Page 19 | Changes to immigration rules announced by Starmer

OneAmberFinch · 2025-05-12T13:27:58+00:00

Full white paper here is extensive and announces changes to all avenues of migration - basically their approach to resolving the issues of massively increased migration from 2019-2023/4. [[https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821aec3f16c0654b19060ac/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821aec3f16c0654b19060ac/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper.pdf]] And Starmer's commentary on the BBC: [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce810e3z6dkt https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce810e3z6dkt]] Handful of headline changes: default timeline to get ILR to go to 10 years instead of 5; abolishing new care worker visas; raising skills threshold for Skilled Workers back up to graduate level; increasing minimum grades required for student visas; various bits and pieces around English language requirements among several other policies

User135644 · 12/05/2025 22:34

DuncinToffee · 12/05/2025 22:23

Breaking into the country?

How do you propose they claim asylum otherwise? ----

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They get visas.

User135644 · 12/05/2025 22:33

ShopUK · 12/05/2025 22:21

I think unfortunately it will lead to further abuse of the asylum seeker system.
when almost all legal visa holders need to stay in the UK for 10 years, during which they have no access to public funds, pay yearly IHS fees and NI, on top of paying various taxes...those who come as illegal immigrants will get their first few years sorted, free accommodations on waiting for a deification and access to public funds once refugee status is granted, while working on cash / dirty jobs. For those who are ambitious, the white paper has just opened a door for them to apply for work visa.

to clarify I am talking about those economic migrants who abuse the asylum seeker system, not those real asylum seekers who are in dire situations. I can see how a tighter rules on legal immigration will push some opportunists into illegal route for UK citizenship.

The increase from 5 to 10 years is kicking the can down the road from the Boris Wave when he had an open border policy for 2 years. We can't just give millions of people ILR over the next 2 or 3 years at a point when Reform are smashing the polls.

Fawful · 12/05/2025 22:32

User135644 · 12/05/2025 22:24

Yeah but millions pouring in keeps their house prices up. And most immigrants move to cheap areas so it doesn't impact on the political class and the middle class bubble in their leafy suburbs and posh villages. At least until a migrant hotel pitches up.

Edited

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Immigrants live mostly in London and the south east, don’t we they?

HellsBalls · 12/05/2025 22:25

mentalblank · 12/05/2025 21:16

I'm generally pro-immigration, but I did find some of the stats in the white paper fairly shocking. Things like 3/4 of care worker visas being issued to dependents in 2024, 15% of asylum claims coming from student visa holders, and under a third of graduate visa holders working in professional jobs suggest that some aspects of the system just aren't working.

There are also some measures in the paper that don't seem to have been reported much which seem really positive to me, like allowing (some) refugees to work and expanding global talent /similar visa schemes.

Exactly. How are these 25% of care workers going to support the other 75% of their dependents while on minimum wage?
Answer: they are not.
Who will pick up the tab? You guessed it, the tax payers.

bombastix · 12/05/2025 22:25

ShopUK · 12/05/2025 22:21

I think unfortunately it will lead to further abuse of the asylum seeker system.
when almost all legal visa holders need to stay in the UK for 10 years, during which they have no access to public funds, pay yearly IHS fees and NI, on top of paying various taxes...those who come as illegal immigrants will get their first few years sorted, free accommodations on waiting for a deification and access to public funds once refugee status is granted, while working on cash / dirty jobs. For those who are ambitious, the white paper has just opened a door for them to apply for work visa.

to clarify I am talking about those economic migrants who abuse the asylum seeker system, not those real asylum seekers who are in dire situations. I can see how a tighter rules on legal immigration will push some opportunists into illegal route for UK citizenship.

I think if the delivery the intended changes to Article 8 and exceptions it will be hard to claim this way. But we will see, won’t we?

User135644 · 12/05/2025 22:24

Shinealighty · 12/05/2025 20:01

It’s funny how the champagne socialists in their naice villages in Cheshire with their CHOOSE LOVE t shirts and Palestine scarfs will only wake up when it (inevitably) starts moving in to their areas.
complete NIMBYism, they love immigration until it affects them, then they won’t.

Yeah but millions pouring in keeps their house prices up. And most immigrants move to cheap areas so it doesn't impact on the political class and the middle class bubble in their leafy suburbs and posh villages. At least until a migrant hotel pitches up.

EasternStandard · 12/05/2025 22:24

bombastix · 12/05/2025 22:22

It was me. Immigration at the election was not a top ten issue apparently. The issue was living standards and Tory incompetence. That doesn’t mean I agree with figures or policies like the Conservatives had, I strongly disagree. But it was definitely related to their incompetence!

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Not the peak then. If it was Reform wouldn’t be leading in the polls now.

DuncinToffee · 12/05/2025 22:23

User135644 · 12/05/2025 22:19

People aren't turning to Reform because of care worker visas.

It's the tens of thousands a year breaking into the country in boats and getting kept at our expense.

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Breaking into the country?

How do you propose they claim asylum otherwise? ----

bombastix · 12/05/2025 22:22

EasternStandard · 12/05/2025 22:19

I meant a comment on the public not caring about immigration.

That was you? I’m not sure who is advising and how much but what a thing to think.

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It was me. Immigration at the election was not a top ten issue apparently. The issue was living standards and Tory incompetence. That doesn’t mean I agree with figures or policies like the Conservatives had, I strongly disagree. But it was definitely related to their incompetence!

ShopUK · 12/05/2025 22:21

I think unfortunately it will lead to further abuse of the asylum seeker system.
when almost all legal visa holders need to stay in the UK for 10 years, during which they have no access to public funds, pay yearly IHS fees and NI, on top of paying various taxes...those who come as illegal immigrants will get their first few years sorted, free accommodations on waiting for a deification and access to public funds once refugee status is granted, while working on cash / dirty jobs. For those who are ambitious, the white paper has just opened a door for them to apply for work visa.

to clarify I am talking about those economic migrants who abuse the asylum seeker system, not those real asylum seekers who are in dire situations. I can see how a tighter rules on legal immigration will push some opportunists into illegal route for UK citizenship.

EasternStandard · 12/05/2025 22:21

OneAmberFinch · 12/05/2025 22:19

That was my impression as they didn't seem like very radical changes.

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On universities like care homes they’re finding the economic climate tough. I’d watch for further redundancies and closures.

DuncinToffee · 12/05/2025 22:21

bombastix · 12/05/2025 22:16

I think we did reach peak migration in 2023, at 905k. 2024 was 728k, this year?

All these intended changes are suggested to bring us back to pre Brexit. Who knows if it will happen? Assuming we conclude trade deals for skills and migration (short term) then yes, it seems possible.

The rapid increases in net migration in recent years was for keeping UK HE/social care afloat and an attempt to deal with post Covid labour shortages/supply chain inflation

Original poster

OneAmberFinch · 12/05/2025 22:19

1dayatatime · 12/05/2025 22:18

@OneAmberFinch

"What do people think of the proposed policies for students and graduates?"

In reality it will make minimal difference- maybe 3k less in net immigration (compared to 728k overall immigration in 2024).

That was my impression as they didn't seem like very radical changes.

OP posts:

EasternStandard · 12/05/2025 22:19

bombastix · 12/05/2025 22:16

I think we did reach peak migration in 2023, at 905k. 2024 was 728k, this year?

All these intended changes are suggested to bring us back to pre Brexit. Who knows if it will happen? Assuming we conclude trade deals for skills and migration (short term) then yes, it seems possible.

I meant a comment on the public not caring about immigration.

That was you? I’m not sure who is advising and how much but what a thing to think.

User135644 · 12/05/2025 22:19

Digdongdoo · 12/05/2025 18:56

I'd love to know how social care is supposed to cope... unemployed Brits are hardly going to fill the gaps are they? Costs will shoot up, standards will fall. Good luck Granny.

People aren't turning to Reform because of care worker visas.

It's the tens of thousands a year breaking into the country in boats and getting kept at our expense.

1dayatatime · 12/05/2025 22:18

@OneAmberFinch

"What do people think of the proposed policies for students and graduates?"

In reality it will make minimal difference- maybe 3k less in net immigration (compared to 728k overall immigration in 2024).

PiggyPigalle · 12/05/2025 22:18

When one comes in as a carer but brings the whole family, including old granny and granddad, it's not economically viable. That was the problem with students.
Well part of the problem, half the time students never took up their course. same as a lot of carers don't but go straight to working in hotels.

If I wanted to retire to New Zealand, they require a lump sum of around £600,000 plus a passive income of £50,000.
We're just bloody mugs.

bombastix · 12/05/2025 22:16

I think we did reach peak migration in 2023, at 905k. 2024 was 728k, this year?

All these intended changes are suggested to bring us back to pre Brexit. Who knows if it will happen? Assuming we conclude trade deals for skills and migration (short term) then yes, it seems possible.

User135644 · 12/05/2025 22:16

Mypinkchequebookholder · 12/05/2025 18:12

The problem is that some people abuse the system.
They come here on a study visa and as soon as the Uni course is finished they apply for asylum saying they are now gay or have converted to Christianity and so they can't return home.

https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/national/24179052.asylum-seekers-seeking-baptism-melted-away-rigorous-process---ex-priest/

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People have a right to apply for asylum once here. If it's frivolous they should be refused and deported without them running to the bloody ECHR or some liberal judge overturning it.

People overstaying visas aren't always tracked either and get lost to the black economy.

1dayatatime · 12/05/2025 22:15

@InPraiseOfIdleness

"Sadly, for the last 3 or 4 elections at least, there hasn’t been a single political party in the UK which has been capable of producing a viable manifesto that wasn’t pure economic fantasy, so living standards will continue to decline."

Oh there are plenty of policies that would boost productivity and economic growth. The problem is that such policies would be unpopular with the public and that any party having such policies in their manifesto would never get elected.

EasternStandard · 12/05/2025 22:04

bombastix · 12/05/2025 21:58

I’m happy with this paper. The figure, not the rhetoric will be the test, I think. Starmer has another four years.

I’m not surprised. I recall the comment on reaching peak immigration or some such pre GE. Nowhere near the case. Reform polling a FPTP win at ten months. Who would’ve thought it.

His advisors weren’t great on that one.

DuncinToffee · 12/05/2025 21:59

EasternStandard · 12/05/2025 21:56

His mistake isn’t not going far enough as suggested. It’s generally losing trust. The island of strangers is just the icing on top of lacking instinct.

It’ll be interesting to see how Reform does due to his rhetoric. He advisors seem oddly disconnected.

How far did you want them to go?

bombastix · 12/05/2025 21:58

I’m happy with this paper. The figure, not the rhetoric will be the test, I think. Starmer has another four years.

EasternStandard · 12/05/2025 21:56

His mistake isn’t not going far enough as suggested. It’s generally losing trust. The island of strangers is just the icing on top of lacking instinct.

It’ll be interesting to see how Reform does due to his rhetoric. He advisors seem oddly disconnected.

bombastix · 12/05/2025 21:54

OneAmberFinch · 12/05/2025 21:21

What do people think of the proposed policies for students and graduates?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821aec3f16c0654b19060ac/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper.pdf - page 74 here has a summary

Includes adding a graduate tax for international students, shortening the graduate visa period to 18mo, tightening up certification agency requirements for universities. I'm not familiar enough with student visa accreditation to have a strong view on some of these.

Honestly doesn’t go far enough given the quality of UK universities.