Ireland
High demand for First time Registration Appointments and Immigration Permission Renewals
The Registration Office is currently experiencing an exceptionally high demand for first time registration appointments, and availability is severely limited.
Applicants should continue to visit the dedicated appointment booking system in order to secure an appointment. New appointment slots are being released on a rolling 90-day basis, with additional slots being made available where capacity is identified and as any cancellations/reschedules are made.
Applicants who have successfully booked an appointment can amend the date via the reschedule option to any other available date. However, given the current exceptional demand it is not possible for the Registration Office to accommodate requests for an earlier appointment.
Those who are unable to secure an appointment within the 90-day time period upon arrival in Ireland will not have their permission cancelled or be expected to leave the country while they are waiting to register. Booking an appointment will be sufficient to remain in Ireland until the date of the booked appointment.
Visa required nationals who need an IRP card to travel due to a genuine emergency should raise a query on the Customer Service Portal under “I need to request an emergency first time appointment (please provide evidence to support your request)”.
The threshold for emergency appointments is incredibly high and they are only granted in exceptional circumstances. Holidays and business trips do not meet this threshold. Details on how to apply for an emergency appointment are available here.
Prior to attending the scheduled appointment, applicants should ensure that they are in possession of their appointment confirmation email and all required documents to avoid disappointment. Registration cannot be completed without all required documents being provided in-person at the appointment.
Immigration Service Delivery is currently experiencing login issues with the Customer Service Portal. Further information is available here.
Immigration Permission Renewals
Those who attempted to submit an online renewal of their immigration permission between 3pm on Friday 3rd October and 11am on Monday 6th October and who were unable to complete their application, or have not received a confirmation email for their application, should try again as soon as possible.
If you have submitted a renewal and are employed on the basis of an employment permit, this notice to employers may be of assistance: Notice to Employers regarding employees awaiting renewal of their IRP Card. – Immigration Service Delivery.
Italy
New law amends immigration rules
On 3 October 2025, Decree-Law 146/2025 was published in the Official Gazette.
As with all decree-laws, the Italian parliament has 60 days to approve and convert the measure, during which it may introduce amendments.
The decree introduces significant reforms and updates to Italy’s immigration framework, particularly regarding employment-based entry through the quota system, commonly known as the decreto-flussi. The changes include the following:
- The implementation of pre-completed online work permit applications, which allows checks to be carried out before the click day, and the introduction of a limit of three applications per employer submitting privately, rather than through authorized intermediaries.
- The explicit provision that it is possible to regularly employ the foreign citizen even pending the conversion of the residence permit, as well as while waiting for the first issue or renewal of the document.
- The extension for the three-year period 2026-2028 of the trial which permits entries outside the quotas of the flow decree (up to 10,000 per year) for foreign workers to be employed in the assistance of people over the age of eighty or disabled.
- The issuance of the clearance for family reunification within 150 days of the request (instead of 90 days as previously provided).
Portugal
End of automatic extensions for residence permits
The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) has announced that, effective 15 October 2025, expired residence permits will no longer be valid if the holder has not started the renewal process.
All foreign nationals who wish to renew their residence permit can start the renewal process without the need to physically travel to an immigration office.
In July 2025, AIMA launched a digital renewal portal through which it is possible to renew expired residence permits, and AIMA reports that about 117,476 renewal processes have already been initiated.
When registering the renewal application and paying the respective fees, a receipt is issued with a validity of 180 days.
United Kingdom
Major new statement of changes in immigration rules
On 14 October 2025, the Home Office published a 111-page statement of changes to the Immigration Rules (HC1333). An explanatory memorandum accompanied the statement of changes, as well as a written statement to the House of Commons and a press release.
Most, although not all, of the changes had been previously proposed in the government’s May 2025 immigration white paper. The principal changes are as follows:
- Introduction of a visit visa requirement for nationals of Botswana, effective 14 October 2025 at 15:00 BST. Nationals of Botswana will also be required to obtain a Direct Airside Transit Visa if they intend to transit via the UK having booked travel to another country. Linked to this, Botswana will be removed from the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). There will be a six-week, visa-free transition period for those who already hold an ETA and have a confirmed booking to the UK obtained on or before 15:00 BST 14 October 2025, where arrival in the UK is no later than 15:00 GMT 25 November 2025.
- Following the UK’s formal recognition of the state of Palestine, the government is introducing a visit visa requirement on nationals of Palestine, who will also continue to require a direct airside transit visa (DATV) when conducting airside transit travel.
- German school groups travel: People aged 19 years and under studying at a German school or educational institution can now come to the UK without an advance permission (an ETA or visa) when they are travelling as part of a school party of five or more. EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals aged 19 and under who are studying at the school can now travel on a national identity card rather than passport. This change mirrors the similar arrangement the UK already has with France and was agreed in the context of the UK-Germany Treaty.
- Effective 8 January 2026, the English language requirement for the Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual and Scale-up routes will be increased from B1 Level to B2 Level (as defined under the Common European Framework for Reference for Languages (CEFR)). The new requirements will apply to those seeking an initial grant of leave in a relevant route following the implementation of these provisions. Those who have already obtained a permission where they were required to show a B1 level, will continue to be subject to a B1 level requirement where they are seeking an extension on the same route.
- Effective 4 November 2025, the High Potential Individual route is being expanded, doubling the list of eligible institutions (subject to any exclusions the Secretary of State considers appropriate). This may be, for example, where inclusion of an institution would undermine UK national security or foreign policy. There will also be a cap placed on the route of 8000 applications per year.
- The duration of stay under the Graduate route is being reduced from two years to 18 months for most applicants, as announced in the white paper. The change will apply to applications submitted on or after 1 January 2027, with PhD graduates continuing to receive three years of leave.
- Effective 25 November 2025, student visa holders who have completed their course will be able to switch to the Innovator Founder route, replacing a similar provision that previously applied to those switching into the Start-up route, which is now closed to new applications.
- Changes are being made to the rules concerning the number of months a seasonal worker must be outside the UK before being permitted to apply for a new seasonal work visa. These changes will permit seasonal workers to spend no more than six months working in the UK during any rolling 10-month period, rather than any rolling 12-month period under the previous rules.
- Changes have been made to the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme to ensure children can be granted permission in line with their legal guardian, rather than with the parent whose UPE permission expires last. The adult (parent or legal guardian) must be in the UK for a child’s permission to be aligned.
- Enhancements have been made to the Global Talent route, including an expanded list of prestigious prizes and changes to expand some of the evidential requirements of achievement and contribution for architects.
Unless otherwise stated above, all changes will come into effect on 11 November 2025.
Migration Advisory Committee publishes first stage review of new Temporary Shortage List occupations
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published a report on the first stage of its review of new Temporary Shortage List (TSL) occupations.
Background
In July 2025, following the government’s May 2025 immigration white paper, changes came into force increasing skills and salary thresholds for Skilled Worker visas and the implementation of a new Temporary Shortage List (TSL) to replace the Immigration Salary List (ISL). The TSL allows access to the Skilled Worker visa for certain occupations that do not meet the new higher skills thresholds.
On 2 July 2025, the Home Secretary commissioned the MAC to carry out an in-depth review of salary requirements for work visas and to also advise on the new TSL.
The MAC’s latest report includes recommendations on which RQF 3-5 occupations are potentially crucial to delivering the UK’s Industrial Strategy and critical infrastructure. MAC’s final report in July 2026 will include final recommendations for which occupations should be on the new TSL.
Interim arrangements
While the MAC carries out its review of the TSL, interim arrangements have been implemented by the Home Office via the July 2025 rule changes. This consists of both an expanded ISL and interim TSL, both of which will expire on 31 December 2026.
The expanded ISL contains occupations which were already on the ISL prior to the rules changes, as well as occupations at RQF Level 3-5 which MAC identified as being in shortage in its October 2023 review of the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) and its February 2024 review of the ISL. Occupations on the ISL continue to receive discounted salary thresholds and other benefits such as reduced visa fees.
The interim TSL contains occupations at RQF 3-5 which the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) have identified as being important to the UK’s Industrial Strategy. Placement on the interim TSL serves to provide extended but time-limited access to the immigration system for those RQF 3-5 occupations.
Recommendations
- The MAC recommends a default duration of three years for an occupation to be added to the Temporary Shortage List, although occupations may initially be added for a shorter period if Jobs Plans are lacking in detail but likely subject to rapid improvements.
- The MAC does not recommend renewals beyond five years if the government decides that the Temporary Shortage List should not be a route to settlement, but supports in-country switching to higher-skilled (RQF 6+) roles within the Skilled Worker route to encourage progression.
- The MAC recommends English language requirements no lower than B1.
- The MAC has identified 82 occupations as potentially crucial to prioritised sectors. Of these 82 occupations, 45 occupations are on the Interim TSL only, six are on the ISL only and five are on both the interim TSL and the ISL.
Stage 2 of the MAC review will focus on the development of Job Plans that outline plans for maximising the use of the domestic workforce and investment in training and skills. These will be developed by sector experts in government in collaboration with industry.
