Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) (): My Rt Hon Friend the Home Secretary is today laying
before the House a Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules.
In February and July 2020, we published our Policy Statements on
the UK’s Points-Based Immigration System. This set out how we
would fulfil our commitment to the British public to take back
control of our borders by ending free movement and introducing a
single, global immigration system. The Points-Based System will
cater for the most highly skilled workers, skilled workers,
students and a range of other specialist work routes including
routes for global leaders in their field and innovators.
The changes to the Immigration Rules are a crucial part of the
Future Points-Based Immigration System. They also introduce the
new Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route for a
BN(O) citizen who wants to live and work in the UK and will
extend the Afghan Interpreter ex-gratia scheme.
The rules also represent a significant further step in our
commitment to simplify the rules, implementing many of the
recommendations of the Law Commission to ensure we provide
greater clarity to migrants, employers and all other users of the
rules.
At the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, free
movement will end and newly arriving European Economic Area (EEA)
and Swiss citizens will come within the scope of the new global
immigration system. These rules will generally commence between 1
December and 1 January, but EEA nationals will not be granted
permission until after 1 January as they are able to rely on free
movement right until then.
I have set out in a separate document, attached, the details of
the changes we are making to the Immigration Rules, which should
be read together with this statement.
