Immigration and the UK’s Industrial Vision
The UK’s new Industrial Strategy, published in June 2025, places immigration at the heart of economic growth and innovation. As someone who’s worked across policy, casework, and outreach, I welcome the recognition, but I also see the gaps.
The strategy identifies eight priority sectors, Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Creative Industries, Defence, Digital and Technologies, Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Professional and Business Services, as engines of future growth. Immigration pathways are being reformed to attract global talent into these areas, with a roadmap stretching to 2035.
But while the strategy is ambitious, it’s not yet inclusive. The 2025 Immigration White Paper proposes improvements to routes like Innovator Founder, Global Talent, and High Potential Individual, but it overlooks the freelance, project-based workforce that powers the creative industries. The Creative Worker visa remains largely unchanged, and the new Global Talent Taskforce, backed by a £54 million fund, is promising but untested.
As a regulated immigration adviser, I’m already seeing the impact of these shifts. The Skilled Worker route now requires RQF Level 6 (bachelor’s degree or above), which narrows eligibility for creatives to tech-adjacent roles. Medium-skilled roles like artists and dancers remain temporarily eligible via shortage lists, but long-term clarity is lacking.
The strategy also introduces “earned settlement” for key work routes, extending the standard ILR qualifying period from five to ten years. Accelerated pathways may be available for those making significant contributions, but this change could deter high-impact creatives from choosing the UK.
On the skills front, the strategy rightly emphasises lifelong learning and aligning education with industry needs. That’s essential, but immigration policy must also reflect the realities of how talent moves, works, and contributes. Raising English language requirements for dependents and tightening settlement rules may promote integration, but they also risk excluding valuable contributors.
What’s clear is that immigration remains central to the UK’s industrial future. But for this strategy to succeed, it must be responsive, not just to business investment, but to the lived realities of international talent.
If you’re navigating these changes, whether as an employer, founder, or creative, I can help you assess your options, build a compliant strategy, and stay ahead of policy shifts.
