UK Immigration Changes 2026: Employer Guide

uk immigration changes 2026: employer guide

  8 January 2026: Higher English Language Threshold   From 8 January 2026, the English language threshold for first time applicants under Skilled Worker, Scale up and High Potential Individual is expected to increase from B1 to B2. Transitional treatment generally turns on the date the application is submitted, so late submission can shift a […]

Increase in Immigration Skills Charge from 16 Dec 2025

immigration skills charge

  Immigration Skills Charge Increase from 16 December 2025   The Immigration Skills Charge is a mandatory fee paid by most UK employers when sponsoring overseas workers under either the Skilled Worker or the Global Business Mobility Senior or Specialist Worker visa routes. The charge is paid up front when a Certificate of Sponsorship is […]

MAC Report December 2025: Skilled Worker Visas & UK Tax

MAC review

  Section A: MAC Report December 2025   The Migration Advisory Committee’s report on the fiscal impact of immigration is a technical assessment of how immigration interacts with the UK’s public finances, and it is written for policymakers who increasingly justify immigration rules through economic and fiscal outcomes. For employers who rely on the Skilled […]

British Born Children of Migrants: New Deportation Rules

British-born children of migrant parents

  British-born children policy update   The new asylum and returns plan confirms a harder line on families with no right to stay in the UK, including children born here to parents without secure status. Ministers have now been clear that where a family’s claim fails, removal will normally cover the whole family unit, including […]

Shabana Mahmood: UK Immigration Overhaul

ilr timeline

  Overview of the ILR Changes for UK Settlement   The Earned Settlement proposals are outlined the document ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: A statement and accompanying consultation on earned settlement‘ published today, 20 November 2025. A public consultation runs until 12 February 2026 and no rules have changed yet. The core proposal is to […]

UK Immigration Asylum Reforms Published

asylum reforms uk

  Section A: UK Asylum Reforms Published   The new asylum reforms will usher in a new framework, replacing stable long-term protection with a rolling and conditional model, reducing access to support, tightening human rights routes, accelerating removals and binding right to work enforcement into the wider system. These reforms sit across refugee protection, asylum […]

UK to Model Denmark Immigration System

Denmark Immigration System

  Proposals for UK Immigration Reform   The Home Secretary has now trailed a number of headline reforms to UK asylum and protection, although the full legislative package has not yet been published. Mahmood reportedly dispatched senior Home Office officials to Denmark last month, under instruction to examine the Danish approach to border management, refugee […]

UK Immigration Rules Changes from 11 November 2025

immigration rules

  Part Suitability replaces Part 9   From today Part 9 is deleted and replaced in full by Part Suitability. Application refusal and cancellation grounds now sit in one place and routes point to this document for both suitability and any overstayer exceptions. Paragraph 39E is moved into Part Suitability so the overstayer disregard is […]

UK eVisa Rollout Expands from 30 Oct 2025

eVisa

The Home Office is expanding its eVisa system across most major immigration routes, replacing the physical visa vignette for successful applicants in the work, study, family and Indefinite Leave to Enter categories. From 30 October 2025, those granted permission under these routes will no longer receive a visa sticker in their passport but will instead […]

Stage 2 Temporary Shortage List Review Now Open

temporary shortage list

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has entered Stage 2 of its review of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL), with evidence submissions now open until 2 February 2026. The review forms part of the post-July 2025 Skilled Worker visa reforms and will directly influence which medium-skill occupations can continue to access the lower salary threshold and […]