RWK Goodman - Immigration Bulletin July 2025

Following the government’s White Paper published on 25 March this year detailing significant reforms to the business immigration system, details have been confirmed about the first of these reforms due to come into effect on 22 July 2025. As expected, these changes will have significant implications to care providers who rely on the ability to sponsor migrant workers trough the Skilled Worker route.

Ending of sponsorship from overseas

The most immediate change is that from 22 July, care providers will no loner be able to sponsor care workers or senior care workers directly from aboard. Providers will still be able to sponsor individuals if they are already in the UK and are changing employers. Care providers will also be able to switch existing workers over to the skilled worker route and extend the permissions of existing workers by issuing new undefined certificates of sponsorship as long as they have been employed for at least three months. However this ability will be come to an end on 22 July 2028, from which point the skilled worker route will no longer apply for care staff.

Right to Indefinite leave to remain

This may well have serious implications for individuals looking to build up their residency in order to acquire indefinite leave to remain. The government White Paper outlines plans to extend this qualification period from five years to ten years. Whilst there is currently no indication whether or not this will apply to individuals already on the qualification route, if the rule change is essentially retroactive and the ability to extend visas remains limited to five years, there will be some sponsored workers who came to the UK after July 2023 and will not be able to reach this new ten year qualification period.

Increase in skill requirement

The upcoming changes include an increase in the minimum skill level for sponsored workers from the current RQF Level 3 (A Level equivalent) to RQF Level 6 (graduate level). This brings the minimum skill level back up to what it was prior to 2020 when jobs at RQF Levels 3-5 were allowed into the fold of eligible occupations for sponsorship. Thankfully, exceptions are being made for certain roles at levels 3-5 by virtue of their being placed on either the new Temporary Shortage Occupation List or the Immigration Salary List. Both care worker and senior care worker roles will be on the Immigration Salary List until 22 July 2028.

Salary increases

Whilst the upcoming changes involve increases in salary for hundreds of occupations, there is good news that these increases will not affect sponsored care workers or senior care workers who will continue to be subject to the minimum salary required for sponsorship at the higher of £25,000 per annum and £12.82 per hour. This is by virtue of them remaining on the Immigration Salary List

Consulting with pool of displaced workers

Because of the ending of the right to sponsor care staff directly from overseas, and because switching existing employees over to the skilled worker route is only permissible for workers employed for a least three months, employers will no longer be required to consult with the pool of displaced overseas workers before they issue fresh certificates of sponsorship.

Take Aways

It is worth noting that these changes have been announced with little in the way of notice and with a significant degree of uncertainty over how consequential they will be to the care sector (as well as the larger UK workforce). The government have stated that whilst the right of licence holders to sponsor in country through undefined certificates of sponsorship remains (for the care sector, only until July 2028), these plans are being kept under review. Further changes may well be announced in the near future both in terms of the above reforms and the wider plans as outlined in the White Paper.

Sponsored employers are reminded that if they have immediate plans to sponsor workers from overseas, they need to have this process complete before 22 July.