Plain-English summaries of every UKVI policy change, salary update and immigration rule amendment. Bookmark this page and check back regularly.
One of the most operationally significant changes in recent years came into effect on 8 April 2026: sponsors can no longer use annual salary averages to meet the Skilled Worker salary threshold.
Previously, if a worker received an irregular salary (e.g. overtime-heavy months alongside lower months), an employer could argue the annual average met the £41,700 threshold even if individual pay periods fell short. That flexibility is now gone.
Failure to comply with salary requirements can result in suspension or revocation of your sponsor licence. Employers should review all sponsored workers' contracts now.
A major eligibility change came into force on 8 January 2026 for all new Skilled Worker, Scale-up and High Potential Individual visa applications:
This change does not apply to existing visa holders simply extending their visa for the same employer and role, provided the role itself still meets the threshold. Note: the minimum skill level was separately raised to RQF Level 6 back on 22 July 2025 — see the article below.
Source: GOV.UK Skilled Worker Visa
Regulations increasing the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) came into force in December 2025. The charge for medium and large employers increased from £1,000 to £1,320 per year for each sponsored worker. Small and charitable employers pay £660 per year (up from £500).
The ISC is charged per year, per worker, and must be paid upfront by the employer when assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship. A worker sponsored for 5 years will therefore cost a large employer £6,600 in ISC alone, before visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Two significant rule changes took effect simultaneously on 22 July 2025:
Separately, the government's May 2025 immigration white paper proposed extending the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) qualifying period from 5 to 10 years for most routes ("earned settlement"). This proposal is not yet in force — a consultation closed in February 2026, but as of June 2026 no Statement of Changes implementing it has been laid before Parliament. The current ILR qualifying period remains 5 years. See our settlement & ILR guide for the up-to-date position.
Source: House of Commons Library — Changes to UK visa and settlement rules
The minimum salary floor for the Health and Care Worker visa, and for certain lower-rate occupations on the Immigration Salary List, was raised to £25,000 per year (or the going rate if higher) around this time. This figure is specific to those routes — it is not a universal floor across every Skilled Worker discount. New entrants and PhD-level roles on the standard route have their own separate floors of £33,400 and £37,500 respectively; see our salary thresholds guide for the full breakdown.
This change affected the care sector particularly hard, with many roles historically at the lower end of the salary scale now requiring a higher guaranteed minimum pay.
The Temporary Shortage List (TSL) came into force on 22 July 2025, giving a limited number of sub-degree (RQF 3–5) shortage occupations a route onto the Skilled Worker visa despite the higher RQF 6 skill-level requirement. It sits alongside the existing Immigration Salary List (ISL), which lists "going rate" discounts for shortage roles that do meet the skill threshold. Key points:
Employers and applicants relying on shortage designation should not assume a role will remain on either list. Check the current lists regularly.
Source: Immigration Salary List (GOV.UK)
Immigration rules change frequently. We update this page whenever a significant policy change occurs. Bookmark it and check back regularly — or contact us if you'd like to be notified of major updates.