Immigration Rules changes June 2025

Introduction to the recent changes in immigration rules

On 24 June 2025, the Government announced updates to the immigration rules. These changes are predominantly aimed at addressing current unintended inconsistencies in immigration law.

The new Government rules should ensure that the immigration system provides equality and consistency in the areas outlined below. As the immigration rules changes come into effect, it is crucial for applicants to stay informed and adapt to the new regulations.

An explanation of the key changes to the immigration rules and their implications are below.

Changes to Appendix Long Residence 

The Rules are being changed to remove an inconsistency that currently exists for long residence applications.

"We will, in future, treat time with permission in the Crown Dependencies (the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey), on a route equivalent to those in the UK, as lawful presence in the UK."

This change improves consistency and simplicity in the immigration system.

EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS): Changes to the continuous qualifying period definition

To simplify the assessment of continuous residence, these changes enable a pre-settled status holder to 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 and is a welcome change.

Changes to Appendix Private Life 

The new changes to the rules relating to Private Life will allow young people granted permission in the UK on the basis of their family or private life before 20 June 2022 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.

This is quite a change and will ensure that applicants who would have benefited from the earlier Home Office concession are not disadvantaged. 

Changes to ETAs

Electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) were introduced by the Government in 2023. An ETA requires visitors from countries who would not normally require a visa for a short visit to the UK to obtain advance permission to travel to the UK. As previously discussed (read here) the aim of the ETA is to strengthen UK border security by screening travellers upstream, and to stop those who pose a threat from travelling to the UK.

The announced change adds an additional reason for which an ETA applicant can seek permission to enter the UK. It will make clear that an ETA is required for local journeys being made from the Republic of Ireland to the UK by passengers whose nationality appears in the ETA national list.

In other words, non-visa nationals who enter the UK from Ireland presently benefit from ‘deemed’ automatic leave, under the Immigration (Control of Entry through Republic of Ireland) Order 1972.

This change will confirm in the Immigration Rules that such passengers travelling from the Republic of Ireland, who do not have a pre-existing visa for the UK, must obtain an ETA when crossing the border. The consequence of not obtaining one will be delay, expense and possibly lead to denial of entry to the UK.

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