Immigration White Paper meaning

Applications submitted before this date will be determined under the Rules in effect on 30 November 2020. See: LNB News 22/10/2020 80. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been asked to examine the Intra-Company Transfer route and to report on issues including salary and skill thresholds, whether separate arrangements should exist for high earners, and points of divergence from the Skilled Worker route. The MAC aims to provide its findings by the end of October 2021. Any adjustments to the route are expected to follow in 2022. See: LNB News 07/10/2020 76. Appendix Intra-Company Routes The Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) (ICT) route will be retitled as the Intra-Company routes, as flagged in the Home Office’s July 2020 further details paper. The two strands are the core Intra-Company Transfer and the Intra-Company Graduate Transferee. Provisions currently located in Part 6A and Appendix A are being revoked and replaced with a new ‘Appendix Intra-Company Routes’, which also delineates the rules for dependants. References to dependants of Tier 2 (ICT) migrants...

What, in summary, are the recent developments relating to the EU settlement scheme? Following earlier pilot phases, the scheme went live in full on 30 March 2019, making it accessible to every EU citizen and their family members. The caseworker guidance is extensive and divided into two texts: EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members — a 104-page guide outlining eligibility, when an application is valid, what evidence to submit, the steps in the process, and particular rules for family members. EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements — a 22-page guide devoted to character and conduct considerations, and the ways these could affect an application under the EU settlement scheme. These materials assist applicants seeking a thorough grasp of the process and the paperwork they may require. Yet the breadth and depth of what is provided can feel daunting for individuals, who might prefer to rely on the more general Home Office guidance available online. Do...

Raising the minimum skill level to RQF6 The uplift in the minimum skill threshold for sponsoring Skilled Workers is set to be a significant shift. Our analysis indicates that 171 roles would cease to meet the Skilled Worker visa criteria (see the full list below). The Technical Annex to the White Paper projects a 23% drop in Skilled Worker visa applications—around 17,000 fewer applicants. Sponsors should calm concerns among existing sponsored staff in these roles: their current leave will not be cut short and they will remain eligible to extend. It also appears they may change employers, and undertake supplementary work, in roles below the new RQF6 benchmark. Given the sizeable contraction in qualifying roles, sponsors must reassess pipeline hiring and ensure enough Undefined Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are on hand, noting the Home Office expects precise vacancy particulars and frowns on speculative allocation asks. Bringing hires forward for roles likely to be taken out of the Skilled Worker route is a sensible step, particularly as the...

The White Paper, ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’, released on 12 May 2025, sets out a broad suite of major reforms spanning several areas of immigration policy. Many measures align with the Labour government’s commitment to lower net migration, including through a rework of skills policy. This Practice Note distils the principal proposals for business immigration practitioners, offers commentary on potential impacts, monitors implementation as it unfolds, and directs readers to relevant resources. Resources Immigration White Paper heralds significant changes to UK immigration system — LNB News, 12/05/2025, 44 Immigration White Paper—some further indications on timing, and who settlement reforms could affect — LNB News, 13/05/2025, 8 What can sponsors and Skilled Workers do to address the White Paper proposals — Ben Maitland, Senior Associate, Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law Immigration reform plan creates new headaches for employers — Law360 MAC review on IT and Engineering cautions on skills approach — LNB News, 29/05/2025, 6 MAC publishes family visa financial requirements...

This Practice Note summarises the background to the citizens’ rights dimension of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. It also collates links to News Analysis and other core materials tracing the negotiations that led to the signature of the Withdrawal Agreement and the creation of the EU Settlement Scheme—by which the UK government gave effect to the citizens’ rights provisions—prior to the close of the transition period... Citizens’ rights: withdrawal agreement and settled status This Practice Note brings together News Analysis and key materials relating to: the pertinent Withdrawal Agreement negotiations and the concluded position on citizens’ rights the design and implementation of the EU Settlement Scheme (including concerns raised at the time by third parties and NGOs) EEA citizenship and dual citizenship—relevant where clients are contemplating applications for British citizenship or for citizenship of an EEA state or Switzerland For details of eligibility and applying under the EU Settlement Scheme, see: The EU Settlement Scheme—overview...

The UK’s choice to exit the European Union has made a comprehensive reassessment of the country’s immigration framework necessary. On 18 September 2018, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) released its final report on European Economic Area (EEA) migration in the UK, designed to provide an evidence base for shaping a new migration system to operate after the end of the implementation period from 1 January 2021. The report sets out multiple conclusions on the effects of EEA migration to the UK, together with a series of proposals which, if taken forward, would have a significant bearing on the way EEA nationals are permitted to participate in the UK labour market once Brexit has taken effect. However, the document does not tackle whether EEA nationals ought to be treated differently within the family migration system, observing only that there could be large effects which should be taken into account. The key findings The report considered a vast body of evidence on the impact of migration from the EEA...

What is earned settlement? The Home Secretary’s November 2025 policy statement and consultation, ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, puts forward contentious plans to radically reshape the existing system through which overseas nationals gain settlement in the UK, replacing it with an ‘earned settlement’ model. It characterises settlement as a ‘privilege rather than an entitlement’ and positions the changes as a move towards demonstrable contribution and integration. Central to the proposals is a rise in the standard qualifying period for settlement from five to ten years for the majority of applicants. That benchmark would subsequently be varied upward or downward according to a person’s individual circumstances. The scheme would rest on four core pillars that underpin decision-making: Character Integration Contribution Residence Certain aspects of these pillars would function as mandatory eligibility criteria under the proposals, while others would guide whether the qualifying period ought to be curtailed or, alternatively, extended in individual cases...

For the purposes of this Q&A, we have not taken into account the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), as it is not directly enforceable; it is for the UK to give effect to its terms (insofar as not already addressed by the European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020). For further detail, see News Analysis: Implementing the TCA—business immigration implications. As the EU citizen employees fall outside the EU Settlement Scheme and are not eligible for a frontier worker permit, the main immigration options to review are: Intra-Company Skilled Worker Visitor T5 International Agreement Worker Each category is discussed in more detail below. Intra-Company routes The Intra-Company routes allow organisations with connected overseas entities to transfer certain staff to their UK offices. From 1 January 2021, these routes cover EEA and Swiss citizens as well as non-EEA citizens. Both routes require a minimum period of prior employment with the overseas linked entity. As the EEA citizens are engaged...