New English language and UK citizenship requirements for migrants as part of government crackdown
Migrants will have to live in the UK for a decade before they can apply for citizenship under plans to reduce reliance on foreign workers.
The change from five to 10 years will come with exceptions for people who make a "high contribution" to the economy or society, who will able to be fast-tracked for permanent settlement rights.
It comes on top of new English language requirements across every visa route, which will extend to adult dependents for the first time.
The measures will be announced by Sir Keir Starmer today ahead of the Immigration White Paper, which will set out further reforms to bring net migration down.
At a press conference later, the prime minister will say: "This is a clean break from the past and will ensure settlement in this country is a privilege that must be earned, not a right.
"And when people come to our country, they should also commit to integration and to learning our language.
"Lower net migration, higher skills and backing British workers - that is what this White Paper will deliver."
Net migration - the difference between the number of people immigrating and emigrating to a country - soared when the UK left the EU in January 2020.
It reached 903,000 in the year to June 2023 before falling to 728,000 in mid-2024. But that is still well above its pre-Brexit high of 329,000 in the year up to June 2015.
The government is under pressure to tackle legal migration, as well as illegal immigration, amid Reform UK's surge in the polls.
9:47
However, experts have questioned whether some of the changes announced by Sir Keir today will have much of an impact, at least in the short term.
Currently, migrants have to live in the UK for five years to get indefinite leave to remain, or "settled status" if they are from the EU. They can then use this to apply for British citizenship, usually 12 months after settlement.
There were 162,000 grants of settlement in 2024, up 35% from 2023, and 270,000 grants of citizenship in 2024, up nearly a third on the previous year.
'Contributions-based' citizenship model
The new "contributions-based model" means people must spend a decade in the UK before applying to stay, unless they can show a "real and lasting contribution to the economy and society".
The Home Office said this will include "high-skilled" and 'high-contributing' individuals like nurses, doctors, engineers and AI leaders.
The details are still being fleshed out and will be put to consultation later this year rather than in the white paper, Sky News understands.
However, the thinking is that those who pay higher taxes or who work in a priority sector will be eligible to be fast-tracked. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is also keen for discounts to apply to those who make an "outstanding contribution" to society, such as community leaders, it is understood.
English language requirements
The government also plans to raise English language requirements across every immigration route, so foreign workers speak a higher standard of English.
For the first time, this will also extend to all adult dependents by requiring them to demonstrate a basic understanding of English, which the government says will help people integrate and find employment.
👉 Listen to Electoral Dysfunction where you get your podcasts 👈
Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, told Sky News that extending the amount of time people need to be in the UK to get permanent settlement rights is unlikely to significantly affect migration levels, as there is "no evidence" this affects their decision about whether to migrate.
Any impact would be seen in five to ten years, "when people get to that point of the visa journey", she said, adding that the main effect of this policy would be to "bring in more visa-fee revenue to the Home Office" and "to make it harder for migrants to settle in".
She said that language requirements "are more likely to have an impact on the number of visas granted", as more than half of skilled worker visas over the past couple of years have gone to dependents.
"However, there's no data on how many of them would have passed a language test so it is hard to say how big," Dr Sumption added.
The home office has not put a figure on what sort of reduction these policies could achieve, with Ms Cooper to give more details in parliament on Monday afternoon.
16:59
On Sunday, she told Sky News's Trevor Phillips that plans to close the care worker visa route and change the skilled visa threshold to require a graduate qualification would cut the number of overseas workers by about 50,000 this year.
However, she refused to put a target on the overall levels of net migration the government is aiming for, saying that approach "failed" under the Conservatives.
The Tories have admitted making mistakes in office, but are still calling for a binding immigration cap and want to repeal the Human Rights Act for immigration issues.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said Labour has "overseen the worst ever start to a year for illegal immigrants crossing the channel" adding: "The idea that Starmer is tough on immigration is a joke."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Live Economy shrinks in blow for Reeves
Britain's economy shrank at the start of the second quarter, official figures show, in a blow for the Chancellor after her spending review. UK gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.3pc during the month, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This was worse than analysts' fears that the economy would shrink by 0.1pc and follows a 0.7pc expansion during the first three months of the year. The data covers the month when Donald Trump launched his so-called 'liberation day' tariff onslaught which threatened to upend global trade. ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: 'After increasing for each of the four preceding months, April saw the largest monthly fall on record in goods exports to the United States with decreases seen across most types of goods, following the recent introduction of tariffs.' The figures come a day after economists warned that Britain faces tax rises in the autumn after Rachel Reeves unveiled her spending review. The Chancellor has made growing the economy one of her key missions as she battles to shore up the public finances. An expanding economy would mean that she is better able to pay off the nation's debt and would improve living standards. Ms Reeves said: 'Our number one mission is delivering growth to put more money in people's pockets through our Plan for Change, and while these numbers are clearly disappointing, I'm determined to deliver on that mission.'
Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump's energy dominance agenda could be ravaged by Section 899
LONDON, June 12 - A proposed U.S. tax targeting foreign investors could hurt European energy giants that operate in America's booming oil and gas sector, undermining what President Donald Trump describes as his energy dominance agenda. Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill under review by the Senate includes an additional tax of up to 20% on foreign investors' income, such as dividends and royalties. The tax, known as Section 899, was devised as a pushback against countries that impose what the bill describes as "unfair foreign taxes" on U.S. companies, such as digital services taxes. Section 899 is believed to be targeting companies headquartered in the European Union and Britain, which both have tax systems considered discriminatory by the Trump administration. The provision is a significant threat to London-listed Shell (SHEL.L), opens new tab and BP (BP.L), opens new tab as well as France's TotalEnergies ( opens new tab and Spain's Repsol ( opens new tab, which all have sprawling operations in the United States. Trump, who often used the slogan "drill, baby, drill" in his election campaign, has portrayed himself as pro-fossil fuel, vowing on his first day in office to maximise oil and gas production. But if approved, Section 899 could have the opposite effect. BP last year invested more than $6 billion, about 40% of its capital expenditure, in the United States, where its interests include onshore and offshore oil and gas operations, two refineries, thousands of retail fuel stations and a power trading business. The country is also home to more than a third of BP's global workforce of about 90,000 and accounted for roughly 30% of its 2024 revenue of $189 billion and more than a quarter of its $21 billion net profit. Shell, the biggest European oil major, is also a huge investor in the United States, which accounted for 23% of its 2024 revenue of $284 billion. It invests about 30% of its capital expenditure in the country, where it has oil and gas production facilities, a petrochemicals plant, a vast retail network, liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchasing agreements and major trading operations. The United States became increasingly important to Big Oil companies in recent decades thanks to its stable fiscal and regulatory environment while other regions presented a variety of challenges. Take Russia, for example. Its vast oil and gas resources started attracting investments from many companies in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but the country is now uninvestible owing to western sanctions that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Similarly, western companies have limited opportunities to invest in the Middle East, where national oil companies dominate. Europe, meanwhile, has limited natural resources and strict environmental regulation. The multinational nature of oil and gas companies means they have plenty of experience dealing with tax uncertainty, but shifting tax policies tend to delay investments. Company boards require long-term confidence to proceed with large, multi-decade capital projects such as oil and gas fields or LNG plants. The industry's confidence in the United States was already shaken under Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, who in 2020 revoked a construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. The Biden administration also paused approvals for new LNG projects in 2024 because of climate concerns. Trump lifted the pause when he entered the White House. According to Section 899, multinational companies could face a new tax on dividends sent overseas and inter-company loans, potentially reducing profit. The Gulf of Mexico accounted for about 10% of Shell's 2024 free cash flow of $40 billion, it said in a presentation. That means that Section 899 could shave $800 million from its free cash flow per year from Gulf of Mexico operations alone. BP made about $1.5 billion in free cash flow in the United States last year, Reuters calculations show. A 20% dividend tax could translate into a $300 million loss in free cash flow. Faced with the worsening fiscal terms, companies could opt to direct funds away from the United States. Though options for deploying capital elsewhere on a similar scale are limited, companies could choose to spread their investments more widely. Such a scenario could be a boon for countries such as Canada, Brazil, Mozambique and Namibia, which have large untapped natural resources. Another option would be for companies to transfer their headquarters and listings to the United States - a costly and politically complicated option. Shell previously contemplated such a move to boost its share value, though it appears to have abandoned the idea. Ultimately, it is very likely that the Senate would push to modify Section 899 or limit its scope, given the potential far-reaching impact on many sectors. But barring a radical change, Section 899 poses a huge risk for European oil and gas giants that are heavily dependent on the United States. Achieving the Trump administration's energy dominance agenda will almost certainly require more foreign investment, not less, so if the CEOs of European energy companies complain loudly enough, the president may well listen to them. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters Enjoying this column? Check out Reuters Open Interest (ROI), opens new tab, your essential new source for global financial commentary. ROI delivers thought-provoking, data-driven analysis. Markets are moving faster than ever. ROI, opens new tab can help you keep up. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, opens new tab and X., opens new tab
BBC News
15 minutes ago
- BBC News
UK economy shrunk in April as tax rises kicked in
The UK economy shrunk by more than expected in April as tax increases kicked in for employers and British exporters faced huge uncertainty over US trade economy contracted by 0.3%, with the services sector being particularly hard hit. Economists had predicted a 0.1% April, employers' National Insurance rose while energy, water and council tax bills increased for figures come after a day after chancellor Rachel Reeves set out spending plans aimed at boosting growth, with funding increases for the NHS and defence, but budgets squeezed elsewhere.
