The UK is Dramatically Changing its Migration Policy: We’ve Found Out How

In recent years, especially since 2023, the UK has been shaken by an immigration crisis. The number of arrivals has far exceeded what the immigration system can handle. A sharp rise from around 200,000 people per year to nearly a million became the result of a controversial assessment system and a local labor shortage.

In response, in May 2025, the UK government released a boldly titled document: “Restoring Control over the Immigration System”, announcing upcoming reforms. The goal is to reduce immigration back to pre-crisis levels by tightening criteria for labor migrants, reforming student and dependent visas, and introducing new standards for acquiring permanent status and citizenship.

Let’s break down these changes and why the UK needed them now.

Background of the UK Immigration Crisis

Before diving into the reforms, let’s look at what went wrong with the immigration system and why. After Brexit, a mass outflow of EU citizens began, as they lost the right to live and work in the UK freely. To stay, they had to apply for a visa and meet the same criteria as non-EU migrants. Given that EU migrants made up about 50% of the foreign workforce before Brexit—and most of them worked in low-skilled jobs — a labor shortage quickly followed.

Non-European migrants rapidly filled this gap, making up to 90% of the entire migration flow to the UK by 2023.

A point-based immigration system, introduced in 2021, also worked in migrants’ favor. It made getting a visa easier than under the previous rules. This led to increased reliance on migrants in key economic sectors — and growing social tension.

By 2023, 35% of care workers and 20% of construction workers were migrants. In the National Health Service (NHS), 18% of doctors and 25% of nurses were foreign nationals. A 2024 study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) showed that in industries with a high share of migrants, real wages were stagnating.

The cycle came full when employers, aiming to cut costs, increasingly preferred to hire migrants — often at the expense of British workers. This fueled nationalist sentiment, and in an already tense society, hate crimes against migrants rose by 11%.

A YouGov poll from April 2025 showed that 62% of Britons believe there are too many migrants, and 48% want the government to reduce their presence in the labor market. These sentiments fueled the rapid rise of far-right organizations, leading to anti-immigration protests and demonstrations in Liverpool and Rotherham during 2023–2024.

Key Changes in the British Migration Policy

First, it’s important to clarify that these changes will not take effect immediately. According to the government’s plan, they will be rolled out gradually, up until 2028–2030. Most of the reforms are expected to be in place by the end of 2026, with specific dates likely to be announced later.

The most significant change affecting all migrants is the extension of the residency period required to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Previously, most migrants could apply for ILR after legally living in the UK for 5 years. That period has now been increased to 10 years.

These measures won’t apply to everyone. Migrants who have made a “significant contribution” to the UK’s economy or society can still apply for ILR after five years. However, how exactly these contributions will be assessed has not been clarified yet. Migrants already in the UK when the new rules come into force will still be eligible for ILR under the old 5-year rule — but they must apply before 2028.

Stricter Language Proficiency Demands

All adult migrants and their family members (spouses, parents) are now required to demonstrate at least A2 level (elementary) English proficiency. Previously, English was only required for Skilled Worker visas and citizenship applications — which created absurd situations where people could work but couldn’t properly communicate with locals.

The new rule applies to all visa types, including work, family, student, and even humanitarian visas (such as for refugees). Acceptable proof includes IELTS, TOEFL, and other tests recognized by the Home Office. Those already in the UK will need to pass the test when renewing their visa.

Exemptions apply to children under 18, people over 65, and those with medical conditions that prevent them from taking the test (for example, certain disabilities). If someone is found using fake certificates, they risk visa denial or deportation.

Restrictions on Hiring Migrants in the Care Sector

Although the care sector is formally part of the broader service industry, it is treated as a separate case. Back in 2020, the UK introduced a special visa specifically for it — the Health and Care Worker visa. Over the following two years, 120,000 visas were issued to foreign nationals, mainly from India, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. That’s a massive number, especially considering that many of them had limited English skills.

Under the new rules, migrants applying after 2026 will no longer be eligible to work in the care sector. The only exception is for those already in the UK on a valid visa.

Stricter Rules for International Students

Previously, international graduates from UK universities could stay in the country for two years under the Graduate Route. This time was meant to allow them to find a job or switch to a work visa or further education (e. g. Master’s or PhD).

Now, the government is cutting that period down to 18 months — but only for students graduating after 2026.

Comprehensive Strengthening of Control

The new government isn’t just aiming to reduce net migration to 300,000 by 2030 — it also wants to attract more high-skilled professionals. To that end, they plan to raise the minimum annual salary required for the Skilled Worker Visa from £38,700 ($51,592) in 2024 to £45,000 ($59,991) by 2026.

In parallel, they’re introducing a number of other tough measures:

• Stricter employer checks. Businesses hiring migrants will face more inspections, and fines for violations will rise to £60,000 ($79,988).
• Dependent limits. Migrants will only be allowed to bring spouses and children under 18. Parents and adult relatives will no longer be eligible.
• Biometric tracking. Starting in 2027, a biometric tracking system will monitor the duration of stay for all incoming migrants.

Society’s Reaction to the New Changes 

A significant portion of the British public supported the tightening of immigration policies: 58% approve of the measures, particularly the extension of the residency requirement for ILR to 10 years and the stricter language rules. However, around 25% of respondents viewed the reforms as overly harsh and expressed concerns that they might actually harm the economy.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned that banning migrants from the care sector and raising the salary threshold would only worsen the labour shortage. They argue that there simply won’t be enough local workers to fill the gaps. While some business sectors — like construction and retail — welcomed the focus on training British citizens, even they acknowledged that the £500 million in government funding won’t be enough to produce the needed number of skilled workers.

Universities UK also criticized the reforms, pointing out that international students on the Graduate Route contribute around £5 billion annually through tuition fees and accommodation costs.

But the harshest reactions came from advocacy groups like the Refugee Council and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants. They called the reforms “discriminatory,” especially those requiring English language proficiency. The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) warned that the new legislation could push 200,000 Ukrainian refugees — whose visas expire in 2026 — into a legal limbo, where it’s unclear what their options will be. In 2024, 68% of Ukrainian refugees expressed a desire to stay in the UK, but only 5% were granted ILR.

In Summary

Overall, the announced measures are undeniably radical — but the problem has been building since 2021. As doctors say, “If you don’t treat the wound, you’ll have to amputate the limb.” That perfectly describes what’s happening in UK politics, where far-right candidates are gaining traction amid growing anti-immigration sentiment.

At this stage, the situation is beyond the reach of light-touch policies, which is why such drastic action is being taken. Whether these reforms will work remains to be seen — the real test will come when the core changes are implemented at the end of 2026, and the 2027 statistics reveal who was right and who missed the mark.