Immigration changes – White Paper 2025

Government publishes Immigration White Paper

The Government has published its Immigration White Paper which includes proposed reforms across the immigration system which will affect how businesses recruit and sponsor skilled workers from overseas.

These changes are part of the UK government's plan to restore control over immigration, reduce net migration, and link the system to skills and training requirements in the UK.

The White Paper sets out a series of reforms to visa routes, eligibility criteria, language requirements, and settlement rules. We have summarised the key changes for skilled workers below, and we will keep you updated on any further developments.

Skilled Worker route

The Skilled Worker route is the main route for employers to sponsor workers from overseas. The government has announced the following changes to this route:

• The skills threshold will be raised to RQF level 6 (graduate level) from the current RQF level 3 (A-level), meaning that only jobs that require at least an undergraduate degree level of skill will be eligible for sponsorship. This returns the threshold to the pre 2020 skills level and focuses on sponsorship for only the most highly skilled roles.
• This in turn will reduce the number of eligible occupations by around 180 and therefore number of visas issued.
• Some occupations below RQF level 6 in priority or shortage sectors will be eligible for sponsorship on a temporary basis, subject to review by a new Labour Market Evidence (LME) Group and the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Conditions will be attached to these lower skilled routes including a workforce strategy (detailing steps taken on areas such as training and skills within an organisation) being in place. Roles below RQF level 6 will also have restrictions on bringing dependants into the UK.
• The salary thresholds for Skilled Worker visas will be increased, and the Immigration Salary List, which gives discounts for shortage occupations (for example in areas such as carpentry, stonemasonry and other constructions roles), will be abolished. The MAC will conduct a review of salary requirements, and more details are needed in this respect.
• The English language requirements for Skilled Worker visas (and workers where a language requirement already applies) will be increased from B1 (Intermediate User) to B2 (Independent User) levels, in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
• The Immigration Skills Charge, which is paid by employers who sponsor Skilled Worker visas, will be increased by 32% to bring it in line with inflation. Based on current rates smaller firms would pay £2,400 per worker, while large business would pay up to £6,600 per worker.
• The Labour Market Evidence Group will be established to gather data and support immigration policy. This group will include the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Skills England, the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, and the Migration Advisory Committee. They will work together to share evidence about the state of workforces, training levels, and workforce participation rates.
• Additionally the White Paper makes it clear that not all (RQF 6) degree level roles will be suitable for sponsorship. Which roles should be sponsored will be considered over time, with input from the LME and MAC reviewing the position against the Government's overall policy intentions.

In terms of broader changes being proposed, the White Paper proposes a reform of settlement and citizenship rules by increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years, with the potential to 'earn' earlier settlement by way of contribution to the UK economy. It is unclear what conditions may meet this threshold for earlier settlement.

The White Paper proposes a complete removal of the overseas social care visa route, which is an area that has been under review now for some time.

There are also some high level statements within the White Paper regarding increasing the use of global talent visas in order to attract talent to the UK, with the Government promising: an increase to the number of high talent visa routes; allowing more people to use the expansion worker route (where a business is setting up in the UK for the first time); increasing the scheme for research interns; and simplifying the global talent route. At the same time the White Paper states that those on a Graduate Visa would only be allowed to use the route for 18 months after their studies.

Overall timing for these changes is subject to confirmation, but with some changes proposed to come into force within the next few weeks.