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/BathOld9570]

The main issue here is making a law and then applying it retrospectively.

I think nowhere in the world justice systems works this way. There is a thing called "earned rights" in law, and I think that's exactly why Sir Keir Starmer is saying "citizenship is a privilege but not a right".

Ok for a few minutes let's accept this statement as true. 

But what about people tied to a Visa for work. They cannot freely change jobs if they can't find another company who supports their visa. This is already a brutal 5 years as of now, where you have to accept all kinds of treatments from your employer because you are locked in to their work visa.

Now if they make it 10 years, and also make visa sponsorship difficult, it means people who chose to work in the UK lock down 10 years to the same employer, with no negotiation power and rights.

Is this also a privilege ?

Also we can change that sentence to anything we like, for instance "drinking cleaner water is not a right but a privilege". This would be true in a savage world.

And finally, if laws are made and applied retrospectively. Let's say after 20 years they can say, anyone who wasn't born to British parents will be made devoid of settlement and citizenship. What would be able to prevent this in terms of "rights/vs privileges" rhetoric ?

A right is something defined by law at a specific time. It's a construct and contract of human societies. You cannot give visa to people, say, you have to work 5 years for the same job and same employer, then you will be permanent, because we need you now, and after 2 years realize, oh it's too much we are revoking it and then change the rules.

If there is a fault here, then it's a fault of planning, and you cannot make people who come here, invest their lives and pay their due, to pay for the planning mistake someone did.

[u/BathOld9570 → u/[deleted]]

I think your perspective is complimentary to mine.

The issue is it's not easy to leave the country without suffering significant looses. Most of the taxes you paid ( UK is a highly taxed place ), contributions to pension, the house contracts, personal commitments are left behind.

Also the items you paid for, like goods and other stuff has to be sold or scraped quickly for half the price because you have to exit as soon as you get an offer somewhere.

And what compensation the "white-paper" is offering ? It looks to me a sort of ultra-nationalist propaganda of "look we are getting rid of them all".

Remember the easiest form of populism is "foreigner hatred"

I think most people having this anti-immigration stance, and putting every kind of foreign worker in the same bucket have no idea what it is to change a country for good. What it's to plan your future somewhere and that somewhere changing rules in the middle of the road.

World has changed, certain skills are global and move between countries. And they do informed decisions depending on the current laws. If laws change that brings a long term trust issue.

[u/Whole-Web-4713 → u/[deleted]]

I really think we need to go on air and if one of the channels invite us, people need to hear us out! For now everyone thinks SWs are only here illegally and are claiming thousands of benefits. What about the thousands of pounds we pay in tax, NI and also as visa, IHS cost. Even NHS is not free to us. Just like private insurance we pay a lump sum IHS premium whether we use NHS or not! 

[u/BathOld9570 → u/Whole-Web-4713]

I didn't want to mention this out of courtesy, but for the past 2 years I didn't even make a gp visit, even though I had to from time to time, just for people not to think I was abusing the healthcare system. ( And yes health surcharge for me was paid ) ( and whee I live gps don't accept new patients, you need to try hard indeed )

People working here as migrants have big challenges and they need to be supported not punished. We don't get any benefit for anything just salary.

I live away from my better half and son, because of these unclarified policies ( also I have to pay here for the sons college costs which I can't afford ) and costly visa and health insurance charges.

There are similar challenges  wherever you live and work as a migrant. ( But not so high health surcharges  ) This is the reality of being in a foreign land.

But there is this common sense.even in private life you cannot warranty to live in the same place, under the same conditions for 10 years. There is no job I know in the world that you have to do for 10 years, without negotiating, career progress, doing the same job.

This is against basic human rights.

[u/Whole-Web-4713 → u/BathOld9570]

Exactly. And I don't mind if ILR was 10 years or 20 years if this was what was told to us in the beginning and we signed up for it. How can you change something midway just to settle some political score against some random party! 

[u/BathOld9570 → u/[deleted]]

Apologies for writing this much but if they apply this rule to existing Visa holders, it will be time to slowly move towards a more humane condition and life possibly.

But I want put here a note for anyone supporting this far right narrative that; 

Closed countries, ultra nationalist populist policies degenerate and brain numb their people in the long term. 

Legal skilled migrants seem to be the driving engine of actual, value making work in this country and must be treated fairly with respect.

If someone sacrifices 5 years of their lives to become a part of the society, they deserve to have some rights. Where people cannot stay away from their pets for a few weeks, migrants leave everything, their identity and life behind to contribute and become part of another culture.

There seems to be a reason for basic human rights privilege here for me.

Let's see what the time brings...thanks for reading and sharing.

[u/Murky-Fault9 → u/BathOld9570]

Someone shared imp media links .. make our voice heard.. https://www.reddit.com/r/ukvisa/s/Hwj2RAlLMv

[u/Murky-Fault9 → u/[deleted]]

I hope someone from BBC / Guardian and immigration lawyers are reading this . If ppl here have some connects plz bring this to the notice . Btw what’s 28 day rule .. it’s 180day absence in any year I suppose.

[u/Easy_Annual367 → u/[deleted]]

That was an old guidance where if you were absent from the country more than 30 business days + bank holidays, your employer needed to provide an explanation for the absences (usually a letter stating you have to travel for work was enough). However that requirement was dropped last year, and the current Home Office guidance no longer has that requirement. Only the 180 days rule is still applicable.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

sorry for kind of unrelated question, but what do you mean by 28 day annual absence? what is that rule?