Supporting Evidence for Fair Immigration Policies

This evidence-gathering project has now concluded. Data collection took place during a period of proposed reforms to UK settlement pathways, with findings used for advocacy and policy engagement.

Policy context at the time of the research

At the time of this research, the UK Government had proposed extending many settlement routes from 3 or 5 years to 10 years. These proposals primarily affected work-based visas such as Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Scale-up, Global Talent, Innovator Founder, and other routes that previously led to settlement after five years.

The Government also indicated plans to introduce an “earned settlement” system. Under this approach, migrants might have been required to demonstrate specific “contributions”, such as stable employment or community involvement, in order to shorten the ten-year settlement period. However, no clear criteria had been defined.

Further changes were anticipated, including stricter partner and family requirements, additional refusal grounds, and new rules governing visa extensions during the extended settlement period.

Financial impact on migrants and families

Cost emerged as one of the most significant concerns raised through the research.

At the time, an individual on a Skilled Worker visa seeking settlement would typically pay approximately £7,000 over five years when combining visa application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge, based on published government fees. If the settlement period were extended to ten years, total costs were projected to rise to £14,000 or more due to additional renewals and surcharges.

Families were expected to face even higher costs, significantly increasing the long-term financial burden of settlement in the UK.

Uncertainty and transitional concerns

During the evidence-gathering phase, it remained unclear whether the proposed changes would apply only to new arrivals or also to individuals already in the UK part-way through an existing five-year settlement route. The absence of confirmed transitional arrangements created widespread uncertainty among current visa holders, which was reflected strongly in participant responses.

Evidence gathering and partnerships

The Nigerian Lawyers in the UK (NLUK), in partnership with Midpoint Business and Career Training and Nigerian Lawyers in Scotland, collected anonymous responses from migrants, employers, and businesses.

The data illustrated how proposed policy changes could affect:

• long-term settlement planning

• financial stability

• family life and future migration decisions

No personal identifying information was collected. All responses were used solely for advocacy and policy engagement purposes.

Our questionnaire is designed to ensure complete anonymity and confidentiality, allowing participants to share their experiences without fear. The data collected will be instrumental in influencing policy decisions.