On 5 March the Home Office laid a Statement of Changes to the UK Immigration Rules.  Here are the key points to know from a business immigration perspective. The English language requirement will be increased for applications for settlement (ILR) submitted from 26 March 2027 in certain categories.  The current English language requirement for settlement is Level B1 (intermediate) from the Common European Framework of Reference, in speaking and listening.  The new requirement

The Liberal Democrats have urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to delay new border controls that could prevent British dual nationals from entering the UK. From 25 February 2026, dual citizens must present a valid or expired British passport, or a £589 certificate of entitlement (which takes 8 weeks to obtain), or risk being denied boarding. Families report cancelled trips to see dying relatives and attend funerals, while others fear being stranded abroad. Commenting to The

The Home Office has opened a major consultation on plans to overhaul the UK settlement system—proposals that could reshape long-term migration routes, employer sponsorship strategies, and the expectations of anyone currently working toward Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). These changes, set out in the policy paper   A Fairer Pathway to Settlemen t , are among the most far-reaching in years. In our latest episode of The Employment Law Podcast, our immigration partners, Alex F

The government is legislating to remove some of the citizenship rights it granted to Chagossians in 2022.  This is illogical and unnecessary, and with the future of the Bill now uncertain, this aspect should be scrapped. This week, the government failed to put forward a committal motion in relation to the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill.  The Bill cleared its Second Reading in the House of Lords on Tuesday, but there were concerns that the g

In the latest episode in our podcast series, our new business immigration team, Alex Finch and Rebecca Tester introduce themselves before going on to discuss recent major changes to the UK’s immigration system. The UK government’s recent white paper on immigration sets out reforms designed to reduce net migration, shift focus towards domestic workforce development, and recalibrate the balance between attracting global talent and controlling settlement. Among the most signif

Constantine Law partner, Alex Finch , writing in The Engineer, paints a fairly bleak picture for employers looking to sponsor workers in...