UK Immigration Update – Major Changes to Sponsored Work Routes from 22 July 2025

3rd July, 2025 by Immigration

On 1 July 2025, the UK government issued a new Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 997), confirming significant reforms to the Skilled Worker and other sponsored work routes. These changes form part of the strategy announced in May’s Immigration White Paper, aimed at reducing net migration and refocusing the system on higher-skilled roles.

Most of these changes take effect for Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned on or after 22 July 2025. Employers and sponsors have only a short window to prepare. Below is a clear summary of the changes, the new salary thresholds (including comparison with previous rates), and practical steps employers should consider immediately.

Changes to the Skilled Worker Route

Skill level requirement raised back to RQF 6:

From 22 July 2025, new Skilled Worker visas will generally only be available for roles at Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 6 or above (graduate-level). This reverses the 2020 change that had lowered eligibility to RQF 3 (A-level or equivalent).

What this means:

No new sponsorship will be permitted for roles below RQF 6 unless the occupation is specifically included on the new Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List.
Workers already in the Skilled Worker route in lower-level roles can continue under transitional arrangements, but no new entrants will be allowed unless they meet these new criteria.

Exceptions for Sub-RQF 6 Roles

Temporary Shortage List and Immigration Salary List:

Certain critical or shortage occupations below RQF 6 will remain eligible if they appear on one of these lists. These lists have been expanded for now but are time-limited, with most roles expected to be removed by 31 December 2026 (or earlier if the government sees non-compliance issues).

Restrictions on dependants:

New applicants sponsored into RQF 3–5 roles from 22 July will not be permitted to bring dependants, with very limited exceptions (e.g. dependants of existing visa holders, UK-born children).

Salary Threshold Increases

The government is raising all general and going-rate salary thresholds, using updated 2024 labour market data. This affects the Skilled Worker route, the Global Business Mobility (GBM) routes, and the Scale-up Worker route.

Here is a comparison of current vs. new thresholds:

Visa Route	Current Threshold	New Threshold (from 22 July 2025)
Skilled Worker – General minimum (Option A)	£38,700	£41,700
Skilled Worker – New Entrant rate	£30,960	£33,400
GBM – Senior or Specialist Worker	£48,500	£52,500
Scale-up Worker	£36,300	£39,100

Occupation-specific “going rates” are also increasing across the board, aligned to new ASHE data.
PhD discounts remain but with new minimums (e.g. £37,500 for relevant PhD, £33,400 for STEM PhD).
Critically, no transitional concessions apply to these salary increases: all extension or change-of-employer applications from 22 July must meet the new thresholds.

Adult Social Care Visa Changes

Closure to new overseas recruitment: From 22 July, employers will no longer be able to sponsor new overseas Care Workers or Senior Care Workers (SOC codes 6135 and 6136).
In-country switching remains until 22 July 2028 for those already in the UK on other visa types, provided they have worked for the sponsor for at least three months before applying.
Previous requirements to demonstrate recruitment from existing visa holders before hiring overseas have been dropped, since new overseas recruitment will no longer be allowed.

Anticipated Future Changes

The government has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the new salary thresholds and discount regimes, with possible further adjustments after the review.
The Immigration Salary List itself is intended as a transitional measure and is expected to be phased out over time.
Future changes are likely to include increases to the Immigration Skills Charge and tighter English language requirements.

Immediate Actions for Employers

With these changes taking effect from 22 July 2025, employers should act urgently to review their sponsorship strategies:

Audit Existing Sponsored Workers

What to do: Conduct a thorough review of all current Skilled Worker employees and their salaries against the new thresholds.

Why it matters: From 22 July, any extension, switch or change-of-employer application will need to meet the new, higher salary thresholds – there are no transitional salary exemptions for existing workers.

Next steps:

Identify employees at risk of falling below the new £41,700 general minimum or updated occupation-specific going rates.
Prepare plans and budgets for necessary salary increases to maintain visa compliance.
Communicate with affected employees early to avoid surprises at renewal.

Outcome: Reduce risk of refused extensions, forced attrition of sponsored staff, or compliance breaches.

Review Recruitment Pipeline

What to do: Map out all roles you were planning to sponsor over the next 12–24 months.

Why it matters: From 22 July, you can no longer sponsor new applicants for most roles below RQF 6 unless they appear on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List.

Next steps:

Identify critical or hard-to-fill roles that will become ineligible for sponsorship.
Prioritise fast-tracking recruitment and assign Certificates of Sponsorship before 22 July to lock in transitional protection.
Review recruitment budgets to accommodate increased salary thresholds for any new hires.
Communicate these upcoming changes clearly with hiring managers and leadership to manage expectations and timelines.

Outcome: Avoid being locked out of international recruitment for key roles and ensure business continuity for upcoming projects and staffing needs.

Consider Early Extensions for Existing Sponsored Workers

What to do: Review upcoming visa expiry dates for current sponsored staff.

Why it matters: Workers applying to extend their visas before 22 July can do so under the current (lower) salary thresholds for their next grant of leave.

Next steps:

Analyse whether bringing forward extension applications could be cost-effective, given the significant jump in salary requirements after July.
Balance the cost of early extension fees against the benefit of avoiding large, immediate pay increases.
Coordinate with immigration advisers to ensure timing and eligibility for early extensions.

Outcome: Preserve flexibility and lower costs by locking in the existing rules for longer, giving employers time to plan salary adjustments more gradually.

Assess Role Eligibility Against the Updated Occupation Lists

What to do: Review the new Immigration Salary List and Temporary Shortage List carefully.

Why it matters: From 22 July, only roles on these lists will be eligible for sponsorship at RQF 3–5.

Next steps:

Cross-check all sub-degree roles you sponsor or plan to sponsor.
For roles not on the lists, consider whether you can accelerate sponsorship now or will need to shift to domestic recruitment.
Be aware that sponsoring in these sub-degree shortage roles after 22 July will come with dependant restrictions (no family members can accompany, apart from limited exceptions for existing visa holders or UK-born children).
Update your recruitment strategies and candidate communications to reflect these changes transparently.

Outcome: Avoid wasted recruitment effort or reputational risk from offering roles that cannot be sponsored under the new system.

Plan for Social Care Recruitment Changes

What to do: If you are recruiting for Care Worker or Senior Care Worker roles, prepare for the closure of overseas recruitment.

Why it matters: From 22 July, no new overseas CoS can be issued for these roles.

Next steps:

Identify any overseas candidates in your recruitment pipeline and urgently decide whether to sponsor them before the cut-off.
For in-country candidates (e.g. graduates), confirm they have at least three months’ employment with you before sponsoring them.
Develop alternative recruitment and retention plans to mitigate workforce gaps.
Start workforce planning now for the complete phase-out of even in-country switching by 2028.

Outcome: Reduce reliance on uncertain migration routes and strengthen domestic recruitment and training pathways.

Update Internal Processes, Systems and Training

What to do:

Review and revise your HR, recruitment, and compliance processes to reflect the new rules.

Why it matters: Avoid non-compliance, reduce error risk in CoS issuance, and maintain your sponsor licence rating.

Next steps:

Update offer letter templates to include new minimum salary requirements.
Revise policies on dependants for RQF 3–5 shortage roles.
Update internal approval processes for assigning CoS to ensure correct salary thresholds are met.
Train HR teams, recruiters, and managers to understand the new restrictions and their implications.

Outcome: Maintain compliance confidence and ensure seamless, lawful onboarding of new sponsored talent.

Summary

In short, these changes represent a major shift in the UK's sponsored work visa system. Employers who act now by auditing their workforce, adjusting recruitment plans, budgeting for higher salaries, and planning for future reforms will be best positioned to navigate the new landscape smoothly.

Employers must move quickly to:

Secure sponsorships under transitional rules before 22 July where appropriate
Review and adjust compensation plans to ensure compliance
Plan strategically for the phasing out of sub-RQF 6 roles and evolving salary lists

Careful workforce planning and early action now can help mitigate disruption and maintain access to vital international talent.

We recognise these changes will have material implications for many employers. If you would like to discuss how this may affect your organisation or would value support in preparing for the upcoming rule changes, please get in touch with our immigration team.

The information on this site about legal matters is provided as a general guide only. Although we try to ensure that all of the information on this site is accurate and up to date, this cannot be guaranteed. The information on this site should not be relied upon or construed as constituting legal advice and Howes Percival LLP disclaims liability in relation to its use. You should seek appropriate legal advice before taking or refraining from taking any action.

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