Skilled Worker Visa: Key Changes Announced for 2025–2026

The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC)—paid by sponsoring employers—will rise by approximately 32% from 16 December 2025.

Crucial Action: Employers with active recruitment or pending renewals must prioritize assigning Certificates of Sponsorship before 16 December 2025 to avoid the substantial increase in charges.

While the charge is rising, employers are exempt from paying the ISC in several critical circumstances. These exemptions are applied to the Skilled Worker route as follows:

• Switching from Student Visa: The ISC is not payable if the worker is applying from within the UK to switch from a Student visa (formerly Tier 4 General) to the Skilled Worker route. This exemption also applies when that worker extends their stay in the same role with the same sponsor. (Note: This exemption does not apply to workers switching from the Graduate Route visa).
   
• Specific High-Skilled Occupations: Sponsorship is exempt for workers in certain specialist roles, primarily PhD-level scientists and academics. These are defined by specific Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes that include:

chemical scientists (2111)
biological scientists (2112)
biochemists and biomedical scientists (2113)
physical scientists (2114)
social and humanities scientists (2115)
natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified (2119)
research and development managers (2161)
other researchers, unspecified discipline (2162)
higher education teaching professionals (2311)

• Existing Sponsored Workers (Pre-2017): The charge is waived for workers who were first sponsored under the Tier 2/Skilled Worker route before 6 April 2017 and have maintained continuous permission in that route ever since.

No Visa Extension: If an employer assigns a new CoS to an existing Skilled Worker for a job change, the ISC is only payable if the new CoS extends the worker's original visa end date. If the duration remains the same, the ISC is not payable.

The following SOC codes are to be added to the list of roles that are exempt from the ISC fee:

• Clergy: 2463
• Sports Players: 3431
• Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials: 3432

From 8 January 2026, new Skilled Worker visa applicants must meet a B2 level of English on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Currently, the threshold is B1, equivalent to an intermediate level. Raising it to B2 means applicants will need stronger spoken and written English skills—roughly comparable to upper-intermediate fluency.

What this means:

• The change applies only to new applications made on or after 8 January 2026.
• Extensions and dependants of current Skilled Worker visa holders remain under the existing B1 requirement.

Candidates should ensure their English test provider (IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, etc.) reflects the B2 standard before applying.

Tip for applicants:

If you have a valid B1-level test and plan to apply soon, submit your Skilled Worker visa application before 8 January 2026 to avoid retesting.

The UK's immigration landscape is rapidly shifting toward higher standards and greater costs. Proactive planning is now essential to navigate the upcoming deadlines for both the increased ISC and the higher English language requirement.

For tailored guidance, the Nation.Better team can support you with sponsorship, compliance, and visa application.