Following the UK Government's Immigration White Paper, "Restoring control over the immigration system", which was published on 12 March 2025, the latest Statement of Changes to Immigration Rules HC 997 was laid before Parliament on 1 July 2025.
The new Rules which will come into force on 22 July 2025 will affect businesses and Skilled Worker applicants.
Increase of the skills occupation threshold from RQF Level 3 to RQF Level 6
Following Brexit and the need to help businesses adapt to the ending of free movement between the UK and the EU, the skill level threshold for Skilled Worker visas was lowered from Regulated Qualifications Framework ('RQF') level 6 (degree level roles) to RQF level 3 (A-level roles).
The decision to increase the skills level to RQF 6 will cause a substantial reduction of around 180 eligible occupations, and will therefore have a major impact on businesses who wish to sponsor migrant workers in occupations below RQF 6.
Transitional provisions for sponsored workers who are already in jobs below RQF level 6
Applicants can continue to be sponsored in occupations lower than RQF 6 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 the occupation is on the Immigration Salary List ('ISL') or on the new interim Temporary Shortage List ('TSL') – for details of which, see below.
Increase to salary rates
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.
The increased salary figures for Skilled Worker visa are:
- General threshold for Skilled Workers applicant will increase from £38,700 to £41,700
- General threshold for Skilled Worker applicants who hold a PhD in a subject relevant to the role will increase from £34,830 to £37,500
- General threshold for Skilled Worker applicants who hold a PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the role, or the role is on the Immigration Salary List (ISL) role; or the applicant is a 'New Entrants' will increase from £30,960 to £33,400
- General threshold for Skilled Workers who were on the Skilled Worker route before 4 April 2024 will increase from £29,000 to £31,300
- General threshold for Skilled Worker applicants who hold a PhD in a subject relevant to the role who were on the Skilled Worker route before 4 April 2024 will increase from £26,100 to £28,200
It is also worth bearing in mind that all Skilled Worker settlement applications submitted after 22 July 2025 will have to meet the new salary requirements which largely correspond with the increase outlined above.
End of overseas Care Worker sponsorship from 22 July 2025
From 22 July 2025, sponsorship for 'Care workers and home carers' and 'Senior care workers' will only be permitted from applicants within the UK.
However, to meet the criteria, applicants must have been legally working for a sponsor in one of the SOC 2020 occupation codes for at least three months ending on the date the CoS was issued by the sponsor; and:
- the date of application must be before 22 July 2028, or,
- applicants must have permission as a Skilled Worker, sponsored in either of these SOC 2020 occupations codes (or the SOC 2010 occupation codes Care workers and home carers or Senior care workers).
Transitional provisions for existing Skilled Workers
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 for the increase to the skill threshold.
This will enable existing Skilled Worker visa holders to continue to renew their visas, change employment and take supplementary employment in occupations below RQF 6. These transitional arrangements will not be in place indefinitely and will be reviewed in due course.
However, there are no transitional arrangements relating to the updates to salary requirements, the government reasoning that pay of sponsored workers is expected to generally progress at the same rate as the pay of other workers in the UK, on which ASHE data are based. The Government will proceed to 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.
Supplementary employment
After 22 July 2025, Skilled Workers are only permitted to take on supplementary employment in a job that meets RQF 6 or a job on the Immigration Salary List. The only exception is for Skilled Worker migrants who are on the route before 22 July 2025 and who have been holding leave as a Skilled Worker since then – they may still take on supplementary employment in a job below RQF 6 which are listed on the relevant occupation tables in Appendix Skilled Occupations.
Shortage occupations
The Immigration Salary List ('ISL'), of what are commonly referred to as shortage occupations will be no more; replaced with a new Temporary Shortage List (TSL) incorporated within Appendix Skilled Worker.
The TSL has been produced in conjunction with the MAC, and is a lot longer than the ISL, because it now serves a different purpose – to bring within the scope of sponsorship a range of occupations which are RQF 3-5. Missing are several RQF6+ roles previously considered shortage occupations, which are still capable of sponsorship, but now under mainstream rules and salaries. Crucially, TSL occupations no longer attract salary discounts.
There are some oddities in the lists. For example, in the construction industry, previously-identified shortage roles such as masons, bricklayers, roofers, tilers and retrofitters, are gone; replaced by plumbers, builders, floorers, tilers, painters and decorators.
It is important to note that, from 22 July 2025, sponsored workers in TSL roles will not be able to bring dependants along with them.
For comparison purposes, here are the two lists (omitting care worker roles which are a special case):
New Temporary Shortage List (TSL)
- 1243 Managers in logistics
- 1258 Directors in consultancy services
- 3111 Laboratory technicians
- 3112 Electrical and electronics
- 3113 Engineering technicians
- 3115 Quality assurance technicians
- 3116 Planning, process and production technicians
- 3120 CAD, drawing and architectural technicians
- 3131 IT operations technicians
- 3132 IT user support technicians
- 3133 Database administrators and web content technicians
- 3412 Authors, writers and translators
- 3414 Dancers and choreographers
- 3417 Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators
- 3422 Clothing, fashion and accessories designers
- 3429 Design occupations not elsewhere classified – only the following job types: Industrial and product designers, Packaging designers, Performance make-up artists, Set designers, Visual merchandising managers and designers
- 3512 Ship and hovercraft officers
- 3520 Legal associate professionals
- 3532 Insurance underwriters
- 3533 Financial and accounting technicians
- 3541 Estimators, valuers and assessors
- 3544 Data analysts
- 3549 Business associate professionals not elsewhere classified – only the following job types: Business support officers, Business systems analysts, Contract administrators, Clinical coders, Clinical trials administrators, Research coordinators
- 3552 Business sales executives
- 3554 Advertising and marketing associate professionals
- 3571 Human resources and industrial relations officers
- 3573 Information technology trainers
- 4121 Credit controllers
- 4122 Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks
- 4129 Financial administrative occupations not elsewhere classified – only the following job types: Box office assistants; Grants officers; Mortgage administrators; Revenue assistants (excludes National and Local government revenue occupations); Treasury assistants
- 4132 Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants
- 5213 Welding trades
- 5214 Pipe fitters
- 5223 Metal working production and maintenance fitters
- 5225 Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers
- 5231 Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians
- 5232 Vehicle body builders and repairers
- 5233 Vehicle paint technicians
- 5235 Boat and ship builders and repairers
- 5241 Electricians and electrical fitters
- 5242 Telecoms and related network installers and repairers
- 5244 Computer system and equipment installers and servicers
- 5245 Security system installers and repairers
- 5249 Electrical and electronic trades not elsewhere classified
- 5311 Steel erectors
- 5315 Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers
- 5319 Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – only the following job types: Builders; Divers , Fence erectors, Industrial climbers, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) operators; Steel fixers and underpinners
- 5322 Floorers and wall tilers
- 5323 Painters and decorators
- 5330 Construction and building trades supervisors
- 8133 Energy plant operatives
Previous Immigration Salary List (ISL)
- 1212 Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services – only "fishing boat masters"
- 2111 Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry
- 2112 Biological scientists – all jobs
- 2115 Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists
- 2142 Graphic and multimedia designers – all jobs
- 3111 Laboratory technicians – only jobs requiring 3 or more years' related on-the-job experience
- 3212 Pharmaceutical technicians – all jobs
- 3411 Artists – all jobs
- 3414 Dancers and choreographers – only skilled classical ballet dancers or skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK ballet or contemporary dance companies
- 3415 Musicians – only skilled orchestral musicians who are leaders, principals, sub-principals or numbered string positions, and who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK orchestras
- 3416 Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs
- 5119 Agriculture and fishing trades not elsewhere classified – only jobs in the fishing industry
- 5213 Welding trades – only high integrity pipe welders, where the job requires 3 or more years' related on-the-job experience
- 5235 Boat and ship builders and repairers
- 5312 Stonemasons and related trades – all jobs
- 5313 Bricklayers – all jobs
- 5314 Roofers, roof tilers and slaters – all jobs
- 5316 Carpenters and joiners – all jobs
- 5319 Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – only retrofitters
- 6129 Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified – only racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms, stud hands, stud handlers and work riders
- 9119 Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified – only deckhands on large fishing vessels (9 metres and above) where the job requires the worker to have at least 3 years' full-time experience in using their skills