A Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules was presented to Parliament on 12 March 2025 which, amongst other changes, announces several changes to the Skilled Worker immigration route.

From 9 April 2025, in light of the high number of care workers and senior care workers without sponsorship (due to existing sponsors losing their sponsor licence), sponsors looking to recruit such workers must try to recruit from the pool of workers whose sponsorship has ended early before sponsoring a new recruit from other immigration routes or overseas. Regional partnerships are supporting care workers without sponsorship, and will be able to provide sponsors with confirmation that no suitable settled workers are available, enabling the sponsor to then recruit talent from elsewhere. This requirement only applies to those working in England, and will not apply to any care worker or senior care worker sponsored prior to the change being implemented. The change will also not apply to those who have been working for their proposed sponsor – in accordance with existing visa conditions – for a period of at least 3 months.

The general salary threshold of £23,200 per annum / £11.90 per hour will be increased to £25,000 per annum/£12.82 per hour. This will mean the following workers will see a higher general salary threshold:

• PhD in a STEM subject relevant to job, and were sponsored as a Skilled Worker under the Rules in place before 4 April 2024
• Immigration Salary List role, and were sponsored as a Skilled Worker under the Rules in place before 4 April 2024
• New entrant to the labour market, and were sponsored as a Skilled Worker under the Rules in place before 4 April 2024
• Those sponsored to undertake a specified health or education occupation, meaning the new general salary threshold for a care worker will be £25,000 / £12.82 per hour

Note that salaries will also still need to comply with the going rate applicable to the role being undertaken, some of which will see increases from 9 April.

Updates in relation to deductions from sponsored workers’ salaries will also be implemented, with the Statement of Changes confirming that deductions from salary or loan repayments for business costs, immigration costs or investment will be subtracted from the worker’s salary when considering compliance with salary requirements under Immigration Rules. This is to ensure sponsorship costs are not being passed on to applicants (further to updates to sponsor guidance from late 2024), and also to guarantee that sponsored workers cannot pay their salary by way of an investment in their sponsor’s business. At present, we don’t have a definition of ‘immigration costs’, so it is not known whether loans relating to visa application fees or the Immigration Health Surcharge will need to be deducted from the salary. Further guidance on this is awaited.

The new entrant definition will also see a minor update, requiring those relying on training towards a recognised professional qualification to undertake a UK qualification.

Other changes include Trinidad and Tobago being added to the visa national list. This will mean that Trinidad and Tobago nationals will need to secure a visit visa before visiting the UK. This change has been implemented as UKVI allege nationals of Trinidad and Tobago often breach Immigration Rules by undertaking activities not permitted as visitors, and there has also been an increase in asylum claims from such citizens.

Various other immigration routes will also see minor amendments, with further changes to the UK’s immigration system expected in the near future (the Government intends to publish an Immigration White Paper), so watch this space!