UK unveils wide-ranging immigration rule changes, including new protections for abuse and exploitation survivors

The UK Government has announced a package of changes to the Immigration Rules covering modern slavery protections, domestic-abuse survivors, Erasmus+ mobility, the EU Settlement Scheme and the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route.

The changes are set out in Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 584, published by the Home Office on 3 September 2026. Most provisions are due to take effect on 8 October 2026, although several measures will begin later.

Skilled Workers identified as modern-slavery victims to gain greater job flexibility

Under the amended Skilled Worker rules, people identified by the Home Office’s competent authorities as victims of modern slavery will be allowed to work for any employer for the remainder of their existing permission.

At present, Skilled Workers are generally restricted to the job and sponsor connected to their visa. The Government says removing that restriction for recognised victims will make it easier for vulnerable workers to leave exploitative employment and encourage them to come forward.

The Home Office also says the change is intended to protect the sponsorship system from being used by people seeking to exploit workers.

Domestic-abuse route extended to adult dependent children

Eligibility for the Victim of Domestic Abuse route will be extended to adult dependent children whose relationship with their sponsoring parent has broken down because of domestic abuse.

The route already covers certain partners and children who entered the UK with a legitimate expectation that their family relationship could lead to settlement. The Government says the extension will bring adult dependent children into line with the treatment of other eligible family members.

New arrangements for families in the returns process

Families in the Family Returns Process will be able to raise claims based on their private or family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights without submitting a formal application, paying a fee or using a specified form.

Instead, claims can be given directly to Home Office staff. The memorandum says the change formalises a process already in operation and is intended to reduce delays and avoid repeated fee-waiver applications where no human-rights claim is ultimately made.

UK immigration rules revised to support Erasmus+ participation

The changes are also designed to facilitate the UK’s association with the Erasmus+ programme in 2027, following the UK–EU agreement announced in December 2025.

The revised rules will allow eligible Erasmus+ visitors to undertake activities including training, courses, job shadowing, sports coaching and traineeships of up to 30 days. Participants will also be able to study at UK state-funded schools or academies where the institution is licensed and sponsoring the Erasmus+ programme.

For students coming to the UK through Erasmus+, the rules will provide greater flexibility where a programme does not lead to an approved qualification, includes lower-level study or contains work placements that would otherwise fall outside normal Student route limits. Erasmus+ is also being added to the Government Authorised Exchange scheme.

Changes to the EU Settlement Scheme

The package makes several amendments to the EU Settlement Scheme, particularly for people holding pre-settled status and joining family members.

The Government says some pre-settled status holders who no longer meet the usual eligibility requirements may remain within the scope of the scheme where removing their status would not be proportionate. This could allow them to qualify for settled status later, depending on their circumstances.

For first-time joining family members, the deadline will generally be linked to three months from their latest lawful entry to the UK since the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. Additional safeguards will apply where a previous EUSS application was rejected or refused after the person entered without an EUSS family permit.

The rules will also reflect a Court of Appeal judgment concerning children with pre-settled status who are completing their education in the UK. In qualifying cases, the child may retain status and progress towards settled status, while a primary carer and certain dependent children may also obtain or retain pre-settled status where necessary for the child’s education.

The EUSS travel permit route will be removed. Status holders outside the UK who have a new passport will instead be able to use the Government’s “Update My Details” service to link their status to the new document.

The ability to use an expired biometric residence permit as proof of identity and nationality for a new EUSS application will be removed from 9 December 2026. The Government says almost all biometric residence permits expired by 31 December 2024.

Hong Kong BN(O) dependent children to benefit from settlement change

The rules will remove the five-year continuous-residence requirement for dependent children on the Hong Kong BN(O) route when they apply for settlement.

Eligible children will be able to settle alongside their parents where the parents meet the settlement requirements and the children would otherwise be prevented from settling because of the residence rule. The Government says this aligns the BN(O) route with the approach used on other immigration routes.

Other changes include student funds and religious-worker routes

The Student route maintenance requirement will be increased to match the maintenance loans available to home students for the 2026–27 academic year. The maximum accommodation offset will also be updated. These changes will take effect on 30 November 2026.

From 29 October 2026, changes to the Minister of Religion and Temporary Work–Religious Worker routes will alter financial assessments for applicants who are exempt from the National Minimum Wage, remove the upper time limit for the Minister of Religion route, and replace an advertising requirement for some religious-worker sponsors with an affiliation requirement.

The statement also includes technical amendments affecting visitor activities, long residence applications, child-relative applications, and outdated references to the former Tier 1 Investor, Tier 1 Entrepreneur and Start-up routes.

Implementation timetable

Most changes, including modern-slavery protections, the domestic-abuse route extension, Erasmus+ provisions, EUSS amendments other than the BRP change, and the BN(O) settlement change take effect on 8 October 2026. Minister of Religion and Temporary Work–Religious Worker changes take effect on 29 October 2026. Student route maintenance and accommodation-offset changes take effect on 30 November 2026. Removal of the ability to use a qualifying expired BRP for a new EUSS application takes effect on 9 December 2026.

The changes apply across the United Kingdom and are subject to the negative-resolution procedure. Applicants should check the Immigration Rules and official Home Office guidance applicable to their route before making an application, as eligibility and transitional arrangements can depend on the date and circumstances of an individual case.

Source: UK Government, Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 584, 3 September 2026, and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum.

This article summarises the Government’s explanatory memorandum and is not immigration or legal advice.