On 12 March 2025, the UK government published a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, introducing several significant amendments:
Care workers
Changes to the skilled worker route will affect care and senior care workers in England. Sponsors must now prioritise recruiting care workers from the existing UK workforce before sponsoring individuals from overseas. Employers will need to demonstrate that no suitable candidates were available domestically before proceeding with sponsorship.
These changes aim to reduce exploitation and ensure better protection for care workers. However, the question arises as to how this will be monitored.
Minimum salary threshold
Minimum salary bottom line threshold will be increasing from £23,200 (£11.90ph) to £25,000 per annum (£12.82ph). This annual adjustment is based on the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) to align with UK wage trends. This change does not come as a surprise given the increase to National Minimum Wage from April 2025.
The going rates for all individual occupations in healthcare and education will be updated based on national pay scales to reflect current salary structures. Other occupations are updated only to align with the new £25,000 minimum salary floor.
UKVI’s crackdown on sponsorship costs
The rule relating to deductions from a sponsored workers salary means that deductions from salary for immigration costs will now be subtracted from salary calculations.
This ensures paid allowances are treated consistently, prevents sponsorship costs being passed onto workers, and closes an unintended loophole whereby applicants could effectively pay towards their own salary through investing in their sponsor’s business.
Visitor visa - Trinidad and Tobago
Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago could previously apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) before travelling to the UK for business/tourism. They have been removed from the non-visa national list meaning they now need to apply for visitor visas (from 12 March 2025). Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago must now apply for a visitor visa in advance of their travel to the UK.
More information on the changes.
This insight is co-authored by Solicitor, Anisa Hussain. anisa.hussain@weightmans.com
To understand what this means for your business, contact the Weightman’s Immigration Team.
