On 22nd July 2025 the Home Office introduced major changes to the immigration rules for skilled workers
These changes have radically changed the immigration landscape particularly for those sponsoring workers new to the route. There are some transitional provisions in place for those already on a skilled worker visas.
Removal of eligible roles
The Home Office have removed over 100 roles from the list of eligible occupations. These are roles that are judged to be ‘lower skilled’.
The Home Office publishes the roles in which a skilled worker can be sponsored in appendix skilled occupations. In the recent, ‘Restoring Control Over the Immigration System: White Paper’ the Government confirmed their intention to increase the minimum skill level of eligible job roles using the RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) bands. The Government confirmed their intention to increase the skill level from RQF 3 (roughly A level equivalent) to RQF 6 (roughly Graduate equivalent) for all skilled worker roles.
In these recent changes to the immigration rules, the Home Office have brought this policy into effect and removed the roles that were considered to be RQF 3-5.
These changes only affect new applicants to the route after 22nd July 2025.
There are transitional provisions contained in the rules, allowing extensions for those already on the route before 22nd July 2025. This will allow people already on the Skilled Worker route to continue to renew their visas, change employment and take supplementary employment in occupations below RQF 6.
Introduction of the temporary shortage list
After removing all ‘lower skilled’ roles from the list of eligible jobs, the Home Office have moved 52 of these roles onto the new temporary shortage list.
This list allows sponsorship for certain roles (RQF level 3-5) for a short period of time, to fill a short term gap in the UK labour market. The roles on this list will be eligible for sponsorship, from within the UK or overseas, until 31 December 2026. It will then be reviewed.
Those newly-sponsored for a role on the temporary shortage list and those that appear on the Immigration salary list (RQF 3-5) are no longer allowed to sponsor their dependant family members. This applies to applications that rely on a certificate of sponsorship issued after 22nd July 2025. Those submitted before the rules changed should remain to benefit from the previous rules in relation to dependants.
Increases to the threshold salaries
For most of the salary options, the absolute minimum threshold has gone up. There are no transitional provisions.
Working out the minimum salary for any individual is now extremely complicated. There are ten different visa thresholds, and the one applicable to the worker is dependant on a number of factors such as their education, age and immigration history.
A Sponsor must pay their skilled worker either the minimum for the route OR the minimum for the workers Standard Occupation Classification code (outlined here and here)
| Option | Who does this apply to? | Going rate |
| A | Standard going rate | £ |
| B | Relevant PhD | £ |
| C | Relevant PhD in STEM subject | £ |
| D | Job in Appendix Immigration Salary list | £ |
| E | New Entrant | £ |
(for people already on the route before 04 April 2024 OR Health and Care Occupations)
| F | Standard going rate | £ |
| G | Relevant PhD | £ |
| H | Relevant PhD in STEM subject | £25,000, OR 80% of the going rate in Table 2, 2aa or 2a |
| I | Job in Appendix Immigration Salary list | £25,000, OR The full going rate in Table 2, 2aa or 2a |
| J | New Entrant | £25,000, OR The full going rate in Table 2, 2aa or 2a |
The Sponsor must pay whichever is greater. This can sometimes be pro-rated depending on the workers weekly contractual hours of work.
In addition to this, the minimum salary for the SOC codes have also been reviewed and increased. This applies to both the salary tables for entry clearance and for in country extensions.
Supplementary employment
For Skilled Worker coming to the route after the 22 July 2025, workers are only permitted to take on supplementary employment in a job that meets RQF 6 or a job on the Immigration Salary List.
Skilled Workers on the route before 22 July 2025 and who have been holding leave as a Skilled Worker continuously since then may still take supplementary employment in a job below RQF 6 which are listed on the applicable tables in Appendix Skilled Occupations.
Care worker recruitment
One key proposal in the White Paper was the closure of the route to care workers and senior care workers. This has seen many different forms already this year in regard to the ‘care worker recruitment requirement’ and changes to how Certificates of Sponsorship are assigned for 6135 and 6136 codes in particular.
As of 22nd July 2025 care providers can no longer recruit care workers or senior care workers from overseas. That can still sponsor candidates who are already in the UK but only if they meet the care worker recruitment requirements. We will publish a separate article on this.
The route will close entirely on 22nd July 2028 after which no further applications for leave to remain will be considered.
Next steps
We are a specialist immigration law firm with a vast range of expertise, including assisting both businesses and individuals on various matters in relation to the Skilled Worker route.
If you require support and guidance regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us.
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