UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced big changes to the country’s immigration system. Speaking at Downing Street on Monday, he said the UK must avoid becoming an “island of strangers” and called for “fair rules” to guide who can live and work in the country.

“The UK has underinvested in skills and growth. This white paper is not just a white paper on immigration, it is also a white paper that leads to skills and training.”

“In a diverse nation like ours these rules have become even more important. Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together,” he said.

The new white paper proposes tighter rules for all visa categories, including work, study, and family. Under the changes:

• Family members of foreign workers must pass an English test.
• Care homes can no longer hire new staff from abroad.
• Skilled worker visa applicants must now hold a degree-level qualification.
• Time required to apply for permanent residency will double from five to ten years.
• English language requirements will also be raised.

The government will also bring back stricter job role eligibility, rendering around 180 positions no longer eligible for work visas unless they are in long-term shortage roles.

UNIVERSITIES, CARE HOMES, AND EMPLOYERS TO FACE PRESSURE

International students will have their graduate visa duration reduced to 18 months. A proposed 6% charge on the revenue universities receive from international students will be used to fund domestic education expenses.

Colleges are now required to ensure that a minimum of 95% of international students begin their course and 90% complete it.

For companies who hire overseas staff, it is about to cost more. The Immigration Skills Charge will be increased by 32%, which would cost small businesses as much as 2,400 and large businesses as much as 6,600 to bring in foreign employees.

Care homes that have relied heavily on overseas staff warn the new regulations could be the death of them. The government indicates, however, that the change is necessary to support local jobs.

Starmer added, “I’m doing this because it is right, because it is fair and because it is what I believe in.” He also criticized past Conservative immigration policies as an “open borders experiment” that failed.

The Prime Minister said the goal is to bring down net migration, which reached 728,000 last year. “I’m promising it will fall significantly,” he said, noting he wants a major drop before the next general election.

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