Sir Keir Starmer has revealed Labour's comprehensive plans to reform the UK's immigration system, with a focus on reducing overall immigration levels. The new proposals aim to create a more "controlled, selective, and fair" immigration system. Presented in a white paper, these plans represent a significant shift from previous policies and include a variety of measures affecting skilled workers, students, and refugees.
### Skilled Worker Visa Changes
A major change involves raising the qualification threshold for overseas workers applying for the main skilled worker visa. Under the new plan, applicants will generally need a degree-level qualification, reversing a previous policy that allowed those with A-level equivalent qualifications to apply. This change, however, does not affect those already in the UK who are renewing their visas. The government projects that this new standard will reduce immigration by approximately 39,000 individuals annually by 2029, as it will eliminate applications for around 180 job types.
Despite these stricter criteria, the government acknowledges the need for flexibility in sectors facing long-term recruitment challenges. For these sectors, lower qualification requirements will be permitted on a "time-limited basis," although the specifics are yet to be determined. These exemptions will be subject to recommendations from the government's migration advisory body.
### Visa Restrictions and Expansions
Employers in sectors allowed to hire workers with lower qualifications must have a workforce training plan and will face restrictions on sponsoring dependents. Simultaneously, the government plans to broaden the eligibility for its work visa aimed at graduates from prestigious international universities. This "targeted and capped" expansion might double the number of qualifying institutions from the current 40.
The visa for international students intending to establish businesses in the UK will undergo review, with an emphasis on attracting top scientific and design talent through the "global talent" visa. The government also plans to extend the period immigrants must reside in the UK before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain from five years to ten. However, a new "earned settlement" system could allow earlier settlement based on a points-based evaluation of an immigrant's contributions to the UK economy and society.
### Social Care and Student Visas
The dedicated visa for social care workers, introduced post-Brexit, will be scrapped due to concerns over exploitation and abuse within the sector. Although visa extensions will be allowed until 2028, those with existing working rights can change sponsors during their visa term.
For overseas graduates, the post-study stay period will be reduced from two years to 18 months. Additionally, the government is considering a 6% tax on tuition fee income from international students, with the intention of reinvesting this revenue into the higher education and skills system.
### Refugee and Language Requirements
A new policy will allow a limited number of people who, despite lacking refugee status in the UK, are recognized as refugees by the United Nations, to work in the UK. This initiative builds on an EU-sponsored pilot project that enabled around 100 skilled refugees and their families to work in sectors like IT, construction, and engineering.
English language requirements will become more stringent for all work visas, and these requirements will also apply to adult dependents of visa-holders. The government is keen on ensuring that sectors heavily reliant on overseas workers, such as IT, construction, and healthcare, comply with strategies to enhance workplace skills. Details of how skills training will be linked to the visa system have not yet been finalized.
### Overall Migration Goals
The government aims to significantly reduce net migration, although it has refrained from setting a specific target, noting that previous attempts to do so have been unsuccessful. Opposition parties have similarly avoided specifying annual migration levels. The Conservatives propose allowing MPs to vote on annual migration caps.
These proposed changes reflect a significant shift in the UK’s approach to immigration, emphasizing a more selective process while addressing sector-specific needs and ensuring meaningful contributions from immigrants to the UK economy and society.