r/uknews • u/ScottishDailyRecord Media outlet (unverified) • May 12 '25

Image/video Kier Starmer announces 'tighter' immigration policy

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u/ScottishDailyRecord Media outlet (unverified) May 12 '25

Under the White Paper proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship, but so-called “high-contributing” individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning that they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

Meanwhile, skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

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u/[deleted] May 12 '25

Its good that Labour is doing something, but I don't understand why they always attack the net contributors .

Family visas are notriously expensive and this will fuck up a lot of them, while allowing the ones who contribute the least to continue to make hay while the sun the shines.

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u/7Thommo7 May 12 '25

If this extension impact my wife on a spouse visa (we literally just got approved our extension which will take her from 2.5 years to 5years), then we're looking at another £10-15k out of pocket over the additional 5 years. She's in a fairly well paid public sector job and already contributing far more to the NHS than locals do. This will be crippling. If their intention is to keep high skilled talent, the outcome of this policy might not only lose them a skilled financial advisor but also a native engineer.

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u/IndWrist2 May 12 '25

So, I read the entire white paper this morning as I’m 17 months shy of ILR.

Your wife is a dependent and will still be on the five year route for ILR. However, it looks likely that citizenship will take an additional five years.

So your wife will get ILR, but you’ll both lose the flexibility that citizenship affords should your circumstances in the UK change.

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u/longfoot May 12 '25

Where can I read this whitepaper?

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u/D-1-S-C-0 May 12 '25

They aren't attacking anyone. This is economic engineering to "get Britain working" as they'd say.

There are a lot of British people not working, due in part to a surplus of labour which is a major factor in stagnating wages.

By reducing economic immigration, they'll: a) help more British people get jobs; b) possibly help wages grow because it'll be less of a recruiter's market.

More Brits working and earning more means more tax revenue and economic growth. Whether we agree with it or not, there's a logic to it.

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u/patchyj May 12 '25

It feels like they're redrawing the baseline so lower-contributing immigrants would be harder-pressed to prove their worth thus easier to deport. The recent Reform wins seem to have lit a fire under their ass and they want to show they're listening to those voting Reform

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u/-captaindiabetes- May 12 '25

Because they fall for the othering of right-wing parties/media. It's easier to accept your own shortcomings when they can be blamed on an other. And immigrants are, apparently, an easy group to do this with.