The Government has announced that it intends on introducing the Immigration Bill to the House of Commons today, 5 March 2020. This bill will end freedom of movement for EU nationals once the transition period ends, and will provide a unified immigration system from 1 January 2021.
Following the announcement of the Policy Statement, the Immigration Bill will be introduced to the House of Commons today, and will then have to undergo various stages of scrutiny before it becomes an Act of Parliament. With a significant majority for the Conservative Party, we expect the Bill to pass without any significant amendments.
The Bill is expected to provide further details of how the immigration system is expected to function, and will also allow the government to make changes to the social security arrangements. It will also provide further safeguards for Irish nationals, in addition to the short-term visa free travel for EU nationals.
The Immigration Rules, which are a secondary form of legislation, are expected later this year.
We will provide you with further details once the Bill is published.