This July, the 14-year rule of the UK's Conservative Party has come to an end. A snap general election led to a landslide victory for the opposing Labour Party, which is under the leadership of Keir Starmer. What are this new government's promises for immigration? How are expats affected by this, and what are their concerns and hopes?
The Labour Party has won a landslide majority in parliament
In May, the outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced snap elections on July 4. After a short but intense six-week campaign period, Britons and expats with voting rights headed to the polls. As predicted, the Labour Party won by a historical landslide, winning 412 out of the 650 seats in parliament. The Conservatives, also known as the Tories, were reduced to a relatively weak opposition of 121 parliamentarians.
The Liberal Democrats, a younger party at the center of the political spectrum, won more seats than before. They now have 73 MPs. The far-right and anti-immigration party Reform UK also performed better than before, going on to secure 5 seats. There has also been an uptick in the number of seats won by the Green Party and left-wing candidates who are either independent or part of small parties. The Northern Irish party Sinn Féin, Scottish National Party, and Welsh party Plaid Cymru also won a few seats
With a strong majority rather than hung parliament, the Labour Party will likely be able to pass many of its bills into laws in the next 5 years. While this election signals a general shift from the right to center-left in UK politics, immigration laws are not expected to undergo major changes.
What is the new government's stance on immigration?
The new Labour government does not have a radically different immigration stance from the previous Tory government. They still want to lower rather than increase immigration to the country, which might not be the best news for expats who want to move to the UK. Here is a summary of their immigration goals:
- Scrap the controversial proposed Rwanda Project of the Conservative government. This project would have deported undocumented immigrants, including asylum seekers arriving on small boats, to the East African nation. Starmer has already fulfilled this electoral promise on the very first day of his tenure, or a few days ago.
- Reduce net migration, and train the local workforce in key skills in order to hire less expats. They will prioritize training more locals to fill jobs in healthcare, tech, engineering, and construction — sectors that have historically relied heavily on expats. While they are not imposing an official cap on immigration or the number of visas issued, they aim to reduce net immigration from the current figure of approximately 700,000 to 350,000 people per year.
- Add further restrictions to visas to decrease net immigration. For one, they intend to increase the income requirement that a British citizen or permanent resident must meet to be able to sponsor a foreign partner (i.e. for partner visas). This income requirement is currently £29,000, which is close to the average salary in the country. The exact amount of the increase has yet to be announced. They also intend to make the rules stricter for local employers who sponsor expat workers. Companies who do not invest enough in training their existing workforce or underpay their workers might be banned from sponsoring expats. If an industry is not complying with the government's workforce plan, jobs in that sector will be removed from the Immigration Salary List. This is a list of jobs facing shortages whose expat applicants can qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa more easily.
- No intention to reinstate the youth mobility scheme with the EU after Brexit. This scheme would have allowed young Europeans (between 18 and 30) to move to the UK for a maximum of four years for any purpose, whether it is to work, study or just travel. Bad news for young EU citizens eager for an adventure in the UK!
The hopes and concerns of expats in the UK
We interviewed several expats currently living in the UK. They have diverse profiles: some are international students aiming to work here after graduating, while others are on partner or work visas. A key immigration concern among them all is the high cost of visa fees, which they hope the new government will lower. They are also worried about the barriers to qualifying for work visas.
During the Conservative Party's rule, especially Rishi Sunak's tenure, visa fees have skyrocketed. Before 2015, expats in the UK could access the NHS's public healthcare on the same terms as locals without any extra cost. However, in 2015, the Tory government introduced the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for expats to help fund the struggling NHS. The IHS fee was £200 per year in 2015. Nearly a decade later, in 2024, it is five times higher: £1,035 per year!
In early 2024, Sunak raised the IHS fee by a striking 66%. A small discount is available for international students and expat's children who are under 18. They are charged £776 per year, which is still a significant amount. The total cost to obtain the Graduate Visa, which is the simplest work visa to obtain after completing studies at a British university, currently costs around £3000 only because it includes a £2000 IHS fee for two years.
An Indian student interviewed says that she has no choice but to work a night shift in a pub just to be able to afford the Graduate Visa upon graduation. She feels exhausted, as she is also studying for an intense Master's degree at a prestigious London university. This is a sentiment echoed by many other Commonwealth students interviewed. Their home countries have currencies that are far weaker than the British pound, so these high visa fees are a heavy financial burden for them. Another Indian student interviewed says he is worried that paying for the Graduate Visa will deplete his savings and leave him with no financial safety net when he starts looking for work later this year.
These international students are hoping that the new government will consider reducing visa fees to more affordable prices. However, it remains unsure if that can happen given Labour's overall goal of reducing the labor market's dependence on expats. As of now, the new government has not made any announcements regarding work visa fees.
How about expats on partner or family reunification visas? We interviewed an Argentinian expat in his late 30s who is on a partner visa. He works as a chef in rural England. He hopes to buy a house with his British partner and possibly even start a family, but this is difficult right now because a major part of his savings goes towards renewing his visa every few years. He will soon be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (i.e., permanent residency) after 5 years in the UK. While applying for permanent residency also costs around £3000, it will free him from having to renew a partner visa every 2.5 years.
These high visa fees are even affecting expats in crucial jobs, such as healthcare roles. Sky News reports that some expat nurses in the NHS are facing debt and poverty due to the increased health surcharge fee attached to their visa. Despite working for the public service that the fee funds, they do not receive any waiver or discount.
