How UK’s visa rules compare to the rest of world ...Middle East

The Prime Minister has promised to cut net migration to Britain over the next four years as he announced sweeping changes to the immigration system.

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.

Left-wing MPs including Labour’s Nadia Whittome, along with migrant campaign groups, have condemned Sir Keir’s rhetoric as “dangerous” and divisive.

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.

Net migration – the number of people arriving in the UK minus those leaving – stood at 728,000 in the year to mid-2024, down from the peak of 906,000 the previous year.

It was not the first time a politician has promised to “take back control”.

Anger about the government’s inability to control immigration was cited as one of the reasons Britons voted to leave the European Union, but since freedom of movement ended with the bloc, it has risen significantly.

Brexit supporters had pointed to controlled immigration in countries like Australia and Canada as models that the UK could follow after leaving the EU.

Here, The i Paper takes a look at how the Government’s immigration reforms compare with other countries.

The UK Government did not set out a cap on migration as part of its reforms, which was criticised by the Conservatives.

Other countries have limits in place.

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.

Australia has a cap on permanent migration of 185,000 for 2024/25. But temporary migration is not capped and fluctuates.

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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.

In Australia, net migration was 446,000 people in the 2023-24 financial year. The population is about 27 million.

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.

Greater controls were placed on immigration after the nation’s total population rose by a record 1.05 million in 2022 amid public concerns over housing and infrastructure.

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.

This is much longer than in some other Western countries.

In Australia, those on visas can apply for citizenship after four years, while in Canada the wait is five years.

In the US, migrants need to live in the country for five years before they can apply for citizenship.

In France and Germany, the period is also five years.

The UK Government plans to close the care worker visa route for overseas recruitment.

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.

Canada offers visas for care workers, as does the US.

Skilled worker salaries

The Government has said it will raise the skilled visa threshold to require a graduate qualification. Salary thresholds will also rise.

Currently, migrants must be applying for a role with an annual salary of £38,700 or the average rate for their profession, whichever is higher, to be eligible for a skilled worker visa.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been asked to investigate what the new salary threshold should be.

In Australia, the income threshold for skilled worker visas is AUD$76,515.

Canada does not have specific salary requirements.

In the US, the salary for an H1-B skilled worker visa must not be less than the amount paid to employees with comparable experience and qualifications.

Those applying for skilled worker visas in the UK will also need degree-level qualifications, instead of the equivalent of A-level.

Australia has a number of skilled worker visas, some of which do not require a degree.

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.

Under the US system, whether a degree is required depends on the applicant’s job. If they are in “professional” occupations they may need one, but work experience can also be used as evidence of skill.

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.

Existing rules state that graduates on student visas must leave after two years unless they can gain a visa through work.

Student visas end when the course concludes but the graduate visa allows them to stay on for an extra two years.

This is similar to the Australian system. In Australia, student visas expire when the course of study concludes.

International students can apply for a graduate visa, which is valid for between 18 months to three years.

The length varies depending on the course studied. For degrees, the stay is usually between two and five 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.

In the US, students can apply for a post-study work permit called Optional Practical Training, which would allow them to work in the country in their field of study after graduating. The duration is typically one year for non-STEM degrees and up to three years for STEM degrees.

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.

Language fluency is judged based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), with A1 equivalent to understanding basic phrases and C2 being highly proficient.

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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However, the White Paper states that new applicants will have to get a B2 level, equivalent to an A-level, which means they “can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party”.

This higher threshold will also apply to anyone seeking to renew their current visa.

Adult dependants on all visa routes will be required to be at a A1 level, which means they can understand basic phrases, but will be expected to improve their fluency over time.

The level of English needed varies depending on the type of visa, as is the case in other countries.

In Australia, the score needed varies depending on the visa.

The tests used are IELTS, OET, Pearson Test of English Academic, TOEFL iBT and Cambridge C1 Advanced Test.

Canada has its own Canadian English test (CELPIP-General) but also accepts scores from IELTS and Pearson.

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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