Sir Keir Starmer said high net migration has caused “incalculable damage” to British society and warned the UK risked becoming an “island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together” without tougher rules.
The Government’s promise to “take back control of our borders” comes as Labour battles a surge in support for Reform UK, which won more than 600 council seats in this month’s local elections on a platform of anti-immigration policies.
It was not the first time a politician has promised to “take back control”.
Brexit supporters had pointed to controlled immigration in countries like Australia and Canada as models that the UK could follow after leaving the EU.
The UK Government did not set out a cap on migration as part of its reforms, which was criticised by the Conservatives.
Most US visas have annual caps. The US has a limit of 140,000 for permanent employment-based immigrants. The overall cap was 675,000 last year, according to the American Immigration Council. The US also has quotas for permanent residents from different countries.
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Australian students who want to apply for a second student visa have to prove that further study would advance their academic aspirations or careers.
Canada has a target to reduce permanent residents each year to 395,000 for 2025 and 365,000 in 2027. The Canadian government set its first ever cap on temporary residents last year, at 5 per cent of the population, down from 6.2 per cent. This works out to about 2 million. In 2024 there were 2.5 million temporary residents in Canada.
Right to citizenship
The automatic right to apply for citizenship in the UK will be extended from five years to 10, although workers who significantly contribute to society, such as nurses, doctors and engineers, could be fast-tracked.
In Australia, those on visas can apply for citizenship after four years, while in Canada the wait is five years.
In France and Germany, the period is also five years.
Australia has care worker visas, which employers can use to sponsor migrants. The country also has a carer visa, which lets people stay in the country to care for a relative who cannot access the needed support elsewhere.
Skilled worker salaries
The Government has said it will raise the skilled visa threshold to require a graduate qualification. Salary thresholds will also rise.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been asked to investigate what the new salary threshold should be.
Canada does not have specific salary requirements.
Those applying for skilled worker visas in the UK will also need degree-level qualifications, instead of the equivalent of A-level.
Under Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker programme, the country’s main skilled worker scheme, the minimum education qualification required is a secondary school diploma but applicants get extra points if they have degrees, which can improve their chances of getting approved.
Student visas
Under the new UK immigration rules, people coming to the UK on a student visa will have to leave the country 18 months after they graduate.
Student visas end when the course concludes but the graduate visa allows them to stay on for an extra two years.
International students can apply for a graduate visa, which is valid for between 18 months to three years.
In Canada, student visas end 90 days after the course concludes. Post-graduate work permits are available with a duration of up to three years.
A higher standard of English will be required across all immigration routes in the UK, and for the first time, adult dependents will be required to display a basic understanding of the language.
Visa applicants currently must demonstrate they are at least a B1 level, roughly equivalent to a foreign language GCSE, which means the individual “can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken”.
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Read MoreThis higher threshold will also apply to anyone seeking to renew their current visa.
The level of English needed varies depending on the type of visa, as is the case in other countries.
The tests used are IELTS, OET, Pearson Test of English Academic, TOEFL iBT and Cambridge C1 Advanced Test.
The level of proficiency depends on the visa type.
Most visa and green card applications in the US do not require English proficiency.
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