The new Statement of Changes to immigration rules dated 1 July 2025 has been introduced following White Paper released 12th May 2025. Today 1st July 2025 has the UK government also published Home Office press release.
The new immigration changes are focused on the Skilled Worker and other work visa routes as set out in the Immigration White Paper, "Restoring control over the immigration system", published on 12 May 2025. Predominantly on increasing minimum skill level to minimum RQF level 6, increase to minimum pay required for skilled worker and other work visas, and removing entry clearance visa applications for adult social care soc codes 6135 and 6136.
Changes to Skills and salary thresholds as set out in the Immigration White Paper
Skills and salary thresholds – These changes lift the skill level threshold for Skilled Workers back to RQF level 6. This means that only jobs that are RQF level 6 or above will qualify for Skilled Worker visa.
Skilled Worker applicants will continue to be able to be sponsored in these occupations only if they are already in the route (or have been sponsored for an application which is later successful) when the changes come into effect, or where an occupation is on the Immigration Salary List or on the new interim Temporary Shortage list.
For now, transitional arrangements in this Statement of Changes exempt workers who are already in the Skilled Worker route (or have been sponsored for an application which is later successful) when the changes come into effect from the increase to the skill threshold. As set out in the Immigration White Paper, this enables existing Skilled Worker visa holders to continue to renew their visas, change employment and take supplementary employment, in occupations below RQF level 6. These transitional arrangements will not be in place indefinitely and will be reviewed in due course.
Updates to salary requirements across the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility and Scale-up routes
Updates to salary requirements across the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility and Scale-up routes are being made, in line with the latest (2024) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data, published by the Office for National Statistics. These changes make the standard update to general salary thresholds and going rates for individual occupations.
General salary threshold for standard skilled worker visa will change from £38,700 to £41,700. For new entrants it will change from £30,960 to £33,400. For Global Business Mobility the minimum salary will change from £48,500 to £52,500. The details of all the salary changes are listed in the Statement of Changes 1st July 2025.
To reflect these changes, Appendix Skilled Occupations has been restructured, so that it now presents the eligible occupations and updated going rates in separate tables for occupations at RQF level 6+ (Tables 1, 2 and 3) and occupations at RQF levels 3-5 (Tables 1a, 2aa and 3a). Corrections are also being made to Agenda for Change salary rates in Scotland (Table 4). There are no transitional arrangements relating to the updates to salary requirements as the pay of sponsored workers is expected to generally progress at the same rate as the pay of other workers in the UK, on which the ASHE data are based. As set out in the Immigration White Paper, the Government will commission the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a thorough review of salary requirements (including discounts). Any decision about transitional arrangements relating to that review will be made after the MAC have made their recommendations and should not be inferred from this Statement of Changes.
Immigration Salary List and Temporary Shortage List
The Immigration Salary List contains occupations eligible for Skilled Worker visas which the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) have identified as having labour shortages and where it is sensible to offer a discounted salary. The Immigration White Paper set out that this list will be replaced by a Temporary Shortage List. Occupations below RQF level 6 must be listed on the Temporary Shortage List in order to gain access to the immigration system.
These changes introduce interim measures, under which occupations below RQF level 6 continue to be eligible for the Skilled Worker route where they appear on either: " an expanded Immigration Salary List, containing the existing entries plus occupations at RQF levels 3-5 which the MAC identified as being in shortage in its 2023 review6 and 2024 rapid review " an interim Temporary Shortage List, containing occupations at RQF levels 3-5 which the Department for Business and Trade and His Majesty's Treasury have identified as being important for the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy
The Immigration Salary List will be phased out in future changes to Immigration Rules. As the name suggests, entries on the Temporary Shortage List are time-limited and conditional. These changes therefore include removal dates for occupations on both lists, set at the end of 2026 (with the exception of adult social care where there are specific separate arrangements). The Government reserves the right to bring that date forward if compliance issues present on these lists.
The future contents (and visa terms and conditions) of the Temporary Shortage List will be subject to review by the MAC. Occupations will only be included or retained on the list where the MAC has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce.
No dependants for RQF levels 3-5 jobs
Workers sponsored in occupations on either list 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.
In line with the existing restrictions on dependants of care workers and senior care workers, these changes also exempt dependent children who were born in the UK or where the Skilled Worker has sole parental responsibility for them.
Adult social care – Soc Codes 6135 and 6136 and also 6131
Workers sponsored as care workers and senior care workers (occupation codes 6135 and 6136) – as set out in the Immigration White Paper, these changes close entry clearance applications for Skilled Workers sponsored in these occupation codes.
Adult social care – transition period until 22 July 2028
The changes also provide for in-country applications, for those switching from other visa routes, to continue for a transition period until 22 July 2028, at which point these occupations will be removed from the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List. Workers must have been legally working for the provider that is sponsoring them for at least 3 months before the date their certificate of sponsorship was issued to them by their sponsor. According to Home Office, this requirement supports continuity of employment, and provides assurance that workers are suitable to be sponsored to work in the sector, and that sponsors and workers have been in an employer-employee relationship for a reasonable period of time, allowing both parties to demonstrate compliance with basic employment law (including National Minimum Wage regulations) and mitigate risks relating to potential exploitation.
As with the increase to the skills threshold, this Statement of Changes applies transitional arrangements to exempt workers who are already in the Skilled Worker route (or have been sponsored for an application which is later successful) or who switch to the route before the closing date of 22 July 2028.
The transitional provision for workers switching from other visa routes will be kept under review, to respond flexibly to any further emerging compliance issues in the sector.
Adult social care – requirement to recruit from the pool in the UK is removed
The requirement for sponsors to first try to recruit from the pool of Skilled Workers seeking new sponsorship is being removed. As a result of the above changes, all applications to which the requirement applied are being closed.
6131 Nursing auxiliaries and assistants
To prevent the occupation code "6131 Nursing auxiliaries and assistants" being misused to circumvent these changes, a clarification is being added to confirm this occupation code only applies to roles in environments where registered nurse roles also exist.
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