Following the publication of the Government’s immigration white paper in May, a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules was released on 1 July 2025, heralding a wide range of important changes for Skilled Workers which will come into force on 22 July 2025.
The changes will affect all applications relying on a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) issued on or after 22 July. Employers now have a brief window of time to assign CoS and lodge applications under the current, more flexible rules. Once the deadline passes, the new, stricter criteria will apply to both first-time applicants and those seeking extensions, unless protected under limited transitional provisions.
Applications made before 22 July 2025, using a CoS assigned before that date, will continue to be assessed under the current Immigration Rules. This includes applications for roles that will no longer qualify under the revised system and allows reliance on lower salary thresholds and broader occupational eligibility.
Employers should urgently identify any future or planned hires that may be affected and ensure that CoS are issued and visa applications are submitted before the cut-off date. It is also essential to check whether the organisation has enough CoS allocation to cover additional demand. Where necessary, requests for allocation increases should be submitted as soon as possible, bearing in mind that the Home Office is expected to receive a deluge of similar requests during this period.
Key Change: Skill Threshold Rises to RQF Level 6
From 22 July 2025 the minimum skill level for Skilled Worker visa roles will increase from RQF Level 3 (A-level equivalent) to RQF Level 6 (bachelor’s degree level equivalent). This reverses the more extension of eligible roles introduced in 2021 and returns the Skilled Worker skill threshold to the pre-Brexit position, with a narrower set of roles qualifying for sponsorship.
A significant number of roles that previously qualified for sponsorship will no longer therefore be eligible for sponsorship, including many technical, administrative, care, trade and frontline service roles.
Roles that are classified below RQF Level 6 may still be sponsored where they appear on either the Immigration Salary List (ISL) or the new Temporary Shortage List (TSL). However, these roles will carry additional restrictions, including a limitation on bringing dependants.
Importantly, individuals already holding Skilled Worker leave, or those applying using a CoS issued before 22 July, will be protected by transitional arrangements and can continue to apply for extensions or switch employers, even in roles that no longer meet the updated skill threshold. These protections are expected to be reviewed in due course.
Salary Threshold Increases: What Employers Must Now Pay
From 22 July 2025 new salary thresholds will apply across all Skilled Worker visa applications, including those seeking extensions unless they entered the route before 4 April 2024.
The updated general threshold for applicants who have not held a Skilled Worker visa since before 4 April 2024 is £41,700 (previously £38,700), or £31,300 (previously £29,000) for those who have held a Skilled Worker since before that date.
The job-specific going rates will also be going up and, again, there will be different thresholds depending on whether an individual has had a Skilled Worker visa continuously since before 4 April 2024.
ISL and the New Temporary Shortage List
While many lower-skilled roles will be removed from sponsorship eligibility, the Immigration Salary List will remain in place for now. Importantly, only care workers and senior care workers applying from within the UK will still qualify for sponsorship.
The new Temporary Shortage List (TSL) will feature a wide range of occupations identified by the Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury as important to the UK economy, including:
- Laboratory technicians
- Engineering and IT technicians
- Business analysts, sales executives, HR officers
- Electricians, welders, plumbers and construction trades
- Logistics managers and vehicle technicians
- Creative roles such as fashion designers, photographers and set designers
Workers sponsored in TSL-listed roles will not be able to bring dependants unless the child is born in the UK or the worker has sole responsibility for them. The TSL is scheduled to remain in place until 31 December 2026, pending further review by the Migration Advisory Committee.
Adult Social Care: Route Phasing Out from 2025 to 2028
The reforms will have a particularly significant impact on the adult social care sector, which has relied heavily on international recruitment under SOC codes 6135 (care workers) and 6136 (senior care workers).
From 22 July 2025, no new Skilled Worker applications will be accepted from overseas applicants in these roles. Transitional measures will remain in place until 22 July 2028, allowing in-country applicants to switch into the Skilled Worker route. However, they must have worked for their sponsor for at least three months before the CoS is issued.
To prevent attempts to bypass the new restrictions, the Home Office has clarified that SOC code 6131 (nursing auxiliaries and assistants) should only be used for roles in regulated healthcare environments, where registered nurses are also employed.
Care sector sponsors must also meet additional criteria, including Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration and operation within a recognised national or regional framework agreement.
Restrictions on Dependants
From 22 July 2025, Skilled Worker visa holders sponsored in roles below RQF Level 6 will generally not be permitted to bring dependants, including spouses or children. This restriction is already in place for new care worker applications as of March 2024 and will now extend across other lower-skilled roles.
This marks a significant departure from previous policy and is expected to reduce the attractiveness of the UK for overseas applicants in mid-skilled or lower-paid jobs.
Global Business Mobility and Scale-Up Routes Also Affected
The Global Business Mobility route will see its minimum salary threshold increase to £52,500, while the Scale-Up visa threshold will rise to £39,100. Additional guidance has also been issued to clarify how salaries should be calculated where variable hours or part-time working patterns apply.
What Employers Should Do Now
The reforms taking effect on 22 July 2025 will reshape the UK’s approach to economic migration. Employers that currently rely on sponsored workers must act quickly to review their workforce strategy and ensure compliance with the new rules.
Key steps include:
- Audit your sponsored roles and determine which will no longer be eligible from 22 July
- Issue CoS for qualifying individuals before the deadline
- Apply for increased CoS allocations now if necessary
- Review salaries for both new and existing staff to ensure they meet updated thresholds
- Adjust recruitment and workforce planning to account for restrictions on dependants
- For care providers, confirm CQC registration and eligibility under recognised frameworks
For guidance on CoS assignments, sponsor licence compliance, salary benchmarking, or strategic immigration planning, contact our immigration team today.
