Immigration News Weekly Roundup – 27 June 2025
The most recent Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published by the Home Office on 24 June 2025 represents a major reform that will reshape the process for thousands of migrants on their immigration journey to permanent settlement in the UK. The changes will all begin from various points in time on 16 July 2025. It will be one of the most consequential changes to immigration legislation we have seen in several years, with some emphasis on eliminating the long-standing confusion surrounding the residency thresholds and on improving the chances of otherwise vulnerable groups.
The most substantial transformation concerns is the EU Settlement Scheme, where the government has responded decisively to widespread confusion amongst EU nationals holding pre-settled status. For years, many have lived in uncertainty about what constitutes continuous residence, with some inadvertently jeopardising their eligibility for settled status due to extended absences from the UK. The new rules replace the complex continuous residence test with a more straightforward requirement: applicants need only demonstrate 30 months of UK residence within the most recent 60-month period.
This significant change departs from the previous system governing absences of more than six months in any 12-month period (‘absence limits’), with the preceding system recognizing only limited exceptions for compelling circumstances or due to COVID-19. This change acknowledges our current reality in which many EU nationals will have legitimate reasons to travel regularly for work, family, or other connections without severing their link to the UK, thus these limits have been removed. Furthermore, it is particularly important to note that these specific 30 months do not need to be consecutive, and the flexibility provided for individuals who will have to go abroad regularly, potentially demonstrating a compelling reason to have to go consistently, is both unprecedented and welcome.
The Home Office will also apply the new approach when it auto updates pre-settled status holders to settled status, meaning that many individuals will not need to lodge an application and just a change of status.
In addition to the EU Settlement Scheme, the reforms address critical gaps in private life provisions that have been problematic for children and young adults who grow up in the UK. Young adults who had permission before 20 June 2022 under private or family life rules are now eligible to be settled after five years if they pass the “half-life” test, which means they would have spent half their life in the UK. This change is following a concession that was introduced in October 2021 that was only partially implemented into the Immigration Rules under Appendix Private Life in Spring 2022.
Children who have been in the UK for seven years will also benefit from accelerated settlement routes, as they will qualify after five years, rather than having to wait for potentially indefinite uncertainty. The explanatory memorandum does state that this cohort was not part of the original concession, but the government recognized that seven-year qualifying children who applied as part of family groups would have been granted leave as the family rules would apply yet they could not access the five-year settlement route under private life provisions. These amendments bring together comparable treatment under the different immigration routes and provide that children born in the UK face the same residence requirements and addressing previous inconsistencies which resulted in unfair discrepancies.
There are important technical amendments to make the treatment of children born in the UK applying for settlement under the Private Life route. The current paragraph PL 15.1, will be deleted and we will introduce a new and expended paragraph PL 15A, called, “Continuous residence requirements for a child born in the UK applying for settlement on the Private Life route.” This change aligns the residence requirements for each settlement route for a child born in the UK with those of a child born outside the UK applying for permission to stay.
The statement also addressed historically ambiguous issues regarding lawful residence as part of long residence applications. Time as a British citizen will now count as lawful residence unless that citizenship was later revoked on the grounds of conduct such as fraud. However, there is a new provision stating that where a person has been deprived of British citizenship, the period that person spent in the UK as a British citizen does not count as lawful residence and cannot count as lawful residence for a long residence application. The definition of continuous residence has also been amended to specify that time in the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man under similar visa routes in recognition of the shared immigration systems of the British Isles.
A particularly significant development is the expansion of restricted leave policies, effective on 16 July 2025. The Government will be extending the use of restricted leave so that it will be the only kind of leave given to individuals excluded from refugee status under various provisions of the Immigration Rules. This applies to those excluded under Article 1F of the 1951 Refugee Convention, those excluded because the Home Office contends the individual poses a danger to the UK as per paragraph 334 of the Immigration Rules and those excluded from humanitarian protection under paragraph 339X of the Immigration Rules. Parts 9 will be amended to ensure no other grounds for leave can be granted. This constitutes the government’s view of making things more onerous for those that pose risks.
Further changes scheduled focus on Appendix International Armed Forces and International Civilian Employees. The Appendix changes were made upon the specific request from the Ministry of Defence, to allow approximately 50 US Department of Energy federal employees and civilian sub-contractors to be in the UK to work on US military equipment. The transitional provisions will ensure applications made before 17 July will be processed under the existing rules.
The modifications include many technical corrections concerning implementation matters that have been raised over the years. The entire Appendix Continuous Residence has been completely rewritten; however, the only major change here is that time spent in the Crown Dependencies under equivalent visa routes, will also count as lawful presence in the UK. Other technical corrections include the amendments of Sponsor eligibility under the EU Settlement Scheme, updating conformity of English language test certificate usage in line with operational guidance and clarifying that Electronic Travel Authorisations will be required for certain passengers arriving from Ireland.
For businesses in the UK, these changes require overall policy reviews and training programs within the business. HR departments need to become aware of the new settlement pathways, especially in relation to long-term workforce planning and retention strategies. The increased flexibility around residence requirements for EU nationals may provide for greater certainty for employers seeking to retain European talent and the simplified private life provisions may be advantageous for those businesses with internationally mobile workforces, and their family members include young people adjusting to the UK immigration systems.
The reforms’ timeliness reflects the government’s awareness that immigration policy must balance security and practical concerns alongside humanitarian issues. The reforms’ simplification of residence requirements recognises that inflexible rules often produce perverse outcomes, whereby those with genuine credentials for international mobility are penalised whilst failing to differentiate between genuine settlers and those with more tenuous relations to the UK. The staggered implementation dates throughout July 2025 suggests careful consideration of the issues in respect of the operational complexities of reforms of this magnitude.
These reforms will affect thousands of existing cases and encourage many previously ineligible applicants to reapply. Immigration lawyers must review current cases under the new rules, especially for EU nationals who thought extended absences had damaged their settlement chances. Young adults stuck in repeated applications without progress towards permanent status will also benefit from the expanded private life routes.
The statement of changes represents more than technical amendments to immigration law; it signals a practical approach to managing post-Brexit immigration complexities while addressing real hardships caused by previous rule interpretations.
Given the current immigration and political climate, initial applications under these new provisions may still face refusals despite the clarified rules. For many practitioners, judicial review may become the primary remedy for challenging unlawful decisions, making it essential to understand the evolving landscape of administrative law challenges.
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For the full list of updates on media news, reports and Home Office Guidance and Policy updates, SEE BELOW
Immigration News
Minister to meet food delivery firms over reports of illegal workers – BBC News UK
The government will meet food delivery companies for talks next week after reports that some asylum seekers are working illegally as couriers within hours of arriving in the UK. Report has surfaced that Channel migrants were able to rent out other people’s Deliveroo and Just Eat delivery accounts via social media groups.
For full report, click here
New statement of changes to the Immigration Rules includes changes to long residence and EUSS continuous residence announced – UKVI
The new Statement of Changes affect multiple appendices including International Armed Forces, Long Residence, Continuous Residence, and Private Life routes. Key amendments to the EU Settlement Scheme redefine continuous qualifying periods, while Part 9 now mandates refusal or cancellation for those excluded from asylum or humanitarian protection.
For full report, click here
Billionaires’ bonanza’: Labour derides Reform plan to offer tax exemptions to wealthy – The Guardian
Nigel Farage has defended his plans to attract wealthy individuals to the UK with a £250,000 fee for 10 years of residency and a special tax regime, as Labour called it a “billionaires’ bonanza”. In a press conference in London, the leader of Reform UK said he wanted to win back very wealthy people leaving the country and encourage them to spend and create jobs in the UK.
For full report, click here
Campaigner calls for judge-led public inquiry into Windrush scandal – The Guardian
A founder of Windrush Day has called for a public inquiry into the scandal amid this year’s “bittersweet” celebrations of Black Britons and their contribution to national life. Patrick Vernon, who campaigned for the national day for nearly a decade before the government adopted it, said the mistreatment, detention and removal of Black Britons wrongly accused of being in the UK illegally had not been treated seriously enough.
For full report, click here
French plans to stop small boats will lead to more deaths, says charity – The Guardian
Plans by French police to enter the sea to stop small boats carrying UK-bound asylum seekers will cause more deaths and be challenged in the European courts, a French charity has said. Arthur Dos Santos, the coordinator of the refugee charity Utopia 56, said there would be an increase in the number of people who would take “desperate” measures to reach the UK.
For full report, click here
Airline staff being trained to bar people without visas from flights to UK – The Guardian
Thousands of European airline staff are being trained to stop people boarding flights to Britain without valid visas, in a move billed by the foreign secretary as a digital upgrade to border controls.
David Lammy said the measures marked a step towards “more secure, more digital and more effective” borders, but the move could raise questions about human rights safeguards.
For full report, click here
Migrant can stay in UK because he does not want to shave – The Telegraph
An asylum seeker from Tajikistan has been allowed to stay in the UK because he would have had to shave his beard off if he was deported. The unnamed man won an appeal after arguing that he could be tortured and have his facial hair forcibly removed if he was sent back home.
For full report, click here
Home Office Guidance and Documents Policy Updates
Register of licensed sponsors: workers has been updated on 25th June 2025.To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: students has been updated on 25th June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Iraq: country policy and information notes has been updated on 24th June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: The Philippines: tuberculosis test clinics for a UK visa has been updated on 24th June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Collection: Immigration Rules: statement of changes has been updated on 24th June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Immigration Health Surcharge: caseworker has been updated on 24th June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Visa processing times: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Promotional material: How to apply from pre-settled to settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to view and confirm someone’s right to rent: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to view and confirm an applicant’s right to work: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to view and confirm someone’s immigration status: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to update and add a new identity document to your UKVI account: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to recover your UKVI account: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to update your UKVI account details: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to check your UKVI account is working: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to create, link and access your eVisa with no identity document: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated click here
Promotional material: How to create, link and access your eVisa with a BRP: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to create, link and access your eVisa with a passport: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Promotional material: How to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa: video has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Promotional material, click here
Guidance: Youth Mobility Scheme visa: ballot system has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: China: tuberculosis test clinics for a UK visa has been updated on 23rd June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Educational Testing Service: caseworker has been updated on 20th June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Transparency data: Country returns guide, has been updated on 20th June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Right of abode: caseworker has been update on 20th June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: EU Settlement Scheme: community support for vulnerable citizens has been updated on 20th June 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Written by Shareen Khan – Legal Content Writer, HJT Training
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Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration advisors should consult the full decisions and official policy documents when advising clients on specific cases.
