UK annual immigration plan 2025

Table Of Contents:

1. What Are the Changes Proposed in the May 2025 Immigration White Paper
2. Increasing the Threshold for Skilled Worker Visas
3. Immigration Salary List Will be Abolished
4. Adult Social Care Visas Will Be Ended
5. Immigration Skills Charges Will be Increased
6. Global Talent
7. Stricter Compliance Rules for Institutes Sponsoring International Students
8. Leave to Remain in the UK for Graduate Visa Holders Will Be Reduced
9. Reforming the Path to Settlement
10. Changes to the Knowledge of the English Language
11. Final Thoughts

The UK government released a white paper policy document titled ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System’ on 12 May 2025. In this white paper, the government has proposed a UK immigration plan for the future. The objective is to curb the net inward immigration and secure UK borders from illegal entries. The white paper primarily covers work routes, students and universities, asylum, settlement, and citizenship. The Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a foreword, says, “If people want to come to Britain to start a new life, they must contribute, learn our language and integrate. And if employers want to bring workers from overseas, then they must also invest in the skills of workers already in Britain.

In this article, we will discuss the major parts of the UK immigration annual plan 2025.

What Are the Changes Proposed in the May 2025 Immigration White Paper?

Millions of people wish and apply to come to the UK for work, family life, and study, and finally settle and become British citizens. UK Immigration rules require them to meet different requirements depending on the routes they want to come through to the UK. The UK has seen an influx of inward migration in huge numbers in recent years, and this government has targeted to reduce this by making stricter changes in the visa conditions. It also wants to control the illegal entries of people coming in small boats to the UK.

1. Increasing the Threshold for Skilled Worker Visas

The first stage of the UK immigration plan will mean much tighter restrictions and reductions in lower-skilled migration, including changes to the Skilled Worker Visa. The skill level for skilled workers will be lifted back to RQF 6 (graduate level) and above from the current RQF 3 (A-level equivalent).

Salary thresholds, which are currently £38,700 for most skilled worker visa applicants, will rise.

This approach of increasing skill level to RQF 6 and above would see the number of eligible occupations reduced by around 180 occupations.

2. Immigration Salary List Will be Abolished

ISL (Immigration Salary List) allows UK employers to meet a lower salary threshold for hiring overseas workers for occupations listed on ISL. The ISL, which gives people discounts from salary thresholds, will be abolished. The MAC (Migration Advisory Committee) which proposes occupation to be listed on ISL will be asked to undertake a comprehensive review of salary requirements (including discounts) for work visas to ensure that overseas recruitment is never a cheap alternative to fair pay and to ensure they reflect the new changes to the UK immigration system.

TSL (Temporary Shortage List) will replace the ISL. The government will establish a new TSL to provide time-limited access to the Points-Based immigration system. Occupations below the RQF 6 skill level must be listed on the TSL to gain access to the UK immigration system. Only those sectors that are key to the industrial strategy or delivering critical infrastructure growth in the UK, and following advice from the MAC will be potentially added to the TSL.

3. Adult Social Care Visas Will Be Ended

The UK immigration overseas recruitment for social care visas will be ended. In line with wider reforms to skills thresholds, the government will close social care visas to new applications from overseas. Visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the country with working rights will be allowed for a transition period until 2028, but this will be kept under review.

4. Immigration Skills Charges Will be Increased

The ISC (Immigration Skills Charge) was introduced in 2017. Since its introduction, ISC has not been increased or been subject to a comprehensive policy review. The ISC will be increased for the first time since its introduction, by 32%, to bring the ISC rates in line with inflation.

5. Global Talent

The government will ensure faster and simpler routes, reducing bureaucracy and supporting growth, for very highly skilled people. The government will increase the number of people arriving in the UK on the UK’s very high talent UK immigration routes. It will also increase places to its scheme for research interns, including those working in the field of Artificial Intelligence, to allow businesses access to additional promising young talent. The visa route will be made simpler and easier for top scientific and design talent to use the UK’s Global Talent visa.

The number of workers that an overseas business can send to the UK to establish its presence here will be doubled. The government will also explore a targeted and capped expansion of the HPI (High Potential Individual) route.

6. Stricter Compliance Rules for Institutes Sponsoring International Students

Any institute sponsoring international students must comply with the BCA (Basic Compliance Assessment), which is composed of 3 metrics:

• A visa refusal rate of less than 10%
• A course enrolment rate of at least 90% and
• A course completion rate of at least 85%

If an institute fails to meet any of the BCA metrics, it can result in its sponsorship license being revoked and temporarily removed from the Register of Student Sponsors for up to two years.

The government proposes that the minimum pass requirement of each BCA metric for sponsoring institute will be raised by five percentage points, so that – for example – a sponsor must maintain a course completion rate of 90% instead of current 85% and a course enrolment rate of at least 95% instead of current 90% in order to pass the compliance threshold.

The government will implement a new Red-Amber-Green banding system to rate the BCA performance of each sponsor. The higher rating would mean the institute is achieving a higher rate of compliance, and a lower rating would mean the institute is at risk of failing.

7. Leave to Remain in the UK for Graduate Visa Holders Will Be Reduced

The UK immigration Graduate route is an unsponsored visa which was launched in July 2021, allowing students to
stay in the UK for 24 months (or 36 months for PhD students) after graduation. The international students on this visa can work or look for work after completing an eligible course.

Now the government wants to reduce the ability for Graduates to remain in the UK after their studies to a period of 18 months.

A levy may be introduced on higher education provider income from international students, to be reinvested into skills.

8. Reforming the Path to Settlement

The government will expand the Point-Based System to reform the UK immigration settlement and citizenship rules. The qualifying period for settlement will be increased to 10 years from the current 5 years.

However, individuals who would make significant contributions to the UK economy and society will have the opportunity to have a reduced qualifying period for settlement and citizenship. Non-UK dependants of British citizens will continue to be able to apply for settlement after 5 years.

A new bereaved partner route will be created that will allow the people in the UK on the route of a parent of a British or settled child but have lost their child to apply for settlement immediately. The ‘Life in the UK’ test will be refreshed.

9. Changes to the Knowledge of the English Language

The knowledge of the English language for skilled workers and workers will be increased to CEFR level B2 from the current CEFR level B1.

The government will introduce a new English language requirement for all adult dependants of workers and students at level A1 (Basic User) and will work towards increasing this UK immigration English language requirement over time.

For a visa extension, applicants will have to demonstrate progression to level A2 (Basic User) and for settlement from level B1 to level B2 (Independent User).

Final Thoughts

The UK immigration annual plan 2025, introduced through a white paper by the government, sets a clear objective to make inward immigration stricter and safeguard the UK border from illegal immigrants
coming to the UK.

Significant changes have been proposed such as raising the skill level to RQF 6 for skilled worker visa, abolishing immigration shortage list, raising immigration skill charge by 32%, reducing the time period for graduate visa holders to stay in the UK to 18 months, increasing settlement period to 10 years and increasing English language level for skilled workers to CEFR level B2, adult dependants of workers and students at level A1 (Basic User), increasing the level to A2 for visa extensions and to B2 for settlement.

For a more detailed UK immigration annual plan 2025, you can read the Restoring Control over the Immigration System White Paper.