UK introduces major immigration reforms to restore 'order and control'

The UK government today introduced major changes to its immigration system, aiming to reduce net migration, raise skill requirements, and end reliance on low-wage foreign workers. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the first set of reforms under the new Immigration White Paper, calling it “a complete reset” of Britain’s immigration strategy.

Under the new rules, which will be laid before Parliament, over 100 occupations will be removed from eligibility under the Skilled Worker visa route. The threshold for skill levels and salary requirements will be raised, and the visa pathway for overseas social care workers will be closed. The government said these changes are designed to restore control to the system and prioritise domestic workforce development.

“We are delivering a complete reset of our immigration system to restore proper control and order, after the previous government allowed net migration to quadruple in four years,” said Home Secretary Cooper in an official statement. “These new rules mean stronger controls to bring migration down, to restore order to the immigration system and to ensure we focus on investing in skills and training here in the UK.”

One of the central features of the reforms is the introduction of a temporary shortage list, which will allow limited access to roles deemed essential for industrial strategy and national infrastructure. Sectors included must present workforce strategies to train UK workers or risk losing access to international recruitment entirely.

Workers under this list will not be eligible to bring dependents and will no longer receive salary or visa fee concessions. These temporary measures will remain in place until the end of 2026, subject to review by the Migration Advisory Committee.

Other announced measures include:

• Removing 111 occupations from the Skilled Worker visa list
• Ending overseas recruitment for care workers
• Restricting sub-degree level roles to a time-bound shortage list with strict conditions
• Commissioning a review of shortage roles, pay, and benefits by the Migration Advisory Committee

Looking ahead, the government also plans to raise the immigration skills charge, tighten language requirements across visa categories, and present a new family migration framework. Subject to parliamentary approval, most of the new rules will take effect from 22 July 2025, with transitional arrangements for overseas care workers already residing in the UK.

The reforms are part of the broader Plan for Change, which seeks to overhaul border security and asylum policies by the end of the year.