Skilled Worker visa overhaul: UK immigration changes from 22 July 2025 and what employers must do

The UK redrew its work visa map overnight — here’s what changed

Overnight, more than 100 occupations fell off the UK’s main work visa route. From 22 July 2025, the government pushed the minimum skill level for the Skilled Worker visa up to degree level (RQF6), scrapping eligibility for many mid-skilled roles that previously qualified at RQF levels 3–5. Officials trailed the move in May’s Immigration White Paper; now it’s live, and it’s big.

The intent is blunt: lower net migration, steer employers toward UK-based talent, and reserve sponsorship for higher-skilled, higher-paid jobs. In practice, this means fewer visa-eligible roles, higher salary floors, and tighter family rules for those on shortage routes. Sectors that leaned on international recruitment to plug persistent gaps—care, hospitality, parts of retail and construction—will feel the squeeze first.

Here are the core changes employers need to map against their hiring plans.

• Skill threshold: RQF6 is now the baseline for the main route. Roles that sat at A-level equivalent (RQF3) up to foundation-degree level (RQF5) largely fall away. The reduction runs to roughly 180 individual role codes, trimming the eligible list by a large chunk.

• Salary thresholds: the general floor for Skilled Workers has jumped to £41,700. For the Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker route, it’s £52,500. The “new entrant” rate—typically recent graduates or early-career hires—now stands at £33,400. Where transitional salary rules previously applied, the relevant threshold is £31,300. On top of these baselines, the “going rate” for each job’s SOC code also rises, and the higher of the two applies.

• Shortage policy reset: the old Immigration Salary List is gone. In its place is a temporary, tightly controlled Shortage List covering 52 roles that sit below RQF6. These are stopgaps, not permanent fixtures. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will test whether any should stay longer term, but only if the evidence holds up and aligns with workforce strategies.

• Route closures and family rules: the Social Care Worker route is closed to new applicants. In addition, new applicants on shortage routes can’t bring dependants. That’s a major shift for care providers and any employer banking on family stability to support retention.

• Transitional protections: people already on Skilled Worker visas can carry on under the old skill rules. They can extend, change sponsors, and take permitted supplementary employment, even if that work sits below RQF6. But there’s no shelter for new role assignments dated on or after 22 July 2025—those must meet the new rules in full.

• Process changes: the Home Office is accelerating digitisation. Work and study routes no longer use physical entry clearance vignettes. In the US, Application Support Centres have been replaced by UK Visa Application Centres, with comparable shifts in New Zealand. Expect more online status checks and fewer paper documents as standard practice.

In short, sponsorship is still possible, but it’s narrower, pricier, and aimed squarely at graduates and specialists. If your headcount plans leaned on roles at RQF3–5, you’ll need a Plan B.

What employers should do now

Step one is triage. Audit your open roles, offers in the pipeline, and upcoming vacancies. Sort them into three buckets: (1) clearly eligible at RQF6, (2) borderline roles where the job design might be lifted to RQF6 with added responsibilities, and (3) roles that are now out of scope. Be honest—wishful mapping to a higher-level SOC code is a compliance risk.

Then run the numbers. The headline thresholds—£41,700, £52,500, £33,400, and the £31,300 transitional figure—are only the start. Each SOC code carries its own going rate, often higher than the general floor. Budget for the top of those figures, not the bottom, especially in competitive markets or hard-to-fill disciplines.

For graduates and early-career hiring, the new entrant rate can still work if the role is RQF6 and the candidate meets the new entrant criteria. Think structured programmes with real progression. If the job is genuinely graduate-level, you can keep that talent pipeline flowing—just watch the SOC mapping and the going rate.

Care and hospitality face the toughest choices. Many roles in those sectors sat at RQF3–5 and will no longer qualify for sponsorship. Where the Temporary Shortage List offers limited relief, use it carefully—it’s time-limited and under review by the MAC. Build scenarios assuming the role disappears from the list, so you’re not caught out mid-cycle.

Hiring managers should consider job redesign where feasible. Can you combine responsibilities, upgrade decision-making, or add technical requirements that genuinely move a role to degree level? This must be real, not cosmetic. If the day-to-day work isn’t at RQF6, calling it that won’t withstand scrutiny.

On workforce planning, expect longer time-to-hire and higher salaries for eligible roles. That pushes employers toward parallel strategies: apprenticeships, returner schemes, local recruitment partnerships, and targeted training to lift existing staff into higher-skilled posts. It’s not instant, but it’s how you build resilience without over-relying on one visa route.

Compliance needs a refresh too. Update your sponsor guidance, offer templates, and salary checklists. Train HR and hiring teams on the new thresholds, the RQF6 baseline, and the loss of dependants for shortage routes. Right to Work processes should reflect the shift to digital status checks and the change to appointment centres abroad.

If you place staff internationally, note the operational changes in the US and New Zealand. Candidates will now attend UK Visa Application Centres rather than the old Application Support Centres in the US. Timelines, appointment availability, and document intake can differ. Build in extra lead time until these systems settle.

Don’t forget current staff protections. People already on Skilled Worker visas aren’t pulled up to RQF6. They can renew and change sponsors under their existing skill framework. If you rely on that cohort, start extension planning early and keep clean records showing continuity under the old rules.

For shortage routes, the new ban on dependants will affect recruitment and retention. Some candidates will walk if they can’t bring family. Be transparent at the advert stage to avoid drop-offs late in the process. Consider support packages that make solo moves viable—temporary accommodation, travel support, or accelerated pathways into RQF6 roles where realistic.

Budgeting should account for the total cost of sponsorship, not just salaries. Higher pay floors often cascade into pension contributions, allowances, and pay parity with existing staff. Add Immigration Skills Charge, visa fees, and health surcharge considerations into your cost-per-hire model, even if you don’t fund them directly.

Here’s a practical checklist to steady the ship:

• Map every sponsored and planned role to confirm RQF level and SOC code, and record the rationale.
• Benchmark salaries against the new general thresholds and the latest going rates; plan for uplifts.
• Review any conditional offers and Certificates of Sponsorship drafted before 22 July; reissue if needed to meet the new rules.
• Rework job descriptions that could legitimately move to RQF6 through added scope or accountability.
• Design or expand graduate and early-career tracks to use the new entrant rate where eligible.
• Model multiple recruitment paths for roles knocked out by the RQF change—local hiring, training, automation, or restructuring.
• Refresh your sponsor licence playbook: compliance training, audit trails, Right to Work checks, and reporting timelines.
• Adjust international onboarding timelines for the new visa centre arrangements and digital processes.
• Communicate clearly with candidates about dependants, visa costs, and documentation to prevent late-stage withdrawals.
• Book time with a specialist adviser if your role mapping is borderline or if you operate across multiple routes.

What about the Temporary Shortage List? Treat it as a moving target. It allows sponsorship for 52 roles below RQF6 on a time-limited basis while the MAC decides what—if anything—should remain longer term. Inclusion now doesn’t guarantee inclusion later. If you hire through this channel, have a succession plan that doesn’t depend on its survival.

For larger employers, governance matters. Set up a monthly oversight meeting between HR, legal, finance, and business leads to track visa usage, salary pressures, and MAC updates. Small teams can do a lighter version—a standing 30-minute check-in is still better than flying blind.

Finally, remember the human side. The reforms shift who can move, who can bring family, and who can stay long term. That will affect offer acceptance, morale, and retention. If you want international talent, you’ll need to sell the whole package—role clarity, development, support, and a credible path forward inside the new system.

If you operate in Scotland, the Scottish Government’s Migration Service offers free, impartial guidance to help employers and workers navigate the changes. Wherever you are in the UK, get advice early if your roles sit near the edges of the new rules. The cost of a misstep now is higher than it was a month ago.

The bottom line: the UK has tightened the tap, not turned it off. Sponsorship still works for graduate-level and specialist roles at the new pay floors. For everything else, employers will need fresh thinking—smarter job design, stronger domestic pipelines, and tighter compliance—to keep teams staffed and growth on track.