It can be difficult to filter out the hyperbole, and you rarely hear about the impact of new laws on the industries that are most affected by them.
In parliament, however (and away from many of the headlines), tangible changes are being introduced, but immigration law specialists say they could make it harder for engineering employers to hire the staff they need.
In May last year, the government published Restoring Control Over the Immigration System, a white paper policy document proposing “changes to make it harder to move to and settle in the UK, with a view to reducing net migration”. Unlike some previous changes, they would affect people already living and working in the country.
Proposals include:
- Increasing the qualifying period for permanent residence, also known as indefinite leave to remain (ILR), from five to 10 years. Some people could qualify sooner, depending on new criteria to be decided following public consultation. This could include engineers, who are classified as higher-skilled, but require salaries of more than £50,270.
- Shortening the list of jobs for which employers can sponsor someone for a skilled worker visa. Jobs assessed as ‘medium-skilled’ – Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) levels three to five – would no longer be sponsorable unless the Migration Advisory Committee recommends an exemption.
- Reducing the standard length of the graduate visa from two years to 18 months.
Those proposals, some of which are being introduced in April, include the idea of “earned settlement” being introduced for the first time, with further details due to be revealed once responses to a consultation have been analysed.
According to Oliver O’Sullivan, director of immigration at law advisory firm Migrate UK, the changes will “100%” make it more difficult for people who want to live and work in the UK. And for engineering-related industries already grappling with the skills gap, it could be yet another unwelcome challenge.
‘What’s the point of sticking around?’
Foreign engineers working in the UK will have a lot of questions as changes come into force, O’Sullivan says, such as the number of visa applications they will need to make
and how long they will need to remain tied to a company before they can apply for ILR.
“Across the world, generally, you’ll find that five years is a common period of time to get permanent residence. People will ask questions as to why you would choose the
UK over other countries where you can become a permanent resident much quicker,” he says.
“It could be the first time in a long time that new immigration rules would be introduced that are very significantly different, which would apply to people who are already on visas and already have a visa route that should mean indefinite leave to remain in a specific amount of time.”
As with Brexit, O’Sullivan says, some engineers will be wondering: “What’s the point of sticking around when you don’t feel wanted?” The changes will hit engineers who have been earning above £41,000 but below the new £50,270 requirement, meaning people who believed they were at the threshold could now be told they are in fact below it. Question marks remain over whether the increase will apply retrospectively.
Engineering employers responding to a Migrate UK survey ‘strongly agreed’ and ‘agreed’ that the changes would make it a lot harder to attract talent to the UK, specifically in engineering roles.
Sponsoring workers is already expensive and complicated, O’Sullivan says, and he predicts that some companies will be unable to continue doing so. Bigger companies might find it easier to continue funding, he adds, but groups of engineering companies in sectors such as green energy say it will be “incredibly hard”.
Companies might decide to be less ambitious with hiring as a result – a potentially significant concern for net zero efforts. Multinationals could simply decide to focus a part of their business in another country where it is easier to hire.
Another bottleneck
Also published in 2025, the Modern Industrial Strategy is looking at the skills required for high-growth areas – but there is yet to be much change in the skills gap so far, according to Lydia Amarquaye-Booker, education and skills policy lead at IMechE.
“We know there’s an issue with the number of people going into higher education; that’s a bit of a bottleneck. And we also know that there’s a bit of a bottleneck around apprenticeships,” she says.
It seems the last thing employers need is another one. “Anything that creates instability will ultimately create problems,” Amarquaye-Booker says.
“If somebody perceives greater stability or opportunity in another country, that will be more appealing. Larger employers are likely to feel this most acutely, creating significant challenges for recruitment and future workforce planning.”
Another proposed change is designed to make it easier for highly skilled migrants to come to the UK, including prize winners and those with endorsements in academia or research, but those in industry will likely wonder if that is enough.
In its response to the Migration Advisory Committee’s consultation, the Royal Academy of Engineering-led National Engineering Policy Centre, of which IMechE is a partner, said: “Expansion of infrastructure projects, combined with rising retirements, means demand for skilled labour is likely to outpace current supply. Targeted, time‑limited migration at RQF levels three to five will be essential to meeting workforce needs.”
Changes imminent
Amarquaye-Booker adds: “Our main focus is developing a UK skills pipeline, and there are many things we are doing to support that. However, we still need solutions that address immediate workforce demands. Decisions like this hinder short- to medium-term needs when these skills already exist in other parts of the world.”
The government’s ‘statement of change’ is expected in March, with changes to permanent residence rules planned to start from April. Graduate visas will only last for 18 months if the person applies from 1 January 2027 or 36 months if they have a PhD.
Professional Engineering contacted the government for a response to the concerns.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Alongside major reforms announced by the home secretary to fix our broken immigration system, we are building a structured, evidence-led approach covering skills, migration and wider labour market policies.
“Our global talent routes attract and retain high-skilled talent, particularly in science, research and technology, to maintain the UK’s status as a leading international hub for emerging talent and innovation.”
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.