The UK Government has announced significant reforms in attempts to 'take back control' of its borders after the previous Conservative government's "experiment in open borders". Here, we summarise the government’s strategy to reform the UK’s immigration system, aiming at reducing net migration, linking skills and training in the UK, creating a fair and effective system, tackling illegal and irregular migration, and ensuring the system supports integration and community cohesion.
Work Reforms
- Qualification Requirements:The skill level to be raised from Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) 3-5, to RQF 6. Existing skilled worker visa holders will continue to be able to renew their visa, change employment and take supplementary employment, in currently eligible occupations below RQF 6.
- Immigration Salary List: This will be abolished, with MAC to conduct a full review of salary threshold and discounts.
- Temporary Shortage Occupation List: Only allowing a narrow list of critical shortage occupations onto the List, alongside workforce strategies to increase training and participation rates in the UK
- English language level for skilled worker visas to increase from B1 to B2.
Study Reforms
- Post-Study work period: The duration for which international students can stay in the UK on a graduate visa after completing their studies to be reduced from 2 years to 18 months.
- Institutions sponsoring international students will face stricter compliance requirements to ensure adherence to immigration rules. A new Red-Amber-Green banding system to rate the BCA performance of each sponsor, so that it is clear to them, the authorities and the public which institutions are achieving a high rate of compliance, and which are at risk of failing.
Integration and community cohesion
- A new English language requirement for all adult dependants of workers and students at level A1 (Basic User) to align to spousal and partner routes and will work towards increasing this requirement over time.
- English language requirement: Existing requirements for settlement across the majority of immigration routes from B1 to B2.
Employer Responsibilities
- Recruitment Obligations: employers to demonstrate efforts to recruit and train domestic workers before hiring from abroad.
- A 32% increase to the Immigration Skills Charge, the fee paid by employers who wish to sponsor migrants. The current fees are £364 per year for small businesses and £1000 per year for medium to large businesses.
Care workers
- An end to recruitment from overseas for care worker roles under the skilled worker visa route - and potential in the future for ‘in-country’ recruitment to stop as well.
- Transition period until 2028: In-country visa extensions and switching permitted, but subject to review.
‘Earned’ Settlement and citizenship
- Review and refresh of Life in the UK Test
- Increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement from five to ten years, with provisions for early settlement based on significant contributions to society.
Global Talent
- Expansion of Global Talent routes, ensuring that the very highly skilled have opportunities to come to the UK and access our targeted routes for the brightest and best global talent.
Children in care
- A clear pathway for children in care and care leavers, who have been in the UK for some time and do not have status.
Further details
For further details, you can access the White Paper here: Restoring control over the immigration system
How can we help?
It is important to note that the White Paper is a statement of the Government’s intention in relation to UK immigration policy. These changes are not yet live, but the stage has been set for future legislation and policy changes.
We recommend that you review your future recruitment and retention plans and speak with existing staff that may require sponsorship in the future to remain in the UK. Now is a good time to consider your immigration strategy. It may be possible to bring forward immigration applications to take advantage of the current rules before the changes come into effect.
We will be closely following developments and will publish a series of Insights focussing on the proposed policy changes and the impacts on different sectors.
In the meantime, please do contact us at any time if you have any queries on what the proposed changes mean for you or your business.
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