Statement of Changes HC 259 amends the Immigration Rules from 30 July and 3 August 2026

The Home Office published Statement of Changes HC 259 on 9 July 2026; its changes take effect on 30 July 2026 and 3 August 2026, depending on the paragraph.

Key facts

• Who: Applicants and sponsors across many routes, including Appendix FM, Appendix V: Visitor, Appendix Student, Appendix Graduate, Appendix HM Armed Forces, Appendix EU and Part 8 (children), plus the Part 13 deportation rules
• From: 30 July 2026 (Appendix EU and Appendix EU (Family Permit)); 3 August 2026 (all other changes)
• Source: Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 259, 9 July 2026

What the statement does

HC 259 amends the Immigration Rules (HC 395, as amended) and was published on 9 July 2026. It lists changes to Parts 1, 5, 8, 11 and 13 and to a long list of appendices. The source text available to us is cut off at the start of the Appendix Skilled Worker changes (APP SW1), so this item covers only the changes set out before that point.

Dates. Paragraphs APP EU1 and APP EU(FP)1 take effect on 30 July 2026. Most other paragraphs take effect on 3 August 2026. Some 3 August changes carry a transitional rule: applications for entry clearance, an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), permission to enter or stay, a claim or an administrative review made before 3 August 2026 are decided under the rules in force on 2 August 2026. This applies to paragraphs 8.1 to 8.4, APP ETA1 and 2, APP CS2 and 3, APP GTP1 to 6, APP SCU2 and 4, and APP S1 and 2.

Immigration bail and overstaying. Many appendices have new wording on breach of immigration laws and immigration bail. In each, a period of overstaying is disregarded, and the bail bar does not apply, where the "Exceptions for overstayers" section of Part Suitability applies. The scope differs by appendix:

• Appendix HM Armed Forces (AF 2.2, 10.2 and 23.2) and Appendix International Armed Forces and International Civilian Employees (AFI 2.2 and 13.2) apply to an applicant who is in the UK.
• Appendix ECAA: Extension of stay: ECAA 2.2 applies to an applicant applying for permission to stay, in respect of conduct after 11pm on 31 December 2020. ECAA 8.3 applies to an applicant applying for permission to stay.
• Appendix V: Visitor (V 3.2), Appendix Student (ST 2.2 and 29.2), Appendix Child Student (CS 2.2) and Appendix Parent of a Child Student (PC 2.2) apply to an applicant applying for permission to stay.
• Appendix Graduate (GR 2.2 and 10.2) states that the applicant must not be in breach of immigration laws or on immigration bail, with no in-UK condition in the wording.
• Appendix FM has its own wording (E-LTRP 2.2 and 3.2): the applicant must not be in the UK on immigration bail, or in breach of immigration laws, with exceptions including paragraph EX.1. and, for overstayers, the Part Suitability section.

Appendix FM. Where a sponsor has been granted 30 months' permission on the basis of protection status, permission under D-ECP 1.1 and 1.2 and D-LTRP 1.1 and 1.2 is granted for a period that ends on the same date as the sponsor's permission. A condition of no recourse to public funds applies to any such grant. New paragraphs E-ECC.1.7 and E-LTRC.1.7 require suitable arrangements for a child's care and accommodation in the UK.

Part 8. Paragraphs 297(i)(f) and 298(i)(d) are reworded for cases where one parent is present and settled in the UK (or being admitted for settlement) and the other parent does not have, and is not being granted, limited leave in the UK, "unless there are serious and compelling reasons to grant the applicant settlement". Paragraphs 8.2 and 8.4 insert new sub-paragraphs 297(i)(g) and 298(i)(e): a close relative is present and settled in the UK and the applicant has no other family in the UK who could reasonably be expected to support or care for them.

Part 11. Paragraph 339NA adds two further grounds for omitting a personal interview: the applicant is an EEA or Swiss national, or the Secretary of State can otherwise conclude from the application that the claim is clearly unfounded. The text saying that applicants and dependants must be given a reasonable opportunity to submit further information where an interview is omitted is replaced; the paragraph now says the omission shall not prevent a positive or negative decision.

Part 13 and ETA. Deportation provisions (13.1.1(a) and 13.2.1) now cover suspended sentences of at least 12 months where the person was convicted on or after 22 March 2026. ETA 2.2(a), ETA 5.2(a), CS 5A.2(a) and CS 5A.3(a) add "or suspended" after "custodial".

Other changes. Appendix V adds a national of India who holds a diplomatic passport issued by India (V 15A.4(f)). Appendix Graduate adds a child born in the UK to a Graduate who holds existing permission to stay in the Graduate route (GR 9.4A(d)).

Sources

• Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 259, 9 July 2026 (Home Office, Crown copyright, OGL v3.0)