Immigration White Paper

After much anticipation, the Government has today (12 May 2025) presented its Immigration White Paper to Parliament. The document is titled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, and can be accessed here.

In his introduction, the Prime Minister notes that in 2023 migration to the UK ‘exploded’, and he vows to ‘restore control to our borders’ whilst acknowledging that migration is ‘an essential element of a strong economy’. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, also acknowledges the importance of migration to the UK, and confirms that ‘Migration matters but it must be controlled and managed so the system is fair and works for UK’.

The White Paper consists of 82 pages and is a policy document that has been prepared by the Labour Government setting out their issues with the current immigration system and summarising their proposals for future legislation. It is important to understand that the White Paper is not currently law – the changes are not yet in force, and we don’t currently know when the proposals will be implemented. Some changes may be enacted in the reasonably near future, although others could take months.

The White Paper contains seven chapters:

1. Net Migration Must Come Down
2. Migration, Labour Market and Growth
3. Skilled Students
4. Fair Controls
5. Rules Respected and Enforced
6. Fostering Integration and Cohesion
7. Conclusion – A System Fit for the Future

A summary of key proposals is below.

How is the Government hoping to restore control to the UK’s borders?

The White Paper summarises the Government’s intention to impose several stronger visa controls. Some of the main proposals are summarised below.

The skill threshold for a Skilled Worker visa will be increased from A-level (RQF 3) to graduate level (RQF 6) jobs. Prior to the Skilled Worker visa route being introduced in late 2020, the former Tier 2 (General) route required roles to be skilled to degree level – the reduction to A-level was presumably due to the UK’s departure from the EU, to ensure that lower skilled roles could be filled via sponsorship. The Government expects the increase to the minimum skill level will likely see the list of eligible occupations for Skilled Worker sponsorship to reduce by around 180 occupations.

Those already on the Skilled Worker route will not be affected by the skills threshold increase and will be able to continue to renew their visa, change employment and undertake supplementary employment in accordance with A-level roles. The increased skills level will apply to new sponsored Skilled Workers securing a visa following the implementation of the new Immigration Rules.

Skilled Worker salary thresholds will also rise – at present, we’re not sure whether this will see an increase to the general salary threshold (£38,700 with no reductions) and/or going rates, but the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will be undertaking a thorough review of salary requirements. This is to ensure that international recruitment isn’t seen as a cheap alternative to local recruitment.

The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) will be increased by 32%, meaning small/charitable sponsors will pay in the region of £480.48 (currently £364) per year of sponsorship, and medium/large sponsors will pay in the region of £1,320 (currently £1,000) per year of sponsorship (exact figures to be announced). The ISC hasn’t been increased since its introduction in 2017, and the Government claims the increase is in line with inflation. The ISC will be used to support skills funding for priority sectors to upskill the domestic workforce and reduce reliance on international sponsorship.

The Immigration Salary List, along with the reduced general salary threshold that applies to roles on the List, will be abolished, with a new Temporary Shortage List introduced. The Temporary Shortage List will allow for lower skilled roles (below degree level) to be suitable for sponsorship if there is a critical shortage, although sponsorship will be on a time limited basis. The MAC will advise whether a role should be included on the Temporary Shortage List, and employers seeking to sponsor Temporary Shortage List roles must be committed to increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce.

Skilled Workers undertaking roles on the Temporary Shortage List will not be able to bring their dependants to the UK, expanding the current requirement that prevents care workers from bringing their partner and children with them to the UK.

In light of the Government’s intention to enhance the importance of upskilling the local labour market, a Labour Market Evidence Group (LME Group) will be established to ensure investment in skills and training, with the aim of increasing levels of employment and economic activity in the UK. The LME Group is comprised of several organisations who will work together to gather and share evidence about the state of the workforce, training levels, and participation by the domestic labour market.

Key sectors with high levels of overseas recruitment will need to provide a workforce strategy which employers wanting to sponsor workers will be expected to comply with. These strategies will note the steps that must be followed on skills, training and broader conditions including engagement with inactive domestic labour force. Sector bodies will be engaged by the Home Office, HM Treasury, Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Business and Trade, and the Department for Work and Pensions.

The social care visa route will be closed to overseas recruitment, preventing new care workers from overseas being sponsored. A transitional period until 2028 will exist, enabling visa extensions for those already sponsored, although this will be kept under review.

Visa holders wanting to bring their family members with them to the UK will face increased financial requirements, ensuring that families have access to sufficient resources to prevent them from becoming a burden on the state.

The minimum levels of English language required to secure a visa will be increased, and the English language requirement will also apply to dependants who do not currently need to comply with such a requirement. The Level B1 CEFR requirement will be increased to Level B2 CEFR, and all worker and student family members will need to pass an approved English language test to Level A1 CEFR, with onward progression necessary for future applications. To qualify for settlement, migrants must prove English language ability to Level B2 CEFR (currently Level B1 CEFR).

The qualifying period for settlement under the Points Based System will increase from 5 years to 10 years, although individuals may be able to reduce the qualifying period based on contributions they have made to the UK economy and society throughout their UK residence. Further information on how the qualifying period can be reduced are due later this year via the Earned Settlement Model. It is presumed that this will apply to new sponsorships pursued following the date the change is implemented into Immigration Rules - from my initial reading, the White Paper is silent on this.

The partner immigration route under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules will continue to be a 5-year route to settlement, provided immigration requirements have been complied with.

The routes to British citizenship will be amended in light of the Earned Settlement Model, with financial barriers to citizenship being removed for young adults who have lived in the UK throughout their childhood.

The Global Talent route will see changes, in the hope the UK can continue to attract the very highly skilled. Changes will include increasing places for research interns, including those working in the field of AI, and making it simpler for top scientific and design talent to use the Global Talent visa route.

The Innovator Founder visa will be reviewed to ensure it supports entrepreneurial talent studying in the UK, to encourage international students to pursue their own business ideas in the UK.

International businesses expanding to the UK will be able to sponsor 10 Expansion Workers (doubled from the current 5 workers) to assist with the company’s expansion to the UK.

The High Potential Individual route will also be reviewed, with more qualifying institutions being recognised, although it seems a cap will be introduced to manage the number of HPI migrants being able to travel to the UK under the scheme.

In their Autumn Budget, the Government will explore introducing a levy on income that higher education providers receive from international students, which will be reinvested into the higher education and skills system. The Government will also be strengthening the requirements that all sponsoring educations institutions must meet in order to sponsor international students, by focusing on Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metrics, with the minimum pass requirement being increased by 5 percentage points.

The length of a Graduate visa will be reduced, meaning international students will only be able to remain in the UK for a period of 18 months after completing their course.

Accreditation bodies under the Short-Term Student route will be reviewed, ensuring processes are robust.

The Government will introduce further reforms to the sponsorship system to ensure workers are not exploited.

Reforms enabling a limited pool of UNHCR recognised refugees and displaced people living overseas will be explored to consider whether they can apply for employment via sponsored worker immigration routes if they have the necessary skills and would like to relocate to the UK for work.

Before the end of 2025, a new family immigration policy will be issued, which will apply to the family members of British citizens, settled migrants, those on work routes, or refugees. This will include clear relationship requirements; will ensure those coming to the UK have an appropriate level of English language skills to integrate; and will ensure the family unit has sufficient money to financially support each other without reliance on public funds. The MAC is already reviewing the financial requirements on family routes, after the Labour Government halted further planned increases to the Appendix FM financial requirement. The Government will also explore the possibility of tightening suitability requirements, to ensure those relocating to the UK are of good character. Adult family dependants will also need to comply with an English language requirement.

For those seeking to remain in the UK on an exceptional basis (for instance, with reference to Article 8 ECHR as it stands outside of the Immigration Rules), the Government will set out a framework which will reflect a balance between individual circumstances and the UK’s economic and social interest. This will be flexible, meaning the most vulnerable are not excluded and there will be an element of discretion. The policy will allegedly prevent visitors from seeking to remain in the UK on the basis of family relationships (presumably to prevent visitors from overstaying and then applying for a family visa from within the UK, as visitors are already prevented from switching into the partner route whilst their visit visa is still valid).

Legislation will be enacted to strengthen the public interest test to make it clear that Parliament needs to be able to control the UK’s borders. This will also clarify Article 8 requirements, so that fewer cases can be treated as exceptional; and will set out how an individual can succeed with an exceptional circumstances claim.

There are various other changes that will be implemented by the Labour government, including digital identity being required by all overseas citizens, with the government hoping to upgrade systems to enable them to determine whether an individual is in the UK or outside the UK at any particular time. They are also hoping to streamline and speed up the removals process and increase the possibility of removal and enforcement action in a wider range of criminal cases, including those where non-custodial sentences have been imposed.