The UK Government has today published its immigration white paper, ‘Restoring Control Over the Immigration System’.
The paper outlines a series of proposals intended to reduce net migration and reshape access to work routes, with a headline focus on raising skill thresholds and curbing lower-paid migration.
The removal of care workers from sponsorship eligibility and the tightening of post-study work rights have attracted particular attention and appear designed to signal a tougher stance in response to public pressure and recent electoral gains by Reform UK.
However, beneath the rhetoric, the white paper maintains, and in some areas seeks to strengthen, routes for high-skilled and high-earning individuals. Enhancements to the Global Talent and Innovator Founder visas, expanded pathways for research and scientific talent and continued access for graduate-level skilled workers suggest that the system remains open to those viewed as economically beneficial to the UK.
For employers, the implications are twofold. Some sectors, such as social care, construction and hospitality, face immediate barriers to overseas recruitment. Others, including tech, R&D and finance, may benefit from simplified access to global talent.
What seems to be emerging is a system increasingly shaped by political optics and public sentiment, rather than solely by labour market needs; a reality many industry groups have already come out and criticised as short-sighted and economically damaging.
This guide sets out key changes that UK employers need to know about the proposed reforms, the likely timeframes for implementation and the steps organisations should take now to prepare.
Skilled Worker Visa Reforms
The Government intends to raise the minimum skill threshold for sponsored workers to RQF Level 6, which is equivalent to degree level. Salary thresholds will be increased, although specific figures have not yet been confirmed.
The Immigration Salary List, which currently allows some roles to qualify at lower pay levels, will be abolished. A new Temporary Shortage List will be put in place for roles below RQF Level 6, and access to those roles will require a workforce strategy and Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) review.
Employers that rely on roles below degree level will face new challenges in accessing international candidates. Care, construction and hospitality are likely to be among the most affected sectors.
Roles at RQF Level 6 and above will still be eligible, but could also face future restrictions if over-reliance is identified.
The changes are expected to take effect from 2026 following consultation and formal review by the MAC.
Labour Market Evidence Group
A new body will be created to assess the state of the labour market. The Labour Market Evidence Group will gather data and provide advice to government on where immigration should be permitted to address genuine shortages.
The Group will work alongside sector bodies and other departments to ensure that immigration decisions reflect the real needs of the UK workforce.
The group is expected to begin work later in 2025. Employers should look to engage with their industry bodies to ensure that their workforce needs are accurately represented.
Closure of Overseas Recruitment for Social Care Roles
The Health and Care Worker visa will no longer be available for frontline social care positions. As such, employers will no longer be able to recruit new care workers from abroad under this route.
Care workers already in the UK under this visa may continue working and can apply to extend their stay or switch to another visa. Transitional arrangements will remain in place until 2028, during which time a long-term workforce strategy is expected to be introduced.
Employers in the care sector face a significant reduction in access to overseas labour and will effectively be forced to increase efforts to recruit and train staff from within the UK.
Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) Increase
The Immigration Skills Charge will be increased for the first time since it was introduced in 2017. The new rates reflect inflation and will apply as follows:
* For small or charitable sponsors: £480 for the first 12 months and £240 for each additional 6-month period.
* For medium or large sponsors: £1,320 for the first 12 months and £660 for each additional 6-month period.
The increased charge will raise the cost of sponsoring skilled workers. Employers will need to factor this into workforce budgets, particularly where several roles are being filled through sponsorship.
The Government has not yet confirmed when the new rates will take effect, but the change is expected to apply from the 2025–26 financial year.
Graduate Route Shortened to 18 Months
The post-study Graduate visa, which allows international graduates to remain in the UK and work without sponsorship, will be reduced from two years to 18 months.
Employers who rely on this route to recruit recent graduates will therefore have less time before the individual must switch to a sponsored visa. Universities and business groups have raised concerns that the change may make UK higher education less attractive to overseas students.
The policy is expected to come into effect in late 2025 or early 2026.
Enhancements to High-Skilled Routes
The white paper sets out plans to improve visa routes aimed at attracting individuals with strong academic, research or business credentials.
The Global Talent and Innovator Founder routes will be reviewed and simplified. More places will be made available for international research interns. New support measures will be introduced to attract professionals in design and scientific fields.
These reforms are expected to benefit employers in technology, life sciences, academia and start-up sectors by making it easier to recruit specialist talent.
The High Potential Individual route for international graduates is also set to be expanded, with the aim of doubling the number of qualifying universities.
Details are expected before the end of 2025.
Sponsor Compliance and Enforcement
The Government plans to tighten sponsor compliance rules. Sponsors that are considered to be at risk of failing their duties will be placed on improvement plans and may have limits placed on how many new workers or students they can recruit while under review.
Digital tracking of visa holders will also be expanded. Sponsors could face penalties or sanctions if migrants breach visa conditions and the sponsor is found to have contributed to non-compliance.
Employers should carry out internal audits of their sponsorship systems to avoid enforcement action.
These changes are likely to be introduced gradually from 2025 onwards.
English Language Requirements
English language requirements will be strengthened across a wider range of visa categories, with main applicants and their dependants expected to meet higher standards of spoken and written English. Visa applicants may also be asked to demonstrate that their English skills improve over time.
Employers should ensure that recruitment processes take account of language requirements when considering overseas candidates.
The changes are expected to apply from 2025 or 2026.
Family Migration Reform
The Government intends to reform the current family and private life immigration framework, which it considers to be inefficient, inconsistent and vulnerable to abuse.
At present, there are multiple routes for family members and dependants, each with different eligibility rules depending on the visa held by the sponsor, such as those on work, study, charity and protection routes. The Government believes that too many applications are being treated as exceptional cases due to the absence of a clear, consistent framework.
A new policy on family migration is due to be set out before the end of 2025. The revised rules will apply to all UK residents, including British citizens, settled individuals, workers and refugees. The Government stats the updated approach will include clearer relationship requirements to ensure that only those in genuine, lasting relationships qualify. Measures will also aim to reduce forced marriage and support those who have experienced domestic abuse.
Applicants will be expected to demonstrate a suitable level of English to help support integration into local communities. The financial requirements will be reviewed and may be extended to more dependant categories to ensure that families are able to support themselves without relying on public funds. There will be specific safeguards for current and former members of the Armed Forces and their families, in line with the Armed Forces Covenant.
While the full policy is being developed, interim measures are being introduced. The Migration Advisory Committee has been asked to review the financial thresholds that apply to family routes. The Government also plans to review and tighten the suitability criteria, to ensure applicants meet expected standards of conduct.
Settlement and Citizenship Reforms
The minimum residency period required to apply for settlement will be extended from five years to ten. A points-based model for early settlement or citizenship will be introduced, whereby points will be awarded for factors such as tax contributions, employment in public services or participation in community life.
For employers with sponsored staff hoping to remain in the UK permanently, these changes will affect both recruitment propositions and long-term workforce planning.
Further details are expected before the end of 2025.
DMS perspective – shift in tone but not a new system
At first glance, the White Paper suggests a major reset. The language is bold, with talk of restoring control and ending what the government calls a “free market experiment” in overseas recruitment. No doubt this is in direct response to the recent gains made by the Reform Party.
The shift will be felt most in sectors that have relied heavily on overseas recruitment into lower-paid or mid-skilled jobs. Adult social care is the clearest example, with the closure of the care worker route likely to cause disruption in an already stretched workforce. Hospitality, warehousing, food processing and parts of construction may also struggle, particularly where roles don’t meet the new skill level or fall below revised salary thresholds. For these employers, the emphasis will now fall on domestic hiring, training plans and long-term workforce development.
However, in many cases, these routes had only been open to many of these job roles for a relatively short amount of time.
In reality, and beyond the strong rhetoric, much of what is proposed takes the system back to how sponsorship has historically worked. The Skilled Worker route was always meant to support higher-skilled, graduate-level roles. Raising the qualification threshold to RQF Level 6 doesn’t introduce a new principle, it’s just reaffirming what’s been in place before.
Overall then, the day-to-day reality of overseas recruitment is unlikely to become much different for most employers. The sponsorship system remains in place and open to those who can show that roles meet the eligibility rules and that candidates have the right qualifications and experience. This means providing comprehensive evidence, covering job descriptions, salary levels, contractual arrangements and documentation for each sponsored worker.
Implications for Employers
While the 2025 immigration white paper combines tough messaging on migration, it also puts forward policy adjustments allowing for highly skilled international recruitment. The loss of access to overseas care workers and tighter controls over lower-paid roles will present challenges, but the Government is also enhancing routes for global talent that support growth in strategic sectors.
Employers should act now to review their recruitment plans, assess compliance procedures and prepare for a more selective and regulated sponsorship system. Contact us to discuss your organisation’s response to the changes.
View the full white paper here >
Author
Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.
She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.
Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals
