Press Release
The UK Government announced a significant update to its immigration policy, publishing new rules on sponsored jobs and salaries that aim to redefine the hiring process for foreign workers, effective from 22 July 2025. According to the new policy, the Statement of Changes (HC 997), which was presented before the Parliament on 1 July, increases the minimum skill and pay requirements for the Skilled Worker route.
The spokesperson said, “We are making sure that UK firms attract competent individuals while encouraging investment in the development of the domestic workforce by strengthening graduate-level requirements and expanding salary bands. The announcement supports continued efforts to maintain the highly esteemed UK Visa system while continuing to attract vital global expertise.”
The first significant change is that the policy raises the competence requirement from level 3 to RQF level 6, which is equivalent to a graduate degree. About 180 jobs, primarily non-graduate positions, will no longer be automatically eligible for sponsorship as a result of this change. We are focusing our attention on highly skilled migrants. These changes are in line with new UK tourist visa rules that prioritize vital skills over quantity,” the spokesperson added.
He continued, “The minimum pay for skilled workers in general has increased from £38,700 to £41,700. Specialized pay categories are updated to reflect the following changes: £33,400 for STEM PhDs and new hires, £31,300 for legacy-sponsored posts, and £37,500 for PhD roles. Employers must act swiftly to meet UK visa requirements before the changes are implemented.”
“The current Immigration Salary List will be divided into two separate pipelines – a Temporary Shortage List (TSL) and an expanded interim Immigration Salary List. The latter targets RQF 3 to 5 roles that are essential to the industrial policy of the United Kingdom. It is permitted to hire people for jobs like lab technicians, IT support, and creative arts roles until the end of 2026. There will be a major change in family rights under the route, where holders of UK Visit visa will no longer be allowed to bring dependents,” emphasised the spokesperson.
He further added, “Employers are urged to conduct an immediate evaluation of their hiring and sponsorship strategies to cope with the post-22 July environment. Specifically, they ought to:
• Expedite Certificate of Sponsorship assignments to benefit from existing thresholds.
• Increase salary offers in line with the new minimums.
• Verify adherence to training and workforce planning regulations.
• Prepare for the expiry of transitional protections by the end of 2026.”
“This announcement marks a transformative moment. Under the present regulations, affected visa holders will still be able to change jobs or extend their stay as long as their CoS is assigned before July 22. “
