Keir Starmer has unveiled a series of reforms today which he claims will significantly bring down immigration. It comes after net migration levels peaked at 906,000 under the Tories, pushing the issue up the political agenda once more. Reform UK, who want a freeze on all non-essential immigration, also swept to victory in the local elections earlier this month, piling more pressure on the prime minister to act. Nigel Farage’s party won more than 600 council seats, two mayoral contests and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election. The PM has vowed to “finally take control of our borders” and bring down migration numbers – although he has refused to put an exact number on it. He also said if the government have to “take further steps” to ease pressure on housing and public services, then “mark my words, we will”. Here’s what you need to know. English test English language requirements will be extended to all adults wishing to live and work in the UK. Visa applicants previously had to be proficient in English to a level equivalent to a foreign language GCSE, but these reforms mean they will now expected to get to A-level. Individuals will have to prove they have a basic understanding of English so they can integrate in the community. This will apply to anyone seeking to renew their current visa, too. Settled status rising from five to 10 years At the moment, most migrants can seek indefinite leave to remain after five years of living and working in the UK, so they have access to certain benefits. But, under these reforms, the threshold for automatic settlement and citizenship for anyone living in the UK will be increased from the current rate of five years to 10 years, unless migrants can prove they have a real and lasting contribution to Britain. Any so-called “high-contributing” individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system. And non-UK dependants of British citizens will be able to settle within five years, and existing safeguards to protect the vulnerable will stay – including for victims of domestic violence and abuse. Care sector visas dropped Despite major recruitment issues within the care sector already, visas for new applications from abroad will be closed. The government will allow current visas to be extended and in-country switching for those already in the country with working rights – but only up until 2028. Home secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky News on Sunday that they would be introducing new restrictions on lower-skilled workers so they can focus on higher-skilled migration and further training in the UK. Quicker deportation of foreign criminals At the moment the Home Office is only informed if a foreign national has been convicted of crimes if they receive a prison sentence. That individual is usually only deported if their prison sentence is for more than year. These new reforms will make it easier to refuse entry or asylum to anyone who breaks immigration rules or British law. The government will also make it possible to cancel short-term visas of individuals who have committed crimes and block them from making future applications. The Home Office will be told about all convictions, boosting the number who were deported back to their country of origin. The government will make it easier to track them, arrest them, and remove them from the UK before they can put down roots. The process for removing foreign national offenders will be simplified, too. Those who do not pay tax will also be under extra scrutiny. The government plans to boost border security with digital identification for all overseas citizens known as eVisas. That will replace the former Biometric Residence Permit cards. Crackdown on migrants who overstay visas The White Paper will crack down on those who misuse the visa system, including those who claim asylum at the end of their existing visa even if there’s been no material change in their home country. Visa applicants’ bank statements will also be examined to challenge claims that they are destitute and require taxpayer-funded accommodation such as hotels. Study reform Graduates will only be able to stay in the UK after their studies for longer than 18 months, a shortening of six months. It comes after the white paper said 47 of asylum claims are linked to a visa from students. There will also be a levy on higher education providers’ income from international students, although further details on this will be revealed in the Autumn Budget. Cutting back on ‘cheap labour imports’ Starmer vowed to tackle the parts of the economy which are “almost addicted to importing cheap labour”. This will including increasing the Immigration Skills Charge – paid by a sponsor for a visa – for the first time since its introduction in 2017, by 32% in line with inflation. Access to a points-based immigration system will be limited to occupations where there have been long-term shortages on a time limited basis, and where employers are committed to increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce. A limited pool of UNHCR-recognised refugees and displaced people will be able to apply for employment through existing skilled worker routes. Industries thought to recruit more from abroad, such as IT, telecommunications and enigneering, will be targeted to prove they are investing in domestic crowds more. ‘Right to family life’ Labour is looking into how the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)’s article 8, “right to a family life”, is applied to migrants. The government is looking to impose tighter restrictions around it, after home secretary Yvette Cooper suggested “ad hoc” decisions by the courts were altering the interpretation of the law. Tighter rules for skilled worker visas The government says it will hike the skilled visa threshold so applicants have to get a graduate qualification or a higher salary to be eligible. This will cut down the number of eligible occupations for the visa to around 180. “Those changes, the combination – just those low-skilled visa changes and the care worker changes… Together, that is a reduction of probably in the region of up to 50,000 low-skilled worker visas, a reduction in the course of this year alone,” Yvette Cooper told Sky. The current salary threshold is £38,700 or the average rate for the profession, whichever is higher. The new threshold has not been confirmed. The Home Office will set up a new Labour Market Evidence Group to improve understanding of where sectors are overly reliant on oversea labour. Starmer insisted that this crackdown was not related to any recent chaos in Westminster. Speaking just over two weeks since Reform UK swept to victory in the local elections the prime minister said: “I’m doing this because it is right, because it is fair, and because it is what I believe in. “Let me put it this way, nations depend on rules, fair rules,” he said. “They give shape towards our values, guide us towards our rights, but also our responsibilities.” He said he celebrates the diversity of Britain, but that it risks becoming an “island of strangers” and that the current system is “almost designed to permit abuse”. The prime minister claimed he was also left to “clear up the mess” the Tories left after net migration quadrupled between 2019 and 2023.