The UK Government has introduced a raft of reforms to the Skilled Worker visa route, effective from 9 April 2025, that will significantly impact both employers and prospective applicants. These changes follow the publication of the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 733) in March 2025 and represent one of the most substantial policy updates in recent years.
In this blog, we explore the key updates on the Skilled Worker visa route and what they mean for employers, applicants, and care sector recruiters.
Overview of Changes in Skilled Worker Visa Route
From 9 April 2025, several structural and procedural amendments have been introduced to the Skilled Worker visa route. These include:
- Increased minimum salary thresholds across all occupations.
- Stricter rules on salary deductions and new restrictions on how qualifying salaries are calculated.
- A new mandatory recruitment requirement for sponsors hiring care workers in England.
- Professional Qualifications ‘new entrant’ salary discounts to UK qualifications only.
- Changes in salary calculations, especially where applicants invest in their own sponsoring business.
While some of these adjustments are framed as fairer pay initiatives, others are clearly aimed at closing perceived loopholes in the system.
Changes in Salary Requirements for Skilled Worker Visa Route
One of the most notable adjustments in the skilled worker visa route is the increase in the general salary threshold.
From 9 April 2025, the minimum salary threshold has risen from £23,200 per annum (£11.90/hour) to £25,000 per annum (£12.82/hour).
In addition to this, the occupation-specific ‘going rates’, the standard salary for particular roles, have also been revised using the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data. Employers must ensure they meet the higher of the two thresholds: the general threshold or the occupation’s going rate.
While some of these changes only apply to newly sponsored workers, others will also affect those seeking settlement under the Skilled Worker visa route, especially if their previous sponsorship relied on lower thresholds or roles on the now-defunct Shortage Occupation List.
Recruitment in the Health and Care Sector
The care sector continues to face scrutiny amid concerns around worker exploitation and sponsorship misuse. From 9 April 2025, new rules apply to the recruitment of care workers and senior care workers under the Skilled Worker visa route.
Before sponsoring a new overseas care worker, employers must first demonstrate that they have attempted to recruit from within the UK, specifically from a pool of displaced care workers whose sponsorship has ended (e.g. due to licence revocation or insufficient work hours).
Employers must engage with the relevant regional or sub-regional care partnership and obtain confirmation that no suitable candidates were available before turning to overseas recruitment.
Exceptions apply for individuals already working in the UK as care or senior care workers who:
- Are applying from within the UK and were previously sponsored in this role; or
- Have lawfully worked for the same sponsor in the care worker SOC codes for at least three months before the new application.
This new requirement is designed to prioritise the rehiring of resident care workers and reduce churn and vulnerability in the sector.
Changes in Salary Calculations
A crucial policy shift concerns how salaries are calculated to meet the immigration rules.
For any Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned on or after 9 April 2025, the Home Office will exclude certain deductions from the salary figure when assessing whether the worker meets the minimum threshold. This new rule now requires that these deductions be discounted from the sponsored worker’s annual salary when assessing whether the salary requirement is met, spread over the number of years of sponsorship.
Specifically, deductions or payments made by the worker to the employer (or associated entity) will be discounted if they are:
- Salary deductions for business or immigration costs;
- Repayments of loans to the employer;
- Investments into the sponsoring business.
These exclusions are intended to prevent “salary inflation” through artificial arrangements, such as self-investment or repayment plans, used to meet salary thresholds.
On the other hand, genuine employee benefits such as voluntary salary sacrifice schemes or standard deductions that offer a clear benefit (e.g. cycle-to-work schemes) may still be permitted, provided they are compliant with employment law and offered widely across the organisation.
Sponsors must now ensure that any deductions or financial arrangements do not bring the effective salary below the required level, or they risk non-compliance with sponsor duties.
Impact on Self-Sponsored Visa Applicants
These reforms inadvertently impact the growing trend of “self-sponsorship”, where individuals establish or invest in UK companies to sponsor themselves under the Skilled Worker visa route.
From 09 April 2025, investments and payments made by an applicant into the business sponsoring them will no longer count toward the salary threshold. This change effectively closes the self-sponsorship loophole that allowed applicants to “pay their own salary” to meet visa requirements.
Businesses relying on self-sponsorship models must now demonstrate genuine operational need, financial viability, and compliance with salary obligations without contributions from the visa applicant alone. This marks a significant tightening of the rules and may force self-sponsoring entrepreneurs to reconsider alternative visa routes instead of the skilled worker visa route, such as the Innovator Founder route.
New Entrant Professional Qualification route Salary Discount changes
The ‘new entrant’ route, offering a lower salary threshold for those at the start of their careers when undertaking training for a recognised professional qualification, has also been amended.
From 9 April 2025, only individuals undertaking a UK-recognised professional qualification will be eligible for this discount. Those training or qualifying through non-UK programmes will no longer qualify.
This move reinforces the government’s intention to promote UK-based professional development and prevent abuse of the new entrant discount by individuals undertaking unrelated or overseas qualifications. All other discounted criteria for a new entrant continue to apply.
Surge in Work Visa Fees
The UK visa fees, including skilled worker visa route fees, are increasing from 9 April 2025. From this date, the fees for skilled worker visa route are as follows:
- Skilled Worker (3 years or less): £719 to £769
- Skilled Worker (over 3 years): £1,420 to £1,519
- Health & Care Worker (3 years or less): £284 to £304
- Health & Care Worker (over 3 years): £551 to £590
- Senior or Specialist Worker (up to 3 years): £719 to £769
- Senior or Specialist Worker (more than 3 years): £1,420 to £1,519
Final Thoughts
The changes introduced from 9 April 2025 represent a significant overhaul of the Skilled Worker visa route. While aimed at improving fairness, market alignment, and integrity within the system, these reforms present new challenges for both employers and visa applicants.
Organisations must review their sponsorship processes and salary structures carefully, while prospective applicants should assess how these changes affect their eligibility.
If you’re unsure about how these changes might impact your Skilled Worker visa route application or sponsorship licence, our immigration specialists are here to help. Contact us today for tailored advice or sign up for our updates to stay ahead of further developments.
