'Tens of Thousands' Immigration Pledge, still not met since 2010.
Theresa May confirmed that once again, one of the Conservative Manifesto pledges will be to cut net migration to 'the tens of thousands'. This target has been missed, not once, but twice since Theresa May made the promise in 2010 and 2015.
Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images
But will we see any change?
It is difficult to say what change Brexit will have on Immigration, but we can be sure on thing - it is all going to change. The UK will have full authority on it's boarders, so with new rules and restrictions to people coming to the UK, you would suspect to see a decrease in net migration.
It still is not clear as to what scale the UK's Immigration system will change, as from now until the UK is scheduled to leave on Friday, 29 March 2019, the Home Office and UK Government is still working under the current system.
The current system is overworked, and many Applications for Visas (not including Visitor Visas), Appeals and Tribunals are taking much longer than expected. In some cases, the Home Office give a 6 month time period, in which they say you should get a result on your case. From personal experience, we have seen this go well over 8 months, and longer.
What will change?
It is still uncertain what exactly will change, but it is clear that one key aspect is going to change - the cost. Each year the Home Office increases the cost for apply for certain Visas, or other Applications regarding Immigration Status.
The price rises can be drastic, or small. For example, the year of 2016 - 2017 saw a small increase of 2% for Visit, Study and Work Visas. But also saw a huge increase of 25% for Settlement, Residence and Nationality Applications.
Will we see an Australian-style Immigration System?
According to many, Australia has one of the best Immigration Systems in the world. The system deals with applications on a 'points' basis. The system looks at whether the applicant will make a relevant contribution to the country, this is not the case with every application, but most Visas to Australia rely on what the individual will contribute, and if they have met all the required 'points' to enter the country.
We could see a UK-Australian Style Immigration System, but as it stands, we are going to have to wait and see.
Sources: Gov.uk
