Tuesday 1 July 2025

The Home Office has today published a new Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (HC 997) in connection with details outlined in the Government’s Immigration White Paper. It also published a new Statement (HC 836) delivering important updates to the EU Settlement Scheme on Tuesday 24 June 2025. We summarise the main changes below.

Increase in skills and salary thresholds under sponsored work routes (HC 997) – implemented on Tuesday 22 July 2025

Skilled Worker applicants must be sponsored for jobs at RQF level 6 or above, reversing the previous 2020 change that had lowered the threshold to level 3 to help businesses adjust after Brexit. As a result, around 180 occupations will no longer be eligible under the Skilled Worker route unless applicants are already in the route, have a pending application or the job appears on the Immigration Salary List or a new interim Temporary Shortage list.

Salary requirements have also been updated in line with the 2024 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data. As a result, the general Skilled Worker salary threshold will increase from £37,800 to £41,700. Reduced salary thresholds for those who qualify for them are being increased by the same ratio. Additionally, going rates for specific occupations will increase in line with ASHE data. These changes to salary requirements will also impact Global Business Mobility (GBM) and Scale-up route migrants, with the GBM Senior or Specialist Worker route general salary threshold increasing to £52,500 from £48,500

Appendix Skilled Occupations has been restructured to separate eligible occupations and going rates by skill level, including corrections for NHS staff working in roles under Agenda for Change rates in Scotland.

Transitional arrangements will temporarily allow current Skilled Worker migrants or those with pending applications to remain eligible for lower-skilled jobs, though these arrangements will be reviewed in due course. Notably, there are no transitional measures for salary updates, as salaries are expected to reflect broader UK pay trends. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) – the body which advises the government on immigration policy – will thoroughly review salary requirements before making any further decisions on transitional arrangements.

Phase out of Immigration Salary List and phase in of Temporary Shortage List (HC 997) – implemented on Tuesday 22 July 2025

The Immigration Salary List identifies Skilled Worker occupations facing labour shortages where it is reasonable to offer discounted salaries. This list will eventually be replaced by a Temporary Shortage List, which will control access to the immigration system for occupations below RQF level 6.

As an interim measure, from 22 July 2025, occupations at RQF levels 3 to 5 will continue to qualify for the Skilled Worker route if they appear on either an expanded Immigration Salary List – which includes existing entries plus occupations identified by the MAC in its 2023 and 2024 reviews – or on the new interim Temporary Shortage List, which includes roles identified by the Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury as important to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.

The Immigration Salary List will eventually be phased out, with occupations on both lists generally scheduled for removal by the end of 2026, apart from adult social care roles with separate arrangements. The government may move this date forward if compliance issues arise.

The MAC will review the Temporary Shortage List in Spring 2026, and only occupations supported by a workforce strategy and employer commitment to domestic recruitment will remain on it. Workers in occupations at RQF levels 3 to 5 on either list will not be permitted to bring dependants, except where they are already on the Skilled Worker route before these changes, or in cases involving dependent children born in the UK or where the worker has sole parental responsibility. These restrictions on dependants do not apply to occupations at RQF level 6 or above.

Significant changes to immigration system for adult social care workers (HC 997) – implemented on Tuesday 22 July 2025

There have been long-standing concerns about Skilled Workers in care worker and senior care worker roles, including job losses from overestimated demand, sponsors losing their licence due to non-compliance and exploitation of workers.

Accordingly, the immigration system will close to new entry clearance applications for these occupations. However, in-country applications for people switching from other routes will continue until 22 July 2028, provided the worker has been employed by their sponsoring provider for at least three months before the certificate of sponsorship is issued. The existing requirement for sponsors to recruit first from Skilled Workers seeking new sponsorship will be removed, and all applications will be closed subject to that rule.

Transitional arrangements will remain under review to respond to ongoing compliance issues, including non-compliance, exploitation or failure to offer sustainable work. Additional transitional measures will protect workers already in the Skilled Worker route, or those switching before 22 July 2028, from these restrictions.

Finally, a clarification will ensure that the occupation code for nursing auxiliaries and assistants only applies where registered nurse roles are present.

Closure of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) to new principal applications (HC 997) – implemented from 15:00 BST on Tuesday 1 July 2025

This amendment closes the ARAP scheme to new principal applicants after 15:00 BST on 1 July 2025 while keeping family applications open. The Government considers ARAP’s purpose fulfilled after relocating over 21,000 people and seeks to prioritise other defence needs, given the large backlog and high ineligibility rates. Applications submitted before closure will still be processed.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will also close to new referrals, though existing and eligible cases will continue to be considered.

Neonatal care leave (HC 997)

Neonatal care leave is being added to the list of permissible reasons for absences from sponsored work, to reflect the introduction of this form of statutory leave entitlement in April 2025.

EU Settlement Scheme: change to continuous qualifying period for settled status (HC 836) – implemented from Wednesday 16 July 2025

For decisions issued from Wednesday 16 July 2025, a pre-settled status holder can qualify for settled status if they have been resident in the UK for at least 30 months in total in the most recent 60-month period (as opposed to the previous requirement of absences totalling no more than 6 months in any 12-month period).

This change means that applicants with pre-settled status will no longer need to have been continuously resident in the UK since the end of the transition period (31 December 2020) to remain eligible for settled status, if they have been resident in the UK for 30 months in the past 60 months.

A pre-settled status holder who was previously refused settled status, but believes they are eligible under the new requirements, can make a new application or wait until they are considered against these new requirements when their case is reviewed under the automated

Get in touch

To learn more about upcoming changes to UK immigration law, please refer to our website, contact your assigned LDI lawyer or email enquiries@lauradevine.com.