Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood used a statement to Parliament on 10 March to launch what she called “a new contract on migration”, backed by the biggest rewrite of the Immigration Rules since 2010. The package introduces an “emergency visa brake” that will allow the Home Office to suspend study-visa issuance to nationals of countries that show a sharp rise in asylum claims after legal entry; the brake will come into force first for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan from 26 March. Skilled-Worker applications by Afghan nationals will also be paused. At the heart of the reforms is a new philosophy of “earned settlement”. For most work and family routes, the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain will double from five to ten years. Faster settlement pathways (five or even three years) will remain for NHS staff, high earners above £50,270 and recognised global-talent or innovator founders, signalling that the UK still wants to court top skills while tightening other channels. The bill also proposes a 30-month review system for refugees instead of the current five-year status, mirroring Denmark’s model. A pilot will offer up to £10,000 for failed asylum seekers who opt for voluntary return, while enforced removals are reserved as a last resort. Ministers argue the combined measures will cut abuse yet keep “safe and legal” routes such as a capped student-refugee corridor due in 2027. For employers and universities the headline is uncertainty: sudden nationality-specific stops on study or work visas will complicate pipeline planning, and longer journeys to settlement may make UK packages less attractive. HR teams are advised to map affected staff, review sponsorship costs (which rise with each extension) and update mobility forecasts. Immigration lawyers expect legal challenges over proportionality and possible retrospective application of the ten-year rule.
