UK's New Immigration Rules Shake Up Skilled Worker Visas
If you’re planning to work in the UK, brace yourself for a major shift. Starting 22 July 2025, immigration rules for sponsored workers are changing, and it’s not just small tweaks — it’s a dramatic overhaul. The UK immigration rules now demand higher skills and bigger paycheques for anyone entering on a Skilled Worker visa.
The biggest news? The minimum skill level for Skilled Worker visas jumps from RQF level 3 (think A-levels) all the way to graduate-level RQF 6. That instantly wipes about 180 jobs—often considered lower-skilled—from the eligibility list. If your job previously qualified under the old standard, you could be locked out unless you have degree-level training.
More Pay, Fewer Openings, and Extra Scrutiny for Employers
It doesn’t stop with skill levels. Minimum salaries in healthcare and education are climbing to £25,000. Entry-level candidates, especially those in Band 3 healthcare roles, will find the new bar too high to clear. The shift especially hits sectors that traditionally rely on overseas talent to fill hard-to-staff jobs.
The care sector faces some of the toughest restrictions. Before considering applications from outside the UK, care employers must look at people already here on Skilled Worker visas. Authorities are even hinting at a future where overseas recruitment in care is banned entirely. It’s a big departure from the open-door policies that kept care homes running through recent staff shortages.
This new system also comes with a crackdown on rule-breakers. The Home Office has yanked 513 sponsor licences by the third quarter of 2024 alone, an increase from 377 in all of 2023. Employers need to keep a close eye on how much they’re paying and how many hours staff are working — violations could mean losing the right to sponsor overseas staff altogether.
If you’re an overseas worker already in the UK, there’s a lifeline. Those working in roles under RQF 6 can still renew visas, switch jobs, or take on extra lower-level work, as long as you’re already here before the cutoff. And if you’ve got a Certificate of Sponsorship for an RQF 3 job assigned by 21 July 2025, your visa application will still be valid, even after the changes begin. Employers are scrambling to beat the clock, fast-tracking applications before the deadline hits.
The government says these changes fit with its big-picture plan — the Immigration White Paper wants the UK to rely less on overseas labour and to attract only those with top qualifications. Companies and would-be migrants alike are now forced to rethink their plans. Hiring from outside the UK just got a lot tougher.
