This white paper, presented by HM Government in May 2025, outlines proposals to bring down net migration and restore control and order to the immigration system. The government's Plan for Change includes delivering such an immigration system, coupled with strong border security, as one of its foundations.
The Case for Change
The white paper argues that proper control and management of the immigration system have been lost in recent years. Under the previous government in 2023, inward migration is stated to have exploded to over a million people a year, which is four times the level compared with 2019. This is described as a political choice never put before the British people, despite repeated promises that inward migration would be brought under control. The previous government is also stated to have replaced free movement with a "free-market experiment" that incentivised employers to recruit from abroad rather than train at home, allowed unlimited expansion of overseas students by education institutions without proper checks, and directly encouraged the NHS and care organisations to bring in staff from abroad while cutting support or training in the UK.
Net migration rose from 224,000 in the year to June 2019 to a record high of 906,000 in the year ending June 2023, a four-fold increase in under four years. In the latest data, for the year ending June 2024, net migration was +728,000, still significantly above historical levels. Recent high levels have been driven by non-EU nationals and their dependents coming for work, study, and humanitarian reasons, including temporary factors like migration from Ukraine and Hong Kong. A significant factor in the increase was the introduction of new immigration policies in 2020, which reduced the overall skills threshold for migration from degree-level (RQF 6) to A-Level-equivalent (RQF 3) and set a basic salary threshold of £25,600.
The increase in migration levels has been accompanied by a shift away from higher-skilled migration towards lower-skilled migration. Unsustainably high levels of migration are seen as adding extra demand to public services and housing, fragmenting social relations, and potentially leading to widespread labour exploitation and undercutting of employers who play by the rules.
Economically, despite increases in long-term migration, economic growth and living standards are stated to have stagnated. While highly skilled migrants can positively impact the labour market by filling shortages and increasing productivity, evidence suggests inflows of lower-skilled migrants are more likely to distort it. The increase in overseas recruitment is associated with falling support for skills in the UK, with examples given in engineering where apprenticeships fell while visas rose. GDP per capita has also stagnated, falling in every quarter since 2022 and being 0.6% below its pre-COVID-19 level by Q2 2024. Housing demand has outpaced housebuilding.
Confidence in politics has also been damaged by the failure to control migration. The growing complexity of the immigration framework has led to too much of the system being based on court decisions rather than deliberate principles and rules endorsed by Parliament.
Core Principles of the Reforms
The government sets out reforms to legal migration to restore order, control, and fairness, bring down net migration, and promote economic growth, underpinned by five core principles:
Net migration must come down so the system is properly managed and controlled.
The immigration system must be linked to skills and training requirements in the UK, preventing industries from relying solely on immigration.
The system must be fair and effective, with clearer rules agreed by Parliament.
The rules must be respected and enforced.
The system must support integration and community cohesion, including new rules on English language ability and contribution.
Key Reforms and Measures
The white paper details measures across several areas:
Work Reforms
Skilled Worker Thresholds: The level for skilled workers will be lifted back to RQF 6 and above. Salary thresholds will also rise. The Immigration Salary List will be abolished, and the MAC will review salary requirements. Existing Skilled Worker visa holders will be able to renew or change employment in occupations below RQF 6, but new applicants will follow the higher RQF 6 rule.
Temporary Shortage List: A new list will provide time-limited access to the Points-Based immigration system for RQF 3-5 occupations with long-term shortages, but only if the MAC advises it is justified, a workforce strategy is in place, and employers commit to increasing domestic recruitment. Occupations on this list will also have new restrictions on bringing dependents.
Labour Market Evidence Group (LMEG): This group, including Skills England, devolved governments, and the MAC, will gather evidence on the workforce, training, and domestic labour participation, focusing on sectors reliant on migration or central to industrial strategy.
Workforce Strategies: Key sectors with high overseas recruitment will need to produce or update strategies detailing steps on skills, training, broader conditions, and engagement of the economically inactive domestic labour force. The MAC will consider these strategies when advising on Temporary Shortage List access.
Adult Social Care: Overseas recruitment for social care visas will end. A transition period until 2028 will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the UK with working rights, subject to review.
Immigration Skills Charge: The charge will increase by 32%, in line with inflation.
Refugee Employment: Reforms will be explored to allow a limited pool of UNHCR recognised refugees and displaced people overseas to apply for employment through existing sponsored worker routes if they have the skills.
Global Talent: Efforts will be made to go further in ensuring the highly skilled can access targeted routes like Global Talent, Innovator Founder, and the High Potential Individual (HPI) route, including increasing numbers on these routes, expanding the research intern scheme, simplifying Global Talent visas, reviewing the Innovator Founder visa for UK university entrepreneurs, doubling the number of workers an overseas business can send to establish a presence, and exploring a capped expansion of the HPI route.
Study Reforms
Responsible Recruitment: While valuing international students, the integrity of the student visa system must be protected from misuse by individuals and failures by education providers.
Sponsoring Institutions: Requirements for sponsoring institutions will be strengthened. This includes raising the minimum pass requirement of each Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metric by five percentage points (e.g., 95% enrolment, 90% completion). A new Red-Amber-Green banding system will rate BCA performance. Interventions, including action plans and recruitment limits, will be introduced for sponsors close to failing. Sponsors using recruitment agents must sign up to the Agent Quality Framework.
Graduate Route: The length of stay for graduates after studies will be reduced to 18 months. Concerns exist that too many graduates are not moving into the RQF 6+ roles the route was intended for.
Financial Levy: The government will explore introducing a levy on higher education provider income from international students, to be reinvested into the higher education and skills system.
Short-Term Study: A review of accreditation bodies will be conducted, and further checks explored for the Short-Term Student (English Language) route due to high refusal rates and concerns about misuse for asylum claims.
Fair Controls
Family Migration: The system has become overly complex, often decided on "exceptional" circumstances based on Article 8 of the Human Rights Act. A new family policy will be set out before the end of the year to cover all UK residents bringing family members, with clear relationship requirements, financial requirements review/extension, and English language skills requirements for adult dependents. Rights for HM Armed Forces members and dependants will be protected.
Exceptional Circumstances: Legislation will be brought forward to strengthen the public interest test, clarify how Article 8 applies in different routes, and set out when a claim on exceptional circumstances can genuinely be made, aiming to reduce cases treated as "exceptional" and limit claims seeking to circumvent rules, frustrate removal, or make immediate claims for wider family members.
Humanitarian Response: The UK will continue to play its part in response to crises but safe and legal routes must be sustainable and well managed. A review of sponsorship and resettlement schemes will consider the effectiveness of sponsorship arrangements.
Windrush: The government is committed to addressing the injustices of the Windrush scandal, re-establishing the Windrush Unit, reviewing the response to the Lessons Learned Review, supporting compensation applicants, and appointing a Windrush Commissioner. Equality and ethical standards will be embedded within the Home Office.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Action is being taken against unethical and exploitative sponsors, with a significant increase in revoked licenses in 2024. Efforts are being made to reduce long waits for modern slavery victim status confirmation. Measures to prevent exploitation include raising the Skilled Worker threshold to RQF 6 (where fewer instances of exploitation occur), exploring making it easier for workers to move between sponsors, and reconsidering the domestic worker route. Protections for migrant victims of domestic abuse will be strengthened.
Rules Respected and Enforced
Tackling Abuse and Misuse: Stronger action is needed against those who break rules or laws, complementing efforts against illegal migration. This includes increasing deportations of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs).
eVisa Rollout: The completed rollout of eVisas will encourage compliance, providing data to remind people of visa expiry and take action if they fail to depart. This technology will improve border security and allow real-time updating of status information for access to public services, work, or rent.
Illegal Working: Resources will be surged into tackling illegal working in key sectors, using eVisas and biometric technology to support raids. Banking measures will be built upon, and action taken with HMRC and HM Treasury against those failing to pay tax owed.
Visa-linked Asylum Claims: Measures will address the significant increase in asylum claims from individuals who entered the UK on other visas, even when home country conditions haven't materially changed. Policies will apply to such cases, tighter controls/restrictions/scrutiny will be introduced where there's evidence of abuse, and measures explored to ensure other governments support returns. Innovative financial measures, penalties, or sanctions may be used to incentivise sponsors' responsibility and migrant compliance.
Removals Process: Reforms will streamline and speed up the removals process, enabling earlier action and visa revocation for a wider range of crimes, not just those resulting in custodial sentences.
Fostering Integration and Cohesion
English Language Requirements: New requirements will be introduced across a broader range of immigration routes for both main applicants and their dependants.
Language requirements for Skilled Workers and other workers with existing requirements will increase from B1 to B2 (Independent User).
A new English language requirement for all adult dependents of workers and students will be introduced at level A1 (Basic User), with work towards increasing this over time.
Requirements will be introduced to demonstrate progression to level A2 (Basic User) for any visa extension, and B2 (Independent User) for settlement.
Existing requirements for settlement will increase from B1 to B2 across the majority of routes.
Earned Settlement and Citizenship: Settlement is a privilege, not a right. Rules will be reformed by expanding the Points-Based System. The standard qualifying period for settlement will increase to ten years. Individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period based on Points-Based contributions to the UK economy and society. A shorter pathway to settlement for non-UK dependents of British citizens will remain at five years, provided they are compliant. Safeguards for the vulnerable, including settlement rights for victims of domestic violence, will be retained.
New Routes: A new bereaved parent route allowing immediate settlement will be created. Children who have been in the UK for some time and discover they lack status at 18 will be supported to regularise their status and settle, including a clear pathway for children in care and care leavers.
Life in the UK Test: A refresh of the Life in the UK test and its operation will be conducted, considering measures to reduce financial barriers for young adults seeking British nationality.
The white paper concludes by stating that these measures deliver on the government's pledges to strengthen the Points-Based System, insist on new training requirements, crack down on visa abuse, and safeguard border security. It acknowledges that effects will take time and some measures require new legislation. The core principle is that net migration must come down to restore a properly managed, controlled, and fair immigration system that benefits the country. Further measures on asylum and border security will be set out later.
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