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July 2026 Statement of Changes: important updates to rules for children, the EUSS and more
Table of Contents
On 9 July, the UK Government released the July 2026 Statement of Changes, confirming updates to various aspects of the immigration rules. This is the second statement of the year.
Many of the more major updates deal with making the rules more clear or detailed, and allowing provisions for children in certain situations, such as if they are born to a parent in the UK on a Graduate Visa.
Additionally, there are many minor changes, of which we will discuss a few in detail towards the end of this article.
Please note that many of the announced updates are to be implemented from 3 August 2026. We will mention the dates of those that are to be introduced on other dates.
Read on below to find out about the many updates to the immigration rules.
Graduate Visa route amendments for UK-born children
Provisions have been added to the Graduate Visa route, allowing children born in the UK to parents on this route to apply as dependants.
Their leave to remain will be aligned with the remaining duration of their parent’s visa.
Currently, the only dependants allowed on the Graduate Visa are those who came with the visa holder when they were on a Student Visa, prior to the completion of their studies.
Now, no other dependants are allowed on the Graduate Visa other than children born in the UK, and those who were brought under the Student Visa rules.
Diplomatic Visa Arrangements extended to India
Diplomatic Visa Arrangements, which were introduced in February 2025 as a replacement for Diplomatic Visa Waivers, are being expanded to include India in the July 2026 Statement of Changes.
Essentially, this means that Indian nationals who hold a diplomatic passport will now have a bespoke visa route into the UK, allowing them to carry out their diplomatic missions in the UK with greater ease.
Individuals applying for this visa route will need to be sponsored by their own government as proof that they are diplomats. There is no fee to apply for this visa.
The visa lasts for two years and allows people to enter the UK multiple times for trips that can last up to six months.
With this, the Home Office has allowed for easier diplomatic discussions between the two countries.
Part 8: updates to provisions for children
Under Part 8 of the immigration rules, there are provisions outlined that allow children to join or stay with a settled relative in certain circumstances, which up to now have been vague.
The Home Office has clarified Part 8 rules to ensure consistency with other immigration routes, such as the Skilled Worker route.
For example, the rules for Appendix Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection) have provisions that allow children to join relatives with protected status in the UK if the child has no one else who can reasonably care for them. Part 8 now allows for this as well.
Part 8 and Appendix Children have also been brought into alignment, as Part 8 now clarifies when a child can join a settled parent in the UK, if their other parent is in the UK and either has been granted leave, or holds limited leave to remain. Basically, the rules have been made more consistent.
Whether or not the Home Office’s aims of clearer rules for Part 8 succeeds or not will be seen in the months to come.
Appendix FM: duration of leave for partners of those with temporary protection status amendments
Partners applying for leave to remain under these rules are usually granted the maximum amount of leave to remain. Since 2 March 2026, this has been a period of 30 months.
However, an individual must be sponsored to use this route by a protection sponsor, whose leave may not last as long as their partner who they are sponsoring.
Now, the rules are being amended to state the partner of a sponsor will be given leave to remain in the UK in alignment with what remains of their partner’s leave to remain.
Appendix FM care requirement added
The care requirement that applies to Appendix Children will now also apply to the child route under Appendix FM.
What this essentially means is that any child applicants for Appendix FM will need to prove that they have suitable care arrangements for when they reside in the UK.
However, there is no specific guidance on what evidence should be provided as part of showing suitable care arrangements.
Appendix EU (Family Permit) travel permit requirements update
There are two updates to the Appendix EU in the July 2026 Statement of Changes, the first of which is related to travel permits for those who are coming to the UK through an EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) Family Permit.
Travel permits can be applied for by those who are unable to update their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) details to, for example, add a new travel document, so that they can still travel to the UK.
Now, the biometric information requirements have been changed so that applicants will no longer need to provide their fingerprints. This brings the requirements in alignment with the rules for people who are updating their UKVI accounts from within the UK.
This rule change should make the rules more streamlined and easier to understand, as they apply the same to everyone who needs to update their UKVI information.
It will take effect on 30 July 2026.
Appendix EU - deadline clarification for family members of qualifying British citizens
The second of the two Appendix EU updates also relates to family members, but in a very different way.
In summary, the rules are being changed so that anyone who previously held pre-settled status but has since switched to another route, can still apply for settled status under the EUSS if they are the family member of a qualifying British citizen.
People can apply for settled status before the end of their current permission to stay ends. However, if someone applies after their current permission to stay ends, they will need reasonable grounds to do so, such as if they were too ill to make an application for settled status.
This will also take effect on 30 July 2026.
Part Suitability exception for immigration bail
A significant rule change introduces an exception for overstayers.
Previously, if someone was on immigration bail, they were not able to apply for an exception, even though immigration bail would prevent them from extending any existing visa or other route into the UK.
Individuals on immigration bail may now apply for an exception to overstaying rules, allowing them to remain in the UK pending the outcome of their case.
Appendix HM Armed Forces and Appendix International Armed Forces and International Civilian Employees updates
Next, there are two updates related to different rules for members of the armed forces and their dependants.
Changes to the Appendix HM Armed Forces now allows children of serving, single personnel who are exempt from immigration control, to be granted permission to stay in the UK under the normal immigration rules, rather than needing to get a grant for leave outside the rules.
Furthermore, an update to Appendix International Armed Forces and International Civilian Employees makes it clearer that dependants of exempt international service personnel are not entitled to travel with them, meaning that they will need to make an application of their own for entry clearance.
Other minor changes
Now we have covered the key focusses of the July 2026 Statement of Changes, we will go through some of what the Government considers to be minor updates to the rules.
Please note that we will not cover all minor updates, so if you would like to learn about all of them, you can read the explanatory memorandum provided by the Government.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) criminality grounds for a refusal or rejection
First, we will look at updates for the refusal of an ETA application on criminality grounds.
Currently, an ETA application can be rejected, or an existing ETA can be rescinded, if the individual has either committed a criminal act, or has committed one whilst holding an ETA, that has resulted in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more.
Now, an ETA can be refused or rescinded if someone has been given a suspended sentence of 12 months or more.
Essentially, the rules have been made stricter for ETAs, which brings it into alignment with rules for other forms of entry clearance across the immigration rules.
Appendix Child Student – carer criminality restriction
When child students come to study in the UK, they must have a carer as part of the application requirements.
Just like with ETAs, the rules for carers of child students have been updated so that an application can be rejected if their listed carer has had a suspended sentence of 12 months or more. Previously, only custodial sentences were considered.
Again, this brings this ruleset in line with other areas of the immigration rules.
Appendix Statelessness application simplification
Previously, stateless people and their dependants applying to settle in the UK had to use the Further Leave to Remain (Stateless) form. Now, they will need to use the Settle in the UK (Other), which is sometimes referred to as SET(O).
This may seem like a minor change, but it makes it clearer for people that they are applying for settlement in the UK instead of leave to remain.
Looking to the future
In Labour’s Immigration White Paper from May last year, they clearly stated through their many proposals that they would be making the immigration system a lot stricter. Over the following months, they implemented many of the rules presented in the paper.
However, with a new Prime Minister and a cabinet reshuffle, it is possible that the rules may not continue to get stricter. It is unknown how much the change in leadership will affect the immigration system.
We will aim to keep you updated on any important changes that are introduced by the Government in future Statements of Changes. As immigration experts, we can help you understand any important updates.
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Would you like to learn more about past updates? Then read our blogs on the Statements of Changes from the last few years.
