UK Statement of Changes HC 584: What Changes on 8 October, 29 October, 30 November and 9 December 2026

What happened

On 3 September 2026 the Home Office laid Statement of Changes HC 584 before Parliament. It is the autumn package of changes to the Immigration Rules. According to the explanatory memorandum, most changes took effect on 8 October 2026, with three later start dates.

HC 584 does not change the settlement qualifying period, family income thresholds or the Skilled Worker salary rules.

Who is affected

From 8 October 2026:

• Erasmus+: following the UK’s return to Erasmus+, participants can study, train and do short traineeships under the Student and Visitor routes, and Erasmus+ is added to the Government Authorised Exchange scheme. See our Erasmus+ report.
• Visitors: workshops, debates, skills competitions and rehearsals are now permitted, and the “not available in their home country” test for training has gone.
• Skilled Workers: recognised modern slavery victims can work for any employer for the rest of their permission.
• EU Settlement Scheme: a three-month deadline for joining family members, a retention route for some pre-settled status holders, and deletion of the EUSS travel permit.
• BN(O): dependent children no longer need five years’ continuous residence before settling with their parents.
• Closed routes: Start-up main applications and the remaining Tier 1 Investor and Entrepreneur provisions were removed. Start-up dependants remain eligible.

From 29 October 2026: Minister of Religion and Religious Worker changes. These include removing the upper time limit on the Minister of Religion route and replacing the advertising requirement for Religious Workers with an affiliation requirement.

From 30 November 2026: higher student maintenance funds.

From 9 December 2026: a BRP can no longer be used as proof of identity and nationality for the EU Settlement Scheme.

What it means for your move

For most people planning a permanent move, the change with the most effect is the student maintenance rise. Students applying from 30 November 2026 must show £1,570 a month in London or £1,203 a month elsewhere, for up to nine months. See our student maintenance report and funds guide.

Visitors coming for training, events or rehearsals have more room to do so. Our visitor visa guide explains the basics.

What to do now

• Students starting in January 2027 should check whether they will apply before or after 30 November 2026 and save the right amount.
• EU family members joining a relative in the UK should apply within three months of arriving.
• Religious organisations should review the new affiliation requirement before assigning certificates after 29 October 2026.
• Get regulated advice if you hold Start-up or legacy Tier 1 permission and are unsure of your options.

What happens next

No earned settlement rules have been laid yet, so the 5-year route to settlement still applies. Separately, the Graduate route falls to 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027 under earlier rules. Follow our 2026 timeline, the UK hub and all updates.