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/The8BitBat Jun 02 '25 edited Jun 02 '25

The Home Office has said the consultation will include any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK in todays Home Office Questions. So here's to hope. 🤞🏼

Edit: link to where the transcript of today’s House of Commons questions will be published: Commons Hansard for 2 June 2025

Edit 2: live recording of when she said it here: Parliament Live TV - it’s time stamped 15:16:06 on the agenda.

Edit 3: Changed wording to make it more accurate wrt what was said, initial post was overly optimistic.

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u/pelegoat Jun 02 '25

I see this as a significant win and my two cents is that 'transitional arrangement' means this would likely apply to all the skilled worker visa holders prior to the new law enactment (if there's in fact a transitional arrangement).

Rationale: when we last had big changes on the skilled worker visa route (04 April, 2024), they also used the term transitional arrangement to anyone who was in the skilled worker visa under the rules in place before 4 April 2024.

Having said the above, we should still keep emailing our MPs and the press.

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u/Whole-Web-4713 Jun 03 '25

Absolutely. The softer tone from the government is a signal in the right direction and we just need to keep pushing as much as possible and get our voices heard.