Alex Piletska analyses new UK immigration changes for refugees, children, employers, settlement and more for Free Movement

6 March 2026

Alex Piletska analyses the latest UK immigration changes for immigration practitioners’ expert publication Free Movement.

The 5 March 2026 statement of changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 1691) includes: major upheaval of the asylum system with applications every 30 months, new salary payment rules for sponsored workers, restrictions on Student visas for certain nationalities, a Skilled Worker visa ban for Afghans, major consequences for anyone who had a suspended sentence of 12 months, new visa requirements for Nicaragua and St Lucia, higher English language requirements for settlement, changes for application processes, Youth Mobility Scheme quotas and BN(O).

You can read an outline of the statement of changes here.

And Alex’s in-depth analysis for Free Movement here.

Many, she writes “will have been checking the news anxiously for updates on two areas in particular: the expected increase to the standard qualifying period for categories like skilled worker and the abolition of the long residence route to settlement under Appendix Long Residence. Neither of these changes feature in this statement of changes, which probably means we should expect those changes in the autumn.

“However, as expected following the government’s latest briefings, the first steps have now been taken to overhaul the settlement framework for refugees.”

If you have any concerns about these changes, or indeed any immigration matters, please contact our friendly lawyers on the form below.

Most of the changes happen this month and next.

Alex Piletska is a Senior Associate at Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law. She specialises in a wide range of private immigration, including complex human rights cases, skilled migration and everything in between. She has a particular interest in complex citizenship and nationality cases, vanishingly tricky Adult Dependent Relative applications, Judicial Review and technical procedural issues like validity and variations. Alex often writes and comments on UK immigration issues in the media.