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on August 11, 2025
Read Time: 8 Minutes
A landmark development in the emergence of the Labour Government’s immigration policy – still less than a year, at the time, since the Sir Keir Starmer-led party’s general election victory – was its publication of the Restoring control over the immigration system white paper.
Of course, a white paper does not – on its own – do anything to change the law or the immigration rules. Nonetheless, when published on 12May 2025, this policy document was a crucial one for setting out how ministers would seek to drive down the recent historically high levels of net migration to the UK.
Fast-forward to the start of July, and it was confirmed that the first rule changes emerging from the Immigration White Paper would be rolled out.
Many, although not all, of the newly announced changes will take effect from 22July 2025. So, in this article, our award-winning specialists in UK immigration law at Cranbrook Legal will take a closer look at these changes, which prioritise – in the words of the Home Office – “higher skills, lower numbers and tighter controls” over work visa routes.
As a policy document, Restoring control over the immigration system outlines both higher-level principles and specific changes to policy that the Labour Government intends to make.
Eight of the paper’s proposals are sufficiently detailed for civil servants to have set out some approximate illustrations of the potential decrease they may bring to net migration to the UK.
Those proposals are:
UK employers will generally no longer be able to sponsor a foreign national to come to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa if the given job is assessed as being medium-skilled – in other words, from Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 3 to 5.
However, there may be scope for certain industries to be exempted from this requirement if the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommends it and the given industry is demonstrating efforts to recruit workers from the domestic UK labour force.
It will no longer be permitted for UK employers to take on such workers from overseas, amid Government concerns about “shameful levels of abuse and exploitation”.
Higher standards will be set for those already taking English language tests. Furthermore, the partners of people who use a work visa to relocate to the UK will only be able to obtain a “dependant” visa if they have at least basic English language capability.
This is the status otherwise known as “settling in the UK” or “indefinite leave to remain” (ILR).
The generally applicable qualifying period will be extended from five years to 10 years. However, some people may qualify sooner than this, depending on criteria that had not yet been determined at the time of the white paper’s publication.
Further proposals in the Immigration White Paper include:
At the onset of July, the Home Office published its Statement of changes to Immigration Rules: HC 997, 1 July 2025. However, with this being a 138-word document, it hardly makes a digestible read for many non-UK nationals who may be impacted by the changes it sets out.
The accompanying Home Office press release is easier for a “layperson” to understand. It makes clear that the new rules being implemented are largely focused on work visas.
Nonetheless, for your convenience, we have below summarised the major developments that are set to take effect on 22 July 2025.
All the general salary thresholds and “going rates” across the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility, and Scale-up visa routes are being put up, in line with the 2024 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). This uprating will apply to Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) issued on or after 22 July.
Migrant workers that apply to extend their visa or that change their employer after that date won’t benefit from any transitional arrangements. So, they will need to meet the heightened thresholds.
We referenced this change above, as mentioned in the Immigration White Paper; from 22 July, all applications for the Skilled Worker visa will need to be in relation to an occupation assessed at RQF level 6 or above. This is generally considered equivalent to a bachelor’s degree level qualification in the UK.
The Home Office has estimated that as a consequence of this change, between 100 and 180 occupations will no longer generally be eligible for sponsorship.
With a longer-term model yet to be put in place, even from 22 July onwards, it won’t technically be impossible for UK sponsor licence holders to continue hiring non-UK nationals whose qualifications are below degree level.
However, if an employer wishes to do this, it will be necessary for the given job to be on the expanded Immigration Salary List (which includes all RQF 3-to-5 occupations assessed to be in shortage by the MAC), or a Temporary Shortage List meant to support the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
Employers and foreign nationals alike should note that both lists are set to expire on 31 December 2026. Furthermore, ministers have reserved the right to bring forward this endpoint.
Again, this was a change “previewed” in the Immigration White Paper. Specifically, 22 July is the date when new applications for entry clearance in relation to the SOC codes 6135 (care workers) and 6136 (senior care workers) will come to an end.
For a much longer period – until 22 July 2028 – it will be possible for visa holders already in the UK to switch into these codes. However, a given employee will only be able to do this if they have already spent a minimum of three months working for the sponsoring provider.
After July 2028, these roles will no longer appear on any shortage lists.
Any non-UK national who is sponsored to come to the UK in an RQF level 3-to-5 occupation on either of the aforementioned shortage lists after 22 July will not be permitted to bring any “dependant” family members with them. Workers who are already in the route will not be subject to this restriction, and nor will those who are sponsored in jobs at degree level or above (RQF 6+). The change does, though, bring the rules in line with those already applicable to care workers.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) – the part of the Home Office responsible for deciding who is entitled to stay in or visit the UK – has been shifting to a “digital by default” immigration system in recent times.
If you don’t yet have a UKVI account, you will need to create one in order to access your eVisa. You will then be able to use UKVI’s online service to view your eVisa, which will show what rights you have in the UK – for example, to work, rent, or claim benefits.
The same UKVI service will enable you to obtain a share code, which you can then use to prove your immigration status to other people, such as employers, landlords, or airline staff.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) – the part of the Home Office responsible for deciding who is entitled to stay in or visit the UK – has been shifting to a “digital by default” immigration system in recent times.
If you don’t yet have a UKVI account, you will need to create one in order to access your eVisa. You will then be able to use UKVI’s online service to view your eVisa, which will show what rights you have in the UK – for example, to work, rent, or claim benefits.
The same UKVI service will enable you to obtain a share code, which you can then use to prove your immigration status to other people, such as employers, landlords, or airline staff.
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