Election 2017 - Key Immigration Pledges

Conservatives

• Maintain the current target of reducing net migration to below 100,000 per year
• Increase the minimum earnings threshold for British citizens and those with settled status in the UK to sponsor family members - this is currently £18,600
• Double the Immigration Skills Charge for Tier 2 sponsors to £2,000 per year per worker
• Triple the Immigration Health Surcharge to £600 per year (£450 per year for students)
• On international students:
  - Tighten student visa rules to reduce the number of foreign students in the UK~
  - Keep foreign students within the government's net migration target
  - Toughen the requirements for students to remain in the UK upon completing their course, unless they meet new, more stringent requirements entitling them to remain and work in the country
• Continue to allow skilled EU workers to enter the UK, but migration from the EU generally will be reduced and controlled following Brexit

Current polling suggests an outright majority for the Conservative party, which would mean a government with a mandate to implement the points outlined above. In the event those polls are wrong, the manifestos of Labour and Liberal Democrat parties make the following key promises on immigration:

Labour

• Introduce a new system based on economic needs, balancing controls and existing entitlements, which may include employer sponsorship, work permits and visa regulations or a 'tailored mix' of these
• Work in collaboration with businesses, trade unions, devolved governments and others to identify specific labour and skill shortages, and set policy accordingly
• Protect EU citizens who are already resident within the UK
• End indefinite immigration detention
• Scrap the income threshold for bringing foreign spouses into the UK

Liberal Democrats

• Ensure that the immigration system is operated fairly and efficiently, with strict control of borders, including entry and exit checks, and adequately funded Border Force policing of entry by irregular routes
• Hold an annual parliamentary debate on skills and labour market shortages to identify migration requirements to meet the UK's needs, continuing to allow high-skilled immigration to support key sectors of our economy
• Ensure that work, tourist and family visas are processed quickly and efficiently
• Remove students from the official migration statistics and ensure the UK is an attractive destination for foreign students
• Give the devolved administrations the right to sponsor additional post-study work visas and work with universities to ensure a fair and transparent student visa process
• Establish a centrally funded Migration Impact Fund to help local communities to adjust to new migration and meet unexpected pressures on public services and housing
• Provide additional government funding for English classes to help migrants and residents gain independence and integrate with their local communities

We will continue to monitor the major parties' announcements on immigration and update when we know more about substantive changes to immigration law and policy.

For more information, please contact Tom Brett Young in our Employment Law team on 0121 227 3759.