U.K. plans to end ‘failed free market experiment’ in immigration

British government restricts skilled worker visas to graduate-level jobs, increases training for local workers to reduce immigration.

The British Government outlined plans on Sunday (May 11, 2025) to end what it called the “failed free market experiment” in mass immigration by restricting skilled worker visas to graduate-level jobs and forcing businesses to increase training for local workers.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure to cut net migration after the success of Nigel Farage’s right-wing, anti-immigration Reform U.K. party in local elections this month.

Under the government’s new plans, skilled visas will only be granted to people in graduate jobs, while visas for lower-skilled roles will only be issued in areas critical to the nation’s industrial strategy, and in return businesses must increase training of British workers.

Companies in the care sector will no longer be able to seek visas for workers recruited abroad.

The Labour government said the changes will be part of a policy document, known as a white paper, to be published on Monday (May 12, 2025) setting out how ministers plan to reduce immigration.

Also read: U.K. population rises to 68.3 million, driven by immigration as of mid-2023

High levels of legal migration were one of the major drivers behind the vote to leave the European Union in 2016 with voters unhappy about the free movement of workers across the bloc.