Under the changes, due to be outlined in a white paper on Monday, immigrants will have to wait up to 10 years before they can apply for residency unless they can prove a “lasting contribution” to the British economy.
Migrants arriving on skilled worker visas face tighter rules and will need to have a graduate qualification or a higher salary to be eligible.
“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,” he is expected to say.
“And when people come to our country, they should also commit to integration and to learning our language.”
Labour’s plan to cut immigration
Quicker deportation of foreign criminals: The Home Office will be given new powers to streamline the deportation of foreign criminals. Ministers will now be notified of all convictions involving a foreign national in the UK, rather than only those with a custodial sentence of over one year. Foreign nationals with criminal records overseas may also face removal. Short-term visa holders can now have their visas cancelled and be blocked from future applications.
Restrictions on care worker visas: The care worker visa route for overseas recruitment will be closed. Employers will be expected to hire from within the UK, either from among British citizens or foreign workers who already have a visa.
Tighter rules for skilled worker visas: Eligibility for skilled worker visas will now require a graduate-level qualification or a higher salary threshold. Access to lower-skilled roles will be restricted and they will only available in sectors listed as critical to the UK’s industrial strategy. A new Labour Market Evidence Group will assess which sectors have shortages that require overseas workers.
Training British workers: Employers in high-migration sectors will have to invest in UK-based training before recruiting from abroad. Sectors set to be targeted include IT, telecommunications, and engineering, which are deemed to recruit from abroad disproportionately.
Crackdown on visa overstayers: The Government will restrict visas for nationalities with higher overstay or asylum rates. Financial documents will be scrutinised more closely, and access to taxpayer-funded accommodation will be limited.
Longer permanent residence wait: The minimum residence period for indefinite leave to remain will be extended from five to ten years. Fast-track routes will be limited to high-skilled individuals. Those with limited UK ties or long absences may face additional checks before securing permanent status or applying for citizenship.
English language tests: Work visa applicants must now meet an English standard equivalent to an A-level. The requirement also applies to adult dependents. The change raises the threshold from the current GCSE-equivalent level. Applicants must show they can write detailed texts and communicate fluently on complex topics.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp accused Labour of “boasting about returns built entirely on the back of Conservative groundwork” and urged the Government to go further to control migrant numbers.
Under the plans, a fast-track route will remain for “high-skilled, high-contributing individuals”, such as NHS staff, engineers, and AI specialists, allowing them to bypass the 10-year wait.
The Home Office said these new, stricter rules would help migrants “integrate into their local community, find employment and [reduce] the risk of exploitation and abuse”.
Employers will be targeted as part of the immigration crackdown. Companies will now be expected to prove they are investing in UK workers before they can sponsor visas for overseas staff.
She added: “Overseas recruitment soared at the same time as big increases in the number of people not working or in education here in the UK.
Cooper also announced that the white paper would include measures to speed up the deportation of foreign criminals.
The changes will ensure that the Home Office is informed about all convicted foreign nationals, regardless of whether they receive a prison sentence.
New powers will be set up allowing the Government to more easily deport recent immigrants who have committed crimes in other countries.
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