Graduate Route visa duration reduced; stricter settlement and language rules introduced under new immigration policy
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a series of sweeping changes to the UK’s immigration policy that are expected to significantly impact Indian students and skilled workers—the two largest groups among visa applicants to the country, reported ndtv.com.
Indians, who form the largest cohort using the Graduate Route to gain international work experience post-degree, are expected to be hit hard by these changes. The National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK has expressed cautious relief that the route remains intact, albeit shortened, while also urging clarity and care in the policy’s rollout.
“Panic must not be allowed to set in among current and prospective students. Immediate clarity is needed on who is affected and how,” NISAU said in a statement.
The organisation also called for better alignment between the student and skilled worker visa routes, both of which are dominated by Indian applicants. Stricter minimum salary requirements and tougher language rules are part of the reforms targeting these pathways.
The new Immigration White Paper proposes reducing the post-study Graduate Route visa duration from two years to 18 months, doubling the settlement qualifying period to 10 years, and enforcing stricter English language requirements across all visa categories
The Health and Care Worker visa—another category with high participation from Indians and South Asians—is also under threat, with new applications set to be discontinued. Critics, including Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol of the UK’s Work Rights Centre, argue that the move unfairly punishes vulnerable migrant workers and will deepen exploitation.
“Thousands of migrant care workers already in the UK are facing destitution due to this failed visa scheme. What they need is not more hostility and victim-blaming, but flexibility to use their skills where they’re valued,” said Dr Vicol.
The extension of the settlement period from five to ten years has also drawn criticism, with experts calling it arbitrary and harmful. They warn it could push more migrants into insecure or undocumented status, making them vulnerable to exploitation.
In his Downing Street address, Starmer defended the tough measures, stating that every aspect of the UK’s immigration system—including work, family, and study—would be tightened to bring migrant numbers under control.
“Without action, we risk becoming an island of strangers,” Starmer said, highlighting increased skill and language requirements, an extended path to settled status, and stricter enforcement as key to restoring public confidence.
