UK Plans Decade Residency English Tests for Citizenship

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a comprehensive overhaul of the country's immigration system, making English language proficiency mandatory for all migrants, including adult dependents, and extending the residency requirement for citizenship from five to ten years, with exceptions for high contributors like healthcare workers and tech experts. These changes are part of a new contributions-based model aimed at reducing net migration, which remains significantly higher than pre-Brexit levels, and underscore the government's stance that settlement in the UK is a privilege, not a right. The reforms also include the permanent closure of the care visa route and tighter restrictions on skilled worker visas and family life rights for foreign offenders. While intended to curb abuse of the immigration system and address public concerns about migration levels, some critics have labeled aspects of the policy as red tape or harsh, particularly the halt on foreign care worker recruitment. The Immigration White Paper, due soon, will provide further details, including measures to identify and prevent asylum claims by individuals who initially enter on work or study visas. Starmer's government is responding to political pressures, including gains by Reform UK, by promising tougher enforcement and a focus on integration and language skills.