Join Our Movement for Fair Immigration Policies

Our project is dedicated to collecting vital data on how UK immigration changes impact individuals. By gathering anonymous responses, we aim to present a comprehensive report to parliament, advocating for fair and just immigration policies. Your participation is crucial in driving meaningful change.

The UK Government recently proposed changing many settlement routes from 3/5 years to 10 years. This mainly affects work-based visas such as Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Scale-up, Global Talent, Innovator Founder and other routes that currently lead to settlement after five years. The Government is also seeking to introduce an “earned settlement” system, which means people may need to prove certain “contributions” such as stable work or community involvement to shorten the ten-year period, but the criteria have not been defined yet. Additional changes are expected, including stricter partner and family requirements, new refusal grounds, and changes to how visas must be extended while waiting longer to settle.

For many people the cost is the biggest concern. Someone on a Skilled Worker visa looking to settle would currently pay roughly £7,000 over five years when you combine visa fees, and NHS surcharge based on visa fees on the government website. If the settlement period doubles to ten years, the total could rise to £14,000 or more, simply because they would need twice as many years of fees and renewals before becoming eligible for settlement. _Families pay even more, so the financial impact increases significantly.

It is still unclear whether these changes will apply only to new arrivals or whether they will also affect people who are already in the UK and part-way through their five-year settlement route. The Government has not confirmed transitional rules, so many current visa holders could be impacted.

The Nigerian Lawyers in the UK (NLUK) in partnership with Midpoint Business and Career Training and Nigerian Lawyers in Scotland are collecting anonymous responses to show Parliament how many people would be negatively affected by these changes and in what ways. Your input helps demonstrate the real financial and personal impact on you, your friends, your partner or future family members who may want to move and settle in the UK.

No personal details are collected, and the information will be used solely for advocacy.

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.