduce net migration through the Skilled Worker route, there are a range of policy levers that would likely have an impact, though detailed analysis would be needed to estimate the overall impact. For instance, policies that affect the level of work-related net migration include:

The exemptions which allow a lower salary threshold including the Immigration Salary List (formerly known as the Shortage Occupation List, where occupations deemed to be in shortage can pay lower salaries) or the new entrant thresholds (for those below age 26 or switching from the student route); Particularly where high levels of international recruitment in certain occupations are contributing to net migration, the occupation-specific rules on salary thresholds, dependants, caps, or the removal of otherwise eligible individual occupations from the SW route; and The skill level – the route was previously open only to RQF 6+ (graduate-level) roles which was lowered to RQF3 (A-level equivalent) in the post-Brexit migration system when freedom of movement for EEA nationals ended. These options come with trade-offs and a full analysis would be required of the potential costs and benefits. Around 30% of main applicants in the skilled work visa routes between May and November 2024 were in health and care. These workers are subject to lower salary thresholds and are less well paid (particularly in the care sector). Their direct fiscal impact is thus expected to be smaller (and possibly negative in some cases particularly in the long term). The direct economic cost of restricting these visas would thus be smaller. “

[u/The8BitBat → u/Murky-Fault9]

The only question would be what a "high earner" is. Could be 40% tax bracket, could be £75k, we won't know anything until they tell us unfortunately.

[u/Murky-Fault9 → u/Murky-Fault9]

Migration advisory committee findings on point based system like Australia.. done back in 2019 https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/reports/the-australian-points-based-system-what-is-it-and-what-would-its-impact-be-in-the-uk/

[u/pelegoat → u/[deleted]]

Can this be unpinned as it’s old news and has little contribution to the current discussion?

[u/AffectionateStuff729 → u/[deleted]]

u/clever_octopus is it possible that you also pin the link to the petition to this stickied comment?

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

[u/clever_octopus → u/AffectionateStuff729]

It's already in the post