नवीनतम
UK makes permanent residency norms tougher
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The UK has indicated it doesn't want immigrants as permanent residents in the hordes. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled a tough new set of policy measures on Monday, including doubling the wait time for people seeking permanent residency from 5 to 10 years. Now, only those in the UK for 10 years will be able to apply for permanent residency. The move is expected to have a significant impact on Indian nationals, who make up the largest group of professionals and students arriving in the UK each year.
According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2023, Indians were the largest group of immigrants to the UK, with approximately 250,000 arriving mainly for work and educational opportunities.
Immigrants will have to live in the UK for 10 years before applying for the right to stay indefinitely or what is technically known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), according to the BBC.
Norms for the main skilled worker visa have also been made tougher. Immigrant professionals will now need a degree-level qualification to apply instead of the equivalent of A-level, according to the BBC. The new rules reverse changes made under former PM Boris Johnson.
"The government would take back control of our borders and close the book on a squalid chapter of rising inward migration," The Guardian quoted Starmer as saying.
According to The Financial Times, Starmer refused to put a target on the cuts in migration he hoped to achieve — and has rejected a Tory proposal for an annual cap — but said, "I'm promising it will fall significantly."
The tough measures were announced despite a 10% overall decline in net annual immigration to the UK. Notably, around 85% of the people who migrated to the UK were from outside the European Union.
In sweeping reforms to Britain’s immigration system, migrants to the UK will need to spend a decade in the country before applying to settle unless they can show "a real and lasting contribution to the economy and society", The Financial Times reported.
The new system will eliminate the current policy that grants automatic settlement and citizenship to individuals, including Indians, who have lived in the UK for five years.
The proposal to end automatic settlement after five years is part of planned restrictions on legal migration, which will also significantly limit employers' ability to hire overseas workers for lower-skilled positions, according to The Financial Times.
