UK immigration rule changes
The changes since the 2025 white paper and what is still planned, in one place.
Rules and fees checked against gov.uk on 8 November 2026. Page updated 8 November 2026. How we check our guides.
The government's white paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, set out the largest package of changes to work and settlement routes since the points-based system began. Some took effect within weeks; others are arriving through later statements of changes, and some were still at consultation when this page was reviewed. This page keeps the whole picture in one place. The date at the top tells you when we last checked it.
In force
| Change | From | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker skill level raised to RQF 6 | 22 July 2025 | Around 180 occupations at RQF 3 to 5 closed to new applicants unless on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. People already sponsored in those roles can extend and change employer. |
| Higher salary thresholds | 22 July 2025 | The general threshold and going rates rose to the latest earnings data. The new-entrant and other discounts remain. |
| Care worker and senior care worker routes closed to overseas applicants | 22 July 2025 | No new Certificates of Sponsorship for SOC 6135 and 6136 to applicants outside the UK. In-country switching allowed until 22 July 2028 for people who have worked three months for the sponsor. |
| Temporary Shortage List | 22 July 2025 | A time-limited list of RQF 3 to 5 roles the Migration Advisory Committee judges critical; roles on it have no dependants and no Immigration Salary List discount. |
| Immigration Skills Charge raised | Late 2025 | The charge rose by about a third, its first increase since 2017; the figures on our fees page are the pre-increase amounts if they have not yet been updated there. |
| English raised to B2 for Skilled Workers | 8 January 2026 | Main applicants need upper-intermediate English; the previous B1 standard no longer suffices for new applications. |
| English requirement for adult dependants | 8 January 2026 | Partners of Skilled Workers need A1 at first application, A2 to extend and B2 at settlement, matching the family route. |
| Graduate visa cut to 18 months | 1 January 2027 | Applications made on or after this date get 18 months instead of 2 years; PhD graduates keep 3 years. |
Proposed, not yet in force
- A ten-year standard qualifying period for settlement. The white paper proposed doubling the usual five years to ten, with an "earned settlement" model that lets people who contribute more, through earnings, skills or public service, qualify sooner. A consultation on the design, including whether it applies to people already in the UK, ran through late 2025 and the government had not published rules when this page was reviewed. Until it does, the five-year routes described in our ILR guide are unchanged.
- Citizenship aligned to the new settlement period, with a similar earned model.
- A review of the family route's minimum income requirement, following the Migration Advisory Committee's June 2025 report recommending a figure between about £23,000 and £25,000. The £29,000 figure remains in force.
- A levy on universities' international fee income, and tighter compliance standards for student sponsors.
- A youth experience scheme with the EU, agreed in principle in May 2025, with no opening date.
What this means if you are already here
Immigration rule changes normally apply to applications made on or after the date they take effect, not to people already holding a visa, and most of the 2025 work-route changes included transitional protection for existing Skilled Workers. The settlement change is the exception that worries people most, because it has been floated as applying to people part way through their five years. Nothing had been decided when this page was reviewed. If you are within a year or two of qualifying, getting your Life in the UK test and English certificate done now means you can apply the moment you are eligible, whatever the rules turn out to be.