Immigration changes announced – July 2025

On 1 July, Government announced a few changes to the immigration system, with new rules set to take effect from 22 July. These include higher skills and salary thresholds, the closure of the overseas care worker route, and the removal of over 100 occupations from the system.

Follow this link to find out more, and an explanatory memorandum can be found here.

This marks the first phase of reforms under the Immigration White Paper, aimed at reducing reliance on overseas labour and reforming the points-based system.

A temporary shortage list will be introduced, but only for critical roles aligned with the UK’s industrial strategy. Sectors must now demonstrate clear plans to train domestic workers or risk losing access to international recruitment altogether.

Workers on the temporary list will no longer be able to bring dependants or benefit from salary and visa fee discounts. The list will expire at the end of 2026 unless extended by the Migration Advisory Committee.

Further changes expected later this year include an increase to the immigration skills charge, higher language requirements, and a new family policy framework.