UK Unveils Strict New Immigration Rules: Permanent Residency Period Doubled
UK Unveils Strict New Immigration Rules: Permanent Residency Period Doubled
——————————-
The United Kingdom is set to implement sweeping changes to its immigration system, imposing stricter requirements for legal migrants seeking permanent residency, including the effective doubling of the required residency period.
Shadow Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is scheduled to unveil the new reforms at the Labour Party Conference. This proposed policy forms a central part of the Labour Party’s wider plan to significantly reduce net migration figures.
According to the BBC, the proposed new system will enforce significant societal and linguistic requirements on migrants seeking to settle permanently in the UK. Applicants will be required to demonstrate active involvement in the community through voluntary work, achieve a high level of English language fluency, and maintain a clean criminal record. Crucially, the time necessary for a migrant to be eligible to apply for permanent residency will be doubled from five years to ten years, substantially lengthening the path to settlement.
Under this new plan, the current status of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)—which grants migrants true permanent settlement—will be abolished entirely. It will be replaced with new visa arrangements that mandate that migrants, including those who have previously held the permanent status, must renew their visas every five years. This fundamental change removes the concept of permanent settlement and introduces an ongoing administrative requirement for all long-term residents in the UK.
