Dear MP Daniel Zeichner,
At the start of this week, the Labour government announced major proposed changes to the UK immigration system. This has created a lot of uncertainty among those affected, and today there is a report from BBC that the government intends to lengthen the settlement time from 5 years to 10, even for those who have long started the immigration process and made significant life and career decisions and tradeoffs with the expectation of settlement at their 5 years mark.
I'm writing to you because this concerns me gravely. As a constituent of Cambridge, I ask that you urge the government to not retroactively extend the time hard-working people on work visas, who have made significant contributions to the UK economy and society, have to wait to settle in the UK. Changing the rules retroactively, after people have placed trust in this government after considering their available options, invested their lives in the UK, and worked hard to integrate within this country with the eventual hope of security and equal rights as their UK friends and colleagues, is an act of betrayal, and will forever degrade trust in the country in this aspect.
The government has also not made it clear at all what the proposed point-based system for "Earned Settlement" looks like, and has indicated that the full detail might not be set until a consultation. Not only does this create a lot of anxiety among people who will be affected, not clarifying at all what the government means by "long-term contribution" makes it impossible for anyone, no matter their actual contribution and skills, to make any long term, life impacting decision.
I can tell you my own story as an example. I'm currently on a Skilled Worker visa. Since coming to the UK in 2019 to study and starting work from Sept 2022, I have honestly fallen in love with many aspects of the country, and shortly before this week I was feeling fortunate and proud that I'm where I'm now. I've been fortunate enough to contribute short of £40,000 in income tax alone over the years, not to mention the visa fees, immigration health surcharge, and 3 years of international tuition fees paid into the British university from which I graduated. I have volunteered for half a year to tutor GCSE mathematics to in-need school children, and I have been a regular donor to UK charities as well as blood donation to support the NHS. While I do feel fortunate about my position, gaining indefinite leave to remain is the one significant step I need to pin down this route I've chosen to take, and not be forever at the mercy of economic condition and future change in political climate.
There are many people like me who have devoted a significant part of their life being here, counting the days until we can just have some more security and reciprocated sense of belonging. I have personally made many great friends here, and I have the support of many British people, who are also frustrated with the government's over-correction on this issue. Most of us immigrants who are on the skilled work visa are not here waiting to claim benefits the moment our settlement dream come true - we just want to be fully able to call home the place which we have put down our roots in.
My sincere thanks for reading this letter. Please let me know what action you would take on this issue. I'm really keen to hear more about your thoughts.
Kind regards,
Tingmao