10th June 2025 | Nelli Shevchenko | Immigration, Employment, Updates

Key developments in UK immigration law that could significantly affect employers, HR professionals, global mobility teams and business travellers - especially those managing visa sponsorship and international recruitment.

The White Paper and Immigration Reforms

On 12 May 2025, the UK government released a White Paper titled ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’ outlining significant proposals to reform the current immigration system. The document sets out a wide range of changes to key visa routes and general immigration requirements. Below is a summary of the most important proposed reforms:

Skilled Worker visa updates

The proposed changes to the Skilled Worker route focus on raising thresholds and tightening eligibility criteria.

  • Increase in the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC):
    The government proposes a 32% increase in the ISC, raising it from £1,000 to approximately £1,320 per year of sponsorship. Introduced in 2017, the ISC is a mandatory fee paid by UK employers when sponsoring skilled migrant workers. The funds are allocated to the Department for Education to support local workforce training, further education, and apprenticeships. In 2022/23, ISC revenue reached £553 million according to the Migration Advisory Committee Annual Report 2024.
  • Raising the Skills Threshold:
    The proposed shift to allow sponsorship of roles at RQF Level 6 (degree-level roles only) would make a significant number of jobs, estimated at over 170 occupations, ineligible for sponsorship. These roles could in theory be added to a new Temporary Shortage Occupation List, with the existing Immigration Salary List abolished, but the government claims the new list will be under constant review.
  • Increase in Salary Thresholds:
    Although not confirmed, there is speculation that the base salary requirement could rise to approximately £50,000, following the exclusion of lower-skilled jobs form sponsorship.
  • Closure of visa sponsorship for care workers:
    This route will close to new overseas senior care workers, though in-country extensions will be allowed until 2028. The change shifts pressure onto adult social care providers to rely on the domestic workforce, amid already stretched local authority budgets.

Extended settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)
The UKVI proposes an extension of the qualifying period for settlement from 5 to 10 years for all work visa routes. A move has raised alarm among migrants already on the pathway to ILR, because the UKVI has not confirmed that it will not include existing visa holders. At the same time, the government indicated that faster settlement routes may be available for individuals who make significant economic or societal contributions. There will be consultations over this proposal during 2025, so we expect the new legislation to be in place by spring 2026.

Graduate visa update
The Graduate Visa duration is planned to be reduced from 24 months to 18 months. The government argues that graduates should transition more quickly into higher-skilled roles, because in practice many currently take up lower-skilled jobs.

Student Visa compliance for sponsors
Proposed changes include:

  • Introduction of a levy on higher education provider income from international students, to be reinvested into the UK’s higher education sector.
  • Stricter compliance requirements for universities, including enhanced monitoring of student attendance and course completion rates.

Other economic routes
To support innovation and economic growth, the White Paper proposes enhancements to various business immigration routes:

  • Expansion of research internship schemes, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
  • Extension of the Global Talent Visa to include more scientific and design professionals.
  • Extend Innovator Founder visa options to support university-based entrepreneurs.
  • Doubling of the Expansion Worker licence sponsorship quota for companies establishing a UK presence.
  • Broadening eligibility for the High Potential Individual (HPI) route to include graduates from more global institutions.

General Immigration Requirements
Several overarching changes are also proposed:

  • Higher English language requirements:
    • Main applicants for certain work visas may need to meet a B2 CEFR level of English, which is currently set at B1.
    • New English language requirement to be introduced for dependents starting at A1 CEFR level.
  • Stricter compliance rules for employers and educational sponsors, who should expect to face tighter scrutiny and enforcement.
  • Digital transformation of border control. The UK will continue implementing its Digital Border initiative, including the rollout of contactless eGates, ending issuing vignettes and passport collection at Visa Application Centres (VACs) for key visa routes. Indeed, UKVI latest eVisa guidance update on 9 June 2025 confirmed that UK visa vignettes will no longer be issued by UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) after June 11, 2025. Instead, UKVI will require a UKVI account and digital immigration status (eVisas) for travel to the UK. This change applies to all visa categories, including student, work, and other visas.

These proposals signal a decisive shift in UK immigration policy toward higher-skilled migration and stricter controls, while also aiming to invest more in domestic talent development. The government is expected to open a consultation period before finalising any legislative changes later in 2025.

Tech Nation to remain the Endorsing Body for Global Talent visa in technology

Following over 2 years of uncertainty, Tech Nation confirmed they are to remain the Government approved authority for Digital Technology endorsements for Global Talent visa applicants for further 3 years. They are expected to continue endorsing Global Talent applicants in the digital technology sector, and it remains to be seen whether the process will change as a result of new contract with the UKVI.

Youth Mobility Scheme can include EU nationals

The UK Government is exploring possibility of expanding Youth Mobility Scheme to EU countries as part of the recent EU-UK trade deal.
The scheme allows young people to spend up to 2 (or 3) years in countries participating in the program. The UK has currently reciprocal Youth Mobility agreements with Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino and Urugay. A similar scheme is in place with India that is limited by ballot and higher healthcare charge.
The European Union and the UK has agreed in principle to further co-operate on the Scheme which would allow young British and EU citizens to freely travel and work in the respective countries for a time-limited period.

Biometric UK visa appointments in Russia

Visa applicants applying from Russia keep experiencing a shortage of biometric appointment slots. Applicants are unable to secure appointments in any VFS locations in Russia which significantly delays visa processing times. Those applying from Russia can expect a long wait to secure the appointment and where possible, consider applying from another location.

BRP and eVisa deadline on 1 June 2025

The grace period for using BRP card for travelling overseas ends on 1 June 2025. From this date, individuals traveling to the UK can no longer rely on expired BRP cards for international travel and must produce an eVisa to prove their right to enter the UK. The UKVI still advises to keep your expired BRP card as it may help with future applications to stay in the UK, and it can also still be used for generating share codes within the UK as a proof of rent or right to work.

As of April 2025 data, over 4 million people had successfully created a UKVI account to access their eVisa. This still leaves an estimated 550,000 immigration status holders who need to create a UKVI account. We therefore advise all those who have a UK visa to register for eVisa account with their passport as soon as possible.

Ecctis & overseas qualifications assessment

The UKVI has announced new updated services provided by Ecctis Ltd under a new contract effective from 1 May 2025. Eccits is a UKVI appointed body to conduct assessments of overseas qualifications for visa and nationality applications. The process now includes identity check for applicants and direct contact with educational institutions.

The assessment time has increased to 20 working days and expedited priority services are no longer available. The enhanced services include closer examination of overseas qualifications with as direct qualification verification. There will also be an automatic closure of application if awarding institution does not respond to Ecctis. Applicants are strongly advised to contact their awarding institution before applying. If the institution fails to verify an applicant’s qualification to Ecctis within 20 working days, the application will be closed automatically.

Applicants looking to file a visa application with a language or qualification requirement must allow sufficient time for assessment or seek alternative ways to meet the criteria, such as passing an English test instead of relying on the degree.

UK immigration department at Sherrards supports and educates their clients on the UK right to work and other UK immigration compliance regulations. If you have questions about your UK immigration compliance, please reach out to your usual Sherrards contact, or reach out to Nelli Shevchenko directly.

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