Changes to Skilled Worker Route from 22 July 2025
Effective 22 July 2025, several significant changes take effect:
Skill Requirement
- The minimum skill requirement is raised from RQF level 3 (A-level) to RQF level 6 (degree-level), eliminating around 111–180 occupations from eligibility.
Salary Threshold
- Salary thresholds increased in line with 2024 data:
Closure of Care Worker Route
- Care and senior care worker visas (SOC 6135/6136) will no longer be issued from 22 July 2025; in-country switching is allowed until 22 July 2028, subject to employer sponsorship and 3-month minimum employment.
Transitional Arrangements
- Applicants with a Certificate of Sponsorship issued before 22 July 2025 (hopefully), or those who apply before that date, will be assessed under the old rules (RQF 3–5 and lower salary thresholds).
- Current skilled workers can extend, switch employers, bring dependants, or maintain their roles without being subject to the new thresholds, provided they remain within the route until review.
Other Amendments
- The rules now formally include neonatal care leave as a valid reason for absence from sponsored employment, reflecting statutory leave introduced in April 2025.
- Minor drafting updates to correct paragraph references and improve consistency across the Rules.
Context & Impact
These changes are part of the broader program introduced in the May 2025 “Restoring Control over the Immigration System” White Paper, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
- The policy aims to reduce net migration, tighten skills and salary criteria, restrict family migration, and end reliance on low-skilled visas—especially in social care.
- These reforms are projected to reduce net migration by around 100,000 per year by 2028 ( or at least this is the idea behind it).
Summary Table
|
Change |
Effective Date |
Details |
|
Skill threshold to RQF 6 |
22 July 2025 |
Skilled Worker roles below degree level removed unless on ISL/TSL |
|
Salary thresholds increased |
22 July 2025 |
Option A: £38.7k → £41.7k; PhD discounts at new rates |
|
Care worker visas closed |
22 July 2025 |
No new sponsorships: switches allowed until 2028 |
|
Temporary ISL/TSL introduced |
22 July 2025 – 31 Dec 2026 |
Limited access, no dependants |
|
Transitional measures for existing |
Before application or CoS issued prior 22 July |
Protection for existing visa holders and pending applicants |
|
Neonatal leave added |
22 July 2025 |
Formal acknowledgement in Immigration Rules |
|
Minor drafting corrections |
22 July 2025 |
Better alignment and clarity across regulations |
What You Should Do
Skilled Workers & Sponsors
- Ensure any CoS issuance before 22 July 2025 if in RQF 3–5 roles.
- Current visa holders can continue under old rules, but future extensions will require meeting new criteria.
- Auditing salary bands to ensure any new CoS (post-22 July) meet higher thresholds.
