UK Immigration White Paper 2025: New UK Immigration Rules

Between 2019 and 2023, net migration to the UK quadrupled — rising from 224,000 to a record-breaking 906,000. The government argues that such levels are unsustainable, placing pressure on housing, public services, and trust in the immigration system.
 

The white paper makes the government's stance clear: immigration must support the UK economy without becoming a substitute for domestic training. It calls for restoring “control and fairness” to the system while reducing reliance on low-skilled international labour.
 

The central principles of the paper are:

• Lowering overall net immigration
• Prioritising high-skilled migrants and economic contribution
• Raising thresholds and rules for Skilled Worker visas
• Ending overseas recruitment for some lower-paid roles
• Introducing stricter compliance checks and enforcement
• Making settlement and citizenship harder to achieve

Let’s look at what that means in practice for employers.

1. Skill Threshold Raised to RQF Level 6

Under current rules, jobs at RQF Level 3 (A-level equivalent) are eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. The government now proposes raising this to RQF Level 6 — meaning only graduate-level roles will be eligible.

This change could disqualify up to 180 occupations from eligibility, including:

• Chefs, hotel managers, and hospitality supervisors
• Bricklayers, carpenters, and construction trades
• Retail and warehouse managers
• Hairdressers, beauticians, and personal service providers
• Taxi drivers and delivery drivers

These roles would be barred from sponsorship unless included in a new Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL).

2. Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL)

The Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL) will replace the current Immigration Salary List, which offered salary discounts for certain roles. Unlike its predecessor, the TSOL is intended as a strictly time-limited measure.

To be included on the TSOL, a role must:

• Be vital to the UK economy
• Have verifiable, long-term labour shortages
• Be backed by detailed industry workforce strategies to train domestic workers

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will review and monitor the TSOL frequently, removing roles that fail to meet criteria. This reflects the government’s goal to reduce reliance on visa immigration UK in lower-paid or lower-skilled sectors — especially under the Skilled Worker route.

By tying visa access to workforce plans, the white paper makes it clear: temporary visa access will only be granted when industries prove they’re working toward sustainable, UK-based recruitment.

3. Salary Thresholds Raised and Discounts Scrapped

While exact figures are not stated in the white paper, salary thresholds will be reviewed and raised. Discounts for shortage roles will be scrapped. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will review salary levels to ensure international recruitment isn’t used to undercut pay or avoid domestic investment.

4. 32% Increase in Immigration Skills Charge

Alongside salary and sponsorship rule changes, the immigration white paper confirms that the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) will increase by 32%, adjusted for inflation since 2017. This charge is paid by UK employers for each overseas worker they sponsor under the Skilled Worker visa.

The new rates proposed are:

• Small or charitable sponsors:
  • £480 for the first 12 months
  • £240 for each additional 6-month period
     
• Medium or large sponsors:
  • £1,320 for the first 12 months
  • £660 for each additional 6 months

Certain occupations (like PhD-level roles) may still be exempt from this charge, but most sponsors will face higher upfront costs under the new UK visa and immigration policy.
 

This increase aligns with the government migration policy of encouraging employers to invest in domestic talent rather than using sponsorship visa UK jobs as a long-term staffing solution.

One of the most significant announcements in the 2025 Immigration White Paper is the planned closure of the care worker visa route to new applicants from overseas. This change, part of the government’s wider immigration reform, will directly impact employers relying on international recruitment in the adult social care sector.
 

According to the white paper, the UK visa and immigration system will be revised to:

“Close social care visas to new overseas applicants. Visa extensions and in-country switching for existing visa holders will be permitted during a transition period until 2028. This policy will remain under review.”

This means that, under the proposed UK immigration update, new applications for care roles from outside the UK will no longer be allowed via the Health and Care Worker visa. However, those already in the UK under this route may still:

• Extend their visa
• Switch jobs within the UK immigration system, provided they meet the new criteria

The change mainly affects occupation code 6145 — care workers and home carers — which has been one of the largest groups sponsored under the current system since its inclusion in early 2022.
 

Although the white paper clearly addresses care workers, it does not specifically mention whether senior care workers (occupation code 6146) will be included in the ban. As such, it remains uncertain if senior care roles will still be eligible for sponsorship under the future Skilled Worker visa UK criteria.
 

There is no standalone "social care visa" — this is simply the term commonly used to describe the use of the Health and Care Worker visa for adult care recruitment. The proposed closure is expected to be a critical part of reducing overall net migration, a central objective of the current UK government immigration policy.
 

A national workforce strategy for adult social care is in development to address staffing shortages with a focus on domestic recruitment. However, critics argue this could worsen existing staffing crises unless the government addresses pay and working conditions.

For employers in the care sector, this proposed change underscores the importance of preparing for shifts in sponsorship visa UK jobs, reassessing recruitment strategies, and ensuring workforce plans are aligned with the future of UK immigration rules.

As part of the UK’s new immigration reform, the Immigration White Paper 2025 proposes raising the English language test standards across all stages of the immigration journey:

• For Skilled Worker visa holders, the required level will increase from B1 to B2 (upper-intermediate)
   
• For adult dependants, new staged requirements will be introduced:
  • A1 at initial entry
  • A2 at visa extension
  • B2 at settlement
     
• For all applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or British citizenship, B2 will become the new minimum

These proposals align with the broader focus on integration and reducing long-term reliance on immigration for lower-wage sectors. They may also affect employers if candidates no longer meet these elevated standards for sponsored work.

The 2025 immigration white paper puts a strong emphasis on restoring credibility to the system by enhancing immigration enforcement, particularly for employers that sponsor workers under the Skilled Worker visa.

Here’s how the UK government immigration policy is changing in terms of compliance:

Increased Sponsor Audits and Monitoring

The Home Office plans to significantly increase the number of sponsor audits to ensure compliance with sponsorship duties. Employers can expect more frequent and more thorough checks, especially in sectors flagged as high risk for visa misuse.

Digital eVisas and Real-Time Status Checks

As part of the UK’s digital border transformation, physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) will be phased out in favour of digital eVisas. These digital statuses will allow real-time verification of a worker’s right to work in the UK, and they will be integrated with HR systems and government platforms.

This shift will modernise UK visa and immigration management and make it easier for enforcement teams to detect overstaying or unauthorised employment.

Cross-Government Data Sharing

The white paper also outlines plans to expand data-sharing between departments:

• HMRC will collaborate with the Home Office to flag employers who underpay sponsored workers or submit suspicious payroll records.
   
• UK banks will be able to verify visa status before opening accounts, helping to detect immigration fraud and overstayers.

These changes will require sponsors to maintain clean records across government systems — not just in immigration-specific databases.

New “Red Flag” Compliance Indicators

The immigration white paper 2025 introduces “red flag” metrics to proactively identify high-risk sponsors. These indicators include:

• High rates of visa non-completion (workers who leave early)
• Underpayment or minimum salary breaches
• High volumes of dependants in low-income roles
• Evidence of poor job matching or non-genuine vacancies

If your organisation is flagged, you may be prioritised for audit, face licence suspension, or be removed from the list of UK visa sponsors.

Since, according to the government, only 30% of Graduate visa holders are currently in jobs at RQF Level 6 or above, this route is also set to undergo some changes. The Graduate visa UK, which currently allows international students to remain for two years (or three for PhDs) after graduation, is facing notable restriction:

• The new proposed length is just 18 months for all graduates, regardless of degree level
   
• A tiered “Red/Amber/Green” compliance system will be introduced for universities — low-performing institutions may lose their ability to sponsor students
   
• A levy on international student tuition income is being considered to fund domestic training

The policy is expected to come into effect in late 2025 or early 2026. These changes, if enacted, could reduce the pool of job-ready graduates eligible for UK jobs with visa sponsorship, especially in smaller businesses and tech startups.

The UK Government acknowledges that the family migration system has become overly complex, with many decisions based on "exceptional circumstances" instead of clear rules. This undermines confidence in the immigration system.

The reform of family migration will aim to:

• Introduce a single, clear policy framework that will apply to all UK residents (British citizens, those with settled status, work visa holders, and refugees) wishing to sponsor family members.
   
• Include stricter relationship requirements to reduce fraud and forced marriage, while adding protections for victims of domestic abuse.
   
• Introduce stronger English language requirements for family dependants.
   
• Review and potentially extend financial requirements to more family routes to ensure dependants don’t rely on public funds.
   
• Uphold commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant for military personnel and their dependants.

Additional reforms will address:

• Tightening suitability rules (e.g., good character expectations).
   
• Aligning English language requirements for adult dependants with the changes proposed for other visa categories.
   
• Reducing reliance on Article 8 ECHR ("right to family life") exceptions, which currently lead to many court-based decisions.

The government has committed to releasing the new family migration policy by the end of 2025.

This replaces older proposals (such as the already implemented Minimum Income Requirement increase) and reflects the latest immigration reform efforts outlined in the May 2025 white paper.

The white paper proposes a fundamental overhaul of the path to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and British citizenship:

• For some immigration categories (not yet fully specified), the route to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) may be extended from 5 to 10 years.
   
• A new points-based system will be introduced for ILR — rewarding long-term contribution, employment, integration, and language proficiency
   
• This could push UK citizenship eligibility to 11–12 years in most cases
   

This is a major shift in the UK nationality process, aimed at ensuring only the most integrated and economically productive individuals settle permanently.

Amid the tightening of immigration controls, the UK government has committed to expanding access for the brightest and best through strategic enhancements to high-skilled immigration routes. According to the immigration white paper, this reflects a dual strategy: reducing reliance on low-skilled migration while attracting global talent that fuels UK economic growth and innovation.

Key improvements include:

• Increasing places on high-talent visa routes, including the Global Talent visa and High Potential Individual (HPI) visa, both of which offer fast-track access for individuals in strategic sectors like tech, design, and scientific research
   
• Expanding the number of research interns — especially in fields like Artificial Intelligence — who can enter the UK to support business innovation
   
• Simplifying the Innovator Founder visa, enabling entrepreneurial graduates from UK universities to build their startups and careers within the UK immigration framework
   
• Doubling the number of overseas workers that international companies can send to establish a UK presence under business expansion routes

Reviewing the HPI route to potentially double the number of qualifying global institutions while maintaining safeguards and targeting individuals who bring measurable benefit to the UK workforce

These enhancements reflect the UK’s commitment to remaining globally competitive. The white paper emphasises that global high-skilled talent is essential to supercharging strategic industries and reducing the UK’s long-term productivity gap.

We understand how unsettling immigration changes can be for employers and their sponsored employees, so we will keep you updated with any new developments as we know more – but for now:

• These proposals have not yet been enacted.
• We don’t yet have confirmed timelines.
• Existing visa holders and sponsors will likely be protected through transitional arrangements.

Nation.better is closely monitoring the situation to ensure you're always a step ahead.