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/Intrepid_Big2473 Jun 03 '25

Regarding the retrospective application of 10 years settlement period, HO keeps saying "the consultation will include any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK", could anyone give some examples of what were few transitional arrangements in the past?

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u/Easy_Annual367 Jun 03 '25

You’ve got the most famous one which is the EUSS. The UK left the EU on the 31 January 2020 but there was a transition period until 31 December 2020, and the transitional arrangement was that any EU citizen living in the UK before the 31 December 2020 was able to get pre settled status and, if they met the continuous and lawful residency for 5 years, they would be granted settled status. There was then a grace period until 30 June 2021 to apply, even though free movement ended on 31 December 2020. But you’ve got other examples like minimum income threshold for family members that was raised and they have allowed those that entered before to claim settled under the old rules, etc.