Learn more about changes to the immigration system announced in July 2025.
On Tuesday 1 July, changes to immigration rules were laid out before Parliament which will come into force from 22 July. This will include skills and salary thresholds increases, the end of overseas recruitment for care workers, and more than 100 occupations no longer being able to access the immigration system.
Summary of announced rule changes
- Increasing the skills threshold for Skilled Worker Visas to RQF 6 (graduate level), removing 112 previously eligible RQF 3-5 occupations (across all sectors).
- Increasing the salary threshold for general skilled workers from £38,700 to £41,700.
- The salary threshold for most Health and Care Visa holders, who are paid according to national pay scales, remains unchanged at £25,000.
- Skilled Worker Visa holders who currently work in below degree level occupations can continue to work, extend their visas, bring dependants, change employment and take supplementary employment in occupations below RQF 6, as long as they meet occupation salary thresholds.
- Only allowing time-limited access to below degree level occupations through an expanded Immigration Salary List and interim Temporary Shortage List (TSL), with restrictions on bringing dependants.
- Closing the Social Care Worker Visa route to overseas recruitment for new applicants and removing the requirement to work with regional partnerships to employ displaced workers.
Actions for employers
- Identify staff that are impacted by changes to skill and salary threshold and open clear communication about what the changes mean for them.
- If possible, issue Certificate of Sponsorships (CoS) for new and renewing visa applications before 22 July 2025 to be assessed under the current rules; keeping in mind CoS are valid for three months from the date of issue and visas cannot be renewed more than three months in advance of the CoS start date.
- Review roles on the Immigration Salary List and Temporary Shortage Lists. If RQF 3-5 level roles do not appear, they will no longer be eligible for sponsorship and domestic workforce strategies will need to be in place.
- If recruiting to RQF 3-5 roles that do appear on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, have clear communication on what it means for them such as restrictions on dependants. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will review the lists over the next year and domestic workforce strategies will need to be in place to justify continued inclusion.
These charges are the first to be rolled out from the Immigration White Paper and represent a fundamental shift in the UK's approach to immigration.
Skills threshold
The skills threshold will increase from RQF 3 (A level) to RQF 6 (graduate level) and will result in the removal of 112 eligible occupations across all sectors.
A transition period applies, where skilled workers can continue to be sponsored in RQF 3-5 level occupations if they are already in the route (have a visa or have a Certificate of Sponsorship issued) before 22 July, even where an occupation is not on the Immigration Salary List or the interim Temporary Shortage List.
Salary threshold
Most applicants on a Health and Care Visa, who are new to the route or extending/switching and are paid according to national pay scales, will still need to be paid the at their relevant pay scale or £25,000, whichever is higher. The changes announced on July 1 do not change this requirement from current immigration rules.
From 22 July, going rates and salary thresholds will increase and will apply to new visa applications as well as renewals. There is no transition period for this measure.
For skilled worker applicants after April 2024, the general salary threshold will increase from £38,700 to £41,700. Salary thresholds will also increase for other routes (such as PhD holders). If a role is on the Immigration Salary List, or the person is a new entrant, the salary threshold will increase from £30,960 to £33,400.
For skilled worker applicants that were in route before April 2024, the general salary threshold will increase from £29,000 to £31,300. PhD holders will also see their salary threshold increase.
Interim Temporary Shortage List and Immigration Salary List
The Immigration Salary List (ISL) will be phased out but remain in place until December 2026.
The following Health and Care Visa roles now appear on the expanded ISL, with a salary threshold of £25,000 or their occupation going rate, whichever is higher:
- residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors (SOC 1232)
- laboratory technicians – only jobs requiring 3 or more years' related on-the-job experience (SOC 3111)
- pharmaceutical technicians (SOC 3212)
- nursing auxiliaries and assistants (SOC 6131) all jobs (only applies to roles in environments where registered nurse roles also exist).
Care workers (6135) and senior care workers (6136) both appear on the ISL however, new visa applications are closed and in-country switching applications will only remain open until 22 July 2028, with this kept under review.
In the interim, a time-limited TSL will sit alongside an ISL. This will enable international recruitment only where occupations are key to industrial strategy or building crucial infrastructure.
Laboratory technicians (SOC 3111) are the only Health and Care Visa occupation that appear on the TSL, regardless of years of experience.
Five roles currently eligible under the Health and Care Visa have been removed due to not meeting the skills threshold and are not on either the ISL or TSL. Therefore, they will no longer be eligible for sponsorship and domestic workforce strategies will need to be in place. They are:
- SOC 1231 – healthcare practice managers
- SOC 3213 – medical and dental technicians
- SOC 3219 – health associate professions nec
- SOC 6132 – ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)
- SOC 6133 – dental nurses.
The MAC has been commissioned to conduct a review of the TSL including occupations, salaries and benefits. Occupations on the TSL will not be permitted salary and visa fee discounts. The occupations included on the TSL are time-limited until the end of 2026 and will only remain beyond that date if the independent MAC recommend it.
Workers sponsored in occupations on either the TSL or the ISL at RQF levels 3-5 will not be able to bring dependants. This does not apply to occupations at RQF 6 or above, or workers sponsored in occupations at RQF levels 3-5 who are already in the skilled worker route and able to bring dependants before these changes come into effect.
Adult social care
Care workers (SOC 6135) and senior care workers (SOC 6136) will no longer be able to make new applications for visas.
A transition period will be in place until 22 July 2028, which will be kept under review, and will allow individuals to extend or switch from other vias routes, after which these roles will be removed from the ISL and TSL. Workers must have been legally employed by their sponsor for at least three months prior to their application to qualify.
The requirement for sponsors to first try to recruit from the pool of skilled workers seeking new sponsorship will be removed before sponsoring new recruits for visas, due to the closure of these visa applications. Providers are still encouraged to engage with regional partnerships to employ displaced workers.
To prevent the occupation SOC 6131 (nursing auxiliaries and assistants) being misused, a clarification is being added to confirm this occupation code only applies to roles in environments where registered nurse roles also exist.
Further changes to be implemented by the end of this year also include:
- increasing of the immigration skills charge by 32 per cent
- uplifting language requirements across the immigration system
- unveiling a new family policy framework to Parliament.