On June 24, 2025, the Home Office published a statement of changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 836). An explanatory memorandum accompanied the statement of changes.
The changes being made concern changes relating to:
- Appendix International Armed Forces and International Civilian Employees
- Appendix Long Residence
- Appendix Continuous Residence
- Appendix Private Life
- EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS): Changes to the continuous qualifying period definition
- Part 9: Changes to make refusals of applications or cancellation of permission mandatory for people excluded from asylum or humanitarian protection or non-refoulement.
Effective July 16, 2025
- Under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), a pre-settled status holder can be granted settled status where they have been resident in the UK for at least 30 months in total in the most recent 60-month period. This can be any 30 months within that 60-month period. Currently, to qualify for settled status, a pre-settled status holder must be continuously resident in the UK for at least six months in total in any 12-month period, for five years.
- It will become mandatory to refuse an application for entry clearance, permission to enter or permission to stay to someone who is excluded from asylum or humanitarian protection or non-refoulement due to their conduct. It will also become mandatory to cancel any entry clearance or permission held by someone excluded in this way.
Effective July 17, 2025
- The Immigration Rules for International Civilian Employees are being updated to enable a group of approximately 50 US Department of Energy federal employees and civilian sub-contractors to come to the UK to work on US military equipment within 24 hours of an incident.
Effective July 29, 2025
- Young people granted permission in the UK on the basis of their family or private life before June 22, 2022 will be allowed to settle under the five-year private life rules if they meet the half-life test at date of application or met it in a previous application. The half-life test is where a person is aged between 18 and 25 at the date of application, arrived in the UK before the age of 18 and has spent at least half of their life continuously in the UK.
- Changes are also being made to allow children who have lived in the UK for seven years to qualify for settlement after five years.
- The continuous residence requirements for children born in the UK who are applying for settlement is being aligned with those for children who were not born in the UK applying for permission to stay.
- Appendix Long Residence is being changed to clarify that time spent as a British citizen is considered lawful presence, except where that British citizenship has subsequently been deprived. A person who has been deprived of their British citizenship, for example because it was obtained by deception, should not be able to count that time as lawful presence for the purpose of long residence.
There are some other minor changes.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.