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On 20 November 2025, the UK Government announced a major overhaul to the country’s immigration system that, if implemented, will impact millions of people who wish to gain settled status.
This announcement came just days after they announced stricter rules regarding illegal immigration and asylum seekers. It is clear that the UK Government is committing to its plan to reduce immigration.
The overhaul includes migrants on benefits needing to wait more years before being eligible to apply for settlement, as well as penalties for those found to be exploiting the immigration system.
Additionally, they mention an update that will see several visas have their residence requirement for settlement increased to 10 years. This was initially announced in the Immigration White Paper released earlier this year.
In support of this overhaul of the immigration system, the Government has stated that it is ‘designed to reward those who contribute and play by the rules’.
Below, we shall provide an overview of the announced changes, other plans that the Government has discussed, and what they mean for you.
The overhaul in a nutshell
Essentially, the overhaul includes the following:
- Doubling the minimum permanent settlement qualifying period to 10 years for the majority of visa routes (some visas have had this requirement for a number of years)
- Low-paid workers, such as those who arrived between 2022 and 2024 on the now defunct Health and Care Worker Visa, will have to wait 15 years to settle
- Migrants on benefits will have to wait 20 years
- Illegal migrants and those overstaying on their visas will have to wait 30 years
However, some people will have shorter routes to settlement still, including:
- High earners and entrepreneurs will be able to apply for settlement after three years
- Doctors and nurses working for the NHS will have to wait five years to apply for settlement
Finally, criminal backgrounds will be taken into even greater consideration in a bid to lower the threshold needed to deport someone. The Government has yet to state what crimes will constitute this threshold.
Who will be impacted by this overhaul of the rules?
Not everyone in the UK on one of the many types of routes into the country will be impacted by these huge overhauls of the immigration system. However, a vast number of people will still be affected, regardless of what visa or other route they hold.
The planned changes will apply to the two million immigrants who arrived in the UK from 2021 onwards. Anyone who arrived before 2021 will seemingly not be affected. We will keep you updated if this changes.
This is because in 2030, 1.6 million people will become eligible for settlement. The Government seems to want to reduce the number of people who can apply at once, to lessen the impact on the country.
Who will NOT be affected by the overhaul?
So far, it seems anyone who arrived in the country before 2021 will not be affected at all by the overhaul.
Furthermore, it appears that only a small number of routes will not be affected by the overhaul for those who arrived in 2021 onwards. This includes people on the British National (Overseas) (BNO) route into the UK. They will still need to wait five years for settlement.
Additionally, partners, parents and children of British citizens will continue to use the current system of needing to be resident for five years.
Finally, those on the Global Talent Visa and Innovator Founder Visa routes will continue to be able to apply for settlement after three years.
Ways the years needed for settlement can be reduced
There will be ways for people’s path to settlement to be reduced if they are shown to be contributing to the UK.
This includes:
- Skilled frontline public service workers, who will need to wait five years
- Migrants who make National Insurance contributions will be able to settle after 10 years, though this can be reduced for those who make even higher tax contributions; for example, earning a taxable income of £50,270 for three years reduces the residence requirement for settlement by five years
- Those who show they are integrating by volunteering and showing a high level of English proficiency will also benefit from reduced settlement requirements
It is not yet known how much tax contributions or integration efforts will reduce the number of years needed for settlement. We will keep up to date on any future announcements.
How we can help you
With such a massive overhaul to the immigration system being planned alongside many other updates to the immigration rules which have been coming all year, it can be incredibly difficult to know what rules have changed and how you are affected. Luckily, not only can we keep you informed of any immigration system changes, but we can also help you get a visa, apply for settlement, or even assist you with citizenship applications.
Our team of immigration experts are here to help. To discuss your needs with them, you can begin by booking a free 10-minute assessment. After this, you can then book a longer paid consultation which lasts either 30 minutes, or an hour. Your consultation can be with one of our immigration specialists, or with our Principal Solicitor Nathan Woodcock. The choice is yours.
During your paid consultation, you will be given assistance with your application, as well as legal advice. We will help you every step of the way.
Get in touch with us today for our expert immigration advice, and keep visiting our website to find out about future Statements of Change.
Still unsure about using our services? Then visit our testimonials and client success stories pages to see how we have helped people in the past.
Ready for assistance?
If you have any questions, or want to book an appointment with one of our legal experts, contact Woodcock Law today. Call us on +44 (0)20 7712 1705 or email info@woodcocklaw.co.uk.
