Immigration and Asylum Bill: Home Office Publishes Factsheets as Committee Stage Continues

What happened

On 8 October 2026 the Home Office published a set of factsheets explaining the Immigration and Asylum Bill. The bill was introduced on 30 June 2026. According to the UK Parliament bill page, it is now at committee stage in the House of Commons. The committee first sat on 15 September 2026, and further sittings are scheduled between 13 October and 3 November 2026.

The bill is not law. None of its measures apply yet, and the factsheets give no start dates.

Who is affected

According to the overarching factsheet, the bill would:

• create an Independent Immigration Appeals Authority, with a single appeal route meant to stop claims and evidence being raised piecemeal;
• define how Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (private and family life) applies in immigration cases, giving more weight to the public interest, including in deportations;
• bring refugee status and humanitarian protection together under a single definition of a protection claim;
• require asylum seekers in taxpayer-funded accommodation to contribute to its cost once they are able to;
• reform the modern slavery framework, including identification and support for children.

What it means for your move

The main changes for people moving through the regular system are in Article 8. The Article 8 factsheet says family life “should not normally extend beyond immediate family members”. It also says family claims made from outside the UK would have to be brought by a UK-based sponsor. The government estimates around 76,500 in-country grants a year on family and private life grounds.

If you plan to come as a partner through the normal family rules (spouse visa guide), the factsheets do not mention the £29,000 income threshold. However, applications that rely on Article 8 to succeed outside the rules would become harder.

For asylum, the government reports an appeals backlog of 156,000 in June 2026, with average waits of 65 weeks. The new appeals body is intended to speed up decisions. See our core protection guide for how 30-month grants already work under the Immigration Rules.

What to do now

• If you have a pending Article 8 or asylum case, nothing changes today. Keep to your existing deadlines.
• If your case depends on family life with relatives other than a partner or child, get advice from a regulated adviser now. The proposed definition may narrow what counts.
• Use the routes in the Immigration Rules where you can, rather than relying on Article 8 claims outside the rules.

What happens next

Committee stage is scheduled to run until at least 3 November 2026. After that come report stage and third reading, then the House of Lords. Amendments are possible at each stage. We will update this report as the bill moves. Track it on our 2026 changes timeline, the UK hub and the updates page.