Based on the latest reports and government announcements for November 2025, here is a summary of significant immigration news from major countries. The global trend is currently shifting towards stricter controls, reduced quotas, and tougher requirements for long-term settlement.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Major Settlement & Visa Overhaul
The UK government is advancing proposals from its 2025 Immigration White Paper, with significant changes taking effect or planned for late 2025/early 2026.
- 10-Year Path to Settlement: There is a major proposal to increase the standard qualifying period for “Indefinite Leave to Remain” (ILR) from 5 years to 10 years. This would double the time most migrants must wait before they can settle permanently.
- Stricter English Rules (Jan 2026): From January 8, 2026, the English language requirement for Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual, and Scale-up visas will rise from level B1 to B2.
- Graduate Visa Cut: Proposals are in place to reduce the Graduate visa duration from 2 years to 18 months for most applicants starting in 2027.
- Skills Charge Increase: The Immigration Skills Charge for employers is set to increase by roughly 32% in December 2025 to encourage hiring local workers.
Canada: Historic Cut to Immigration Targets
Canada has officially shifted away from its aggressive growth strategy with the release of the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan.
- Target Reductions: Permanent resident targets have been slashed. The target for 2025 has been reduced to 395,000 (down from previous highs of 500k), with further cuts planned to 380,000 in 2026.
- Temporary Resident Cap: For the first time, explicit caps have been placed on temporary residents (students and workers), aiming to reduce their population share to 5% by 2027.
- Provincial Allocations: While federal numbers are dropping, some provinces like Nova Scotia and Manitoba have secured slight increases in their Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allocations to address specific local labor shortages.
Australia: “Skills in Demand” Visa Reforms
New regulations are coming into force this week (effective November 29, 2025) affecting skilled migration.
- Visa Reform (Technical Measures): The government has introduced amendments to fully integrate the Skills in Demand (SID) visa (Subclass 482) into the migration system.
- Sponsorship Loophole Closed: For those seeking permanent residency via the “Transition” stream (Subclass 186), only work experience with an approved sponsor will now count. Work with non-approved entities will no longer be valid for this pathway.
- Cancellation Powers: The Minister now has expanded powers to cancel SID visas if a sponsor fails to meet their obligations (e.g., not paying correct wages).
United States: Stricter Vetting & Parole Ends
The immigration landscape in the US is tightening significantly as of late November 2025.
- End of Categorical Parole: USCIS has moved to terminate “categorical parole” programs for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV). Parole requests are now being reviewed strictly on a case-by-case basis rather than broad approvals.
- “Public Charge” Rule: On November 17, 2025, a new rule was proposed to rescind previous lenient definitions of “public charge.” This would make it harder for immigrants to get Green Cards if they (or potentially their families) have used public benefits.
- Enhanced Vetting: New protocols are being rolled out to “fully vet” every alien, with increased scrutiny on social media use and potential “anti-American” ideologies.
Europe: EES & ETIAS Timeline
- EES (Entry/Exit System): Following its rollout in October 2025, the automated border system is now operational in many Schengen airports, replacing passport stamping with biometric scans.
- ETIAS: The “Visa Waiver” system for travelers from the US, UK, Canada, etc., is confirmed to follow in the latter half of 2026.
