Will Starmer’s Plan Tighten UK Immigration — Even Legal Routes?

Sir Keir Starmer is on a mission to fix the UK’s ‘broken’ immigration system. In his forward to the ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’, the Labour government’s white paper policy document on immigration control published on 12 May 2025, the British Prime Minister and Labour Party leader spoke out about his intentions in no uncertain terms: “We will restore control to our borders”. 

Putting rhetorics aside, let’s discuss the actual immigration and border control policy changes the Labour government has brought about in 2025, and how these changes are going to impact different immigration pathways to the UK, including the work and study routes as well as the UK spouse visa. 

Keir Starmer Immigration Policy 2025 Explained 

When Starmer assumed the PM’s office in July 2024, the UK was battling a ‘financial crisis’. Shortage of funds was affecting not only a long-struggling NHS, but also putting pressure on premier universities and local councils. Expectations were also sky-high from a Labour Party government after 14 years of Conservative rule. Even the prominent public sector trade unions were putting pressure on the Starmer government to end the public sector pay stagnation. 

Immigration was one of the major areas of concern. The number of immigrants in 2023 touched over a million–four times more than that in 2019. Starmer called the explosion in inward migration under his predecessors a “political choice” and blamed the same for the mounting pressure on the UK’s public services and rising housing costs. 

Critics are, however, divided in their opinion about how Starmer’s immigration approach differs from the Conservatives. Some argue that there is little to no difference between their stance on immigration control, citing the continued ban on care workers bringing their dependants under the successive governments or their identical position on having no plans for an EU-wide youth mobility scheme. Others, however, have pointed out that the Labour PM does not bat for an annual cap on work and family migration like his predecessors, but talks about taking a pledge to “return migration policy to common sense.” 

For immigrants though, the net result is more or less the same. The UK’s immigration rules are getting stricter. Moving to the island nation is getting increasingly difficult, be it the Skilled Worker, graduate student or UK Spouse visa route, as the Starmer government is set to “ensure settlement in this country [the UK] is a privilege that must be earned, not a right.” 

The question is, will Keir Starmer succeed in reducing UK immigration numbers? 

How the Labour Government Is Tightening Immigration Controls 

The May 2025 white paper proffers eight specific policy changes:  

• Reducing available jobs for the Skilled Worker visa route  

• Ending the practice of recruiting social care workers from overseas 

• Introducing a levy on the universities’ income from foreign student fees 

• Introducing stricter compliance rules for universities sponsoring foreign students  

• Reducing the standard length of the Graduate visa 

• Tougher English language rules for both applicants and their dependants  

• Doubling the residence requirement for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to ten years  

• Making the process easier for Global Talent and High Potential Individual visas to attract top international talent  

The Office for National Statistics has published its latest immigration system statistics for the year ending June 2025, which show a decline in the number of visas granted across the work, student, family, and humanitarian routes. However, it is too early to say objectively how much of that decline can be attributed to UK visa system reform under Starmer, as some of his proposed changes were yet to take place in June 2025. 

Impact of the 2025 Immigration White Paper on Foreign Workers 

Changes to the UK Skilled Worker visa system 2025 include the requirement of a degree-level qualification (unless you work in a sector with staff shortages) and a higher level of English language knowledge. Adult dependants must also prove that their English language knowledge is at least at CEFR level A1, in line with the UK spouse visa route. 

Increase in the minimum salary threshold for certain Global Business Mobility routes and the proposed 32% hike in Immigration Skills Charge further show how sponsor licence rules could change under Labour for UK employers wishing to recruit foreign talent. 

UK Student and Family Visa Reforms under the Labour Government 

The white paper did not mention any changes to the family visa route. However, the Labour government is all set to make it harder for foreign students to come to the UK or stay here after their course is over. 

Cutting down the length of the Graduate visa for non-PhD holders (from two years to 18 months) is just one of the many reforms in this place, the other crucial ones being an introduction of a foreign student levy, an increase in financial requirements for student visas from 2025-26 academic year, and tighter visa compliance rules for educational institutions sponsoring international students. 

Indefinite Leave to Remain: New Rules in 2025  

In a previous interview with The i Paper, I mentioned that the 10-year requirement might drive down the number of UK naturalisation applications received from US citizens. This is likely to be the case for all immigrants actually. 

My colleague Dina Modi, an immigration casework supervisor at Immigration Advice Service (IAS), has also partly attributed the recent rush of Americans seeking British passports to the imminent changes in UK tax and immigration laws. 

UK Immigration Policy 2025: What Impact Keir Starmer Immigration Reforms May Have on the Future of Immigrants 

Apparently, Starmer wants to create an environment where the domestic workforce and students have fair access to jobs and education/training, and migrants contribute positively towards the country’s socio-economic situation. Employers “abusing” the immigration system to hire cheap foreign labour or universities accepting “average” international students for financial gain have to stop. Period.  

Sounds fair? 

The reality is, however, not so clear cut as Starmer’s critics point out. The Home Office’s own assessment predicts that tightening of immigration control may, in fact, leave the UK £4.4 billion worse off. It is true that the increasing number of migrants has put a pressure on UK public services and real estate costs, but their contributions to taxes and surcharges cannot be overlooked either. 

Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party, known for their anti-immigration stance, calls Starmer “a hypocrite who believes in open borders.” Criticism is ripe even within the Labour Party, with Sir Sadiq Khan asking the government to reconsider its immigration rules and former Labour education secretary Alan Johnson warning that the crackdown could risk closing universities. 

We must keep in mind that in today’s world, stricter work visa rules may actually witness certain jobs moving overseas, especially those in the IT and IT-enabled sectors. Remote work is becoming the norm rather than the exception thanks to the rise of digital connectivity. "It [a digital nomad visa] has surged in popularity, driven by technological advancements and shifting work cultures," says Shyra Sagun, our head of global immigration at IAS. 

Both businesses and individuals (migrants and citizens alike) are closely watching how the Starmer government’s immigration plans are going to impact the country’s future. We at IAS are closely monitoring the situation, and will keep sharing our observations and insights with our readers as the proverbial day progresses. 

The article has been provided and sponsored by Ono Okeregha.