The white paper of immigration – how does the high net wealth affect families?

On May 12, 2025, the British government published its White Paper suggestions for the reform of the British immigration system (again).

The specified purpose of the paper that rests control over the immigration system is to tighten the visa rules in order:

• Securing border security

• Reduce migration levels further

• Direct a connection between British immigration policy, skills and training.

The white book is a specified intention to change the British law – the changes are not yet effective and no schedule for implementation has been published. The new rules apply to those who apply for a British visa after the changes have become the law.

Apart from changes in the qualification level for qualified workers, the white book is silent whether changes are used retrospectively for people who have the immigration permit before the changes live, and who remains on the same visa route to then expand or apply for the settlement. However, subsequent comments have proposed that they will do it.

The white book (which we have summarized here) contains several specific suggestions that affect high net wealth families:

• Settlement (remain indefinite): The qualification period for applicants as part of the point -based system will double from five to 10 years. Non-UK members of the British citizens (Appendix FM) who have followed the rules are excluded, and there may be the possibility of reducing the qualification time on the basis of non-specific “points on the basis of the British economy and society”. In addition to the cost effects on applicants, this change means that high net assets in Great Britain take place (a mandatory step to apply for British citizenship), the changes to the British citizenship in April 2025 and the inheritance tax regime are recorded. When planning the next few years of a family, it is important to note that both parents can also be applied for for children to apply for a settlement.

• Requirements for the English language for family members: For the first time, it will require an English language requirement for adults to qualify for a visa. While the required level is low, this affects non -local English speakers.

• Graduate visa: The visa time for work after completing his studies is reduced from the current two years (for most graduates) to 18 months. This can affect families who send children to Great Britain for education, as this can influence their work options after completing the conclusion.

• New investor visa? Although they were not mentioned in the white book, the articles were spread on May 17 on a possible new investor visa. The investor route closed in 2022 due to concerns about abuse. If the British government's plans are correct, investments would concentrate in pre -approved funds or projects that contribute directly to innovation, green growth and strategic infrastructure in the priority industry. This includes important strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, biosciences and clean energy. For this visa path to calculate investors, however, it would also have to offer an accelerated comparison route in order to have to bite the IHT reforms.

While the white book aims to reduce the migration figures and protect the integrity of the immigration system, it contains some changes to promote investments and talents in the UK. This includes:

• Simplification of the global talent route

• Review of the Innovator founder route

• Doubling the number of employees who can use the British expansion route from five to ten

• A targeted expansion of the high potential individual path (for applicants who have been completed at an elite-not-at-university in the past five years) by doubling the number of qualified institutions.