Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules

Mike Tapp Excerpts

Tuesday 14th October 2025 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mike Tapp)]

The Home Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Ladywood (Shabana Mahmood), is today laying before the House a statement of changes in immigration rules.

Introduction of a visit visa requirement for nationals of Botswana

We are today introducing a visa requirement on all visitors from Botswana. This will come into force at 15:00 British Summer Time today. Nationals of Botswana will also be required to obtain a direct airside transit visa if they intend to transit via the UK, having booked travel to another country.

Nationals of Botswana will no longer be eligible to apply for an electronic travel authorisation for travel to the UK.

There will be a six-week, visa-free transition period for those who already hold an ETA and have a confirmed booking to the UK obtained on or before 15:00 BST 14 October 2025, where arrival in the UK is no later than 15:00 GMT 25 November 2025.

Arrangements are in place so that nationals of Botswana can apply for visas. We are publicising the changes so travellers are aware and can plan accordingly.

We are taking this action due to an increase in the number of nationals of Botswana travelling to the UK for purposes other than those permitted under visitor rules. This has included a significant number of asylum claims since 2022. This adds to operational pressures at the border and on the asylum system, and results in frontline resource being diverted from other operational priorities.

The decision to introduce a visa requirement has been taken solely for migration and border security reasons. Our relationship with Botswana, as a Commonwealth partner, remains a strong one. Any decision to change a visa requirement status is not taken lightly. We keep the border and immigration system under regular review to ensure it continues to work in the UK national interest.

High potential individual—targeted and capped expansion

As the immigration White Paper also set out, we are going further in ensuring that the very highly skilled have opportunities to come to the UK and access our targeted routes for the brightest and best international talent. That is why today we are introducing changes, doubling the number of universities whose graduates can use the route and capping the number of places that are available in this route at 8,000 per year.

Students transitioning to the innovator founder route

The immigration White Paper also set out that we would make changes to further support entrepreneurial talents currently studying at UK universities, so that they can build their business and career in the UK after completing their course. We are therefore amending the conditions given to students to enable them to start work on their business while they are transitioning to the innovator founder route.

Change to reduce the duration of stay under the graduate route to 18 months

The Government announced in the immigration White Paper that it will reduce the period of leave granted under the graduate route from two years to 18 months for most applicants. PhD graduates will continue to be eligible for three years of permission. This change is informed by data showing that too many graduates are not progressing into graduate-level employment, which is what the graduate route was created to facilitate access to. It is intended to ensure that those who remain in the UK transition into graduate-level jobs and properly contribute to the UK economy.

Changes to English language requirements for economic migration routes

As the immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, set out, we are increasing the English language requirement to level B2 for those work routes—specifically the skilled worker, high potential individual and scale up routes—where a level B1 requirement currently applies. This change will come into force on 8 January and will apply to those applying for an initial permission in the affected routes from that date. The change will help to ensure that those who wish to build their life in the UK are better able to integrate into life in the UK. Other changes to English language requirements set out in the White Paper, including the introduction of such requirements for dependants in work and study routes, will be included in future changes to the immigration rules.

These changes to the immigration rules are being laid on 14 October 2025. For the changes that introduce a visit visa requirement for nationals of Botswana, due to the need to safeguard the operation of the UK’s immigration system, those changes will come into effect at 15:00 on 14 October 2025. All other changes will come into effect on various dates from 4 November, as detailed in the statement of changes.

[HCWS960]