UK Immigration Update – July 2025
On 1 July 2025, the Home Office published a new Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules. Key restrictions from the May 2025 White Paper will apply to all work visa applications where a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is assigned on or after 22 July 2025, especially impacting the Skilled Worker route.
Immediate Actions for Sponsors
To benefit from current rules and transitional arrangements, sponsors should aim to assign CoS on or before 21 July 2025. Sponsors should also:
Submit well-documented defined CoS requests early due to expected delays.
Submit in-country CoS allocation requests, using priority service if possible.
Assign CoS as early as possible, noting potential Sponsor Management System downtime before 22 July.
Consider assigning CoS for the maximum duration to avoid higher salary thresholds and reduce Immigration Skills Charge (ISC).
Prioritise switches from Student to Skilled Worker routes to benefit from ISC exemptions (not available to Graduate route switchers).
Review salary thresholds for workers needing CoS or applying for settlement from 22 July onwards.
Key Rule Changes from 22 July 2025
1. Salary Threshold Increases (Skilled Worker, GBM, Scale-up)
Route & Category | Current Threshold (£) | New Threshold from 22 July (£) |
|---|---|---|
Skilled Worker (standard) | 38,700 | 41,700 |
Skilled Worker (PhD) | 34,830 | 37,500 |
Skilled Worker (PhD STEM, ISL, new entrants post-Apr 2024) | 30,960 | 33,400 |
Skilled Worker (pre-Apr 2024 transitional) | 29,000 | 31,300 |
Skilled Worker (PhD pre-Apr 2024 transitional) | 26,100 | 28,200 |
Global Business Mobility | 48,500 | 52,500 |
Scale-up | 36,300 | 39,100 |
Notes:
TSL applicants must meet the £41,700 threshold (or £31,300 if eligible for transitional arrangements).
The high earner threshold (£73,900) for Senior/Specialist Worker routes remains unchanged.
The lowest Skilled Worker thresholds for health, education, STEM PhDs, ISL, and new entrants were already increased to £25,000 from 9 April 2024 and remain unchanged.
These new thresholds are market-based and apply without transitional arrangements for CoS assigned from 22 July 2025.
2. Occupation-Based Salary Thresholds
These will be updated using 2024 ASHE data and apply to all applications with CoS assigned from 22 July. See ‘Appendix Skilled Occupations’ in the Statement of Changes for full details.
3. Minimum Skills Threshold
Raised from RQF Level 3 (A-level) to RQF Level 6 (Bachelor’s degree). This removes ~180 medium-skilled jobs unless they are listed in the ISL or Temporary Shortage List (TSL).
Existing Skilled Workers in RQF 3–5 roles (or applying before 22 July) can extend/change jobs under transitional rules, though a future end date (‘sunset clause’) is likely.
Supplementary employment in RQF 3+ roles remains permitted for now, but is also under review.
Expansion of the Immigration Salary List (ISL)
Ahead of the ISL’s planned abolition, it will be temporarily expanded to include some RQF 3–5 occupations identified as in short supply in the MAC’s 2023 or 2024 reviews.
From 22 July:
New ISL-sponsored workers cannot bring dependants (unless covered by transitional rules).
UK-born children and children under sole parental care are exempt from this restriction.
More information can be found here