What is being done and why? Changes to the Skilled Worker and other work routes as set out in the Immigration White Paper Skills and salary thresholds Skilled Worker applicants must be sponsored for a job in an occupation skilled to Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 3 or above. The threshold relates to the skill level of the occupation, rather than any qualifications held by an applicant. The threshold was lowered from RQF level 6 in Immigration Rules changes made in 2020 (HC 813 [footnote 4]), in part to help businesses adapt to the ending of free movement between the UK and EU. Since then, as set out in the Immigration White Paper, growth in visa numbers, and concerns about exploitation of overseas recruits, have been particularly seen in occupations below RQF level 6. These changes therefore lift the threshold for Skilled Workers back to RQF level 6. This change means a reduction of around 180 eligible occupations. Skilled Worker applicants will continue to be able to be sponsored in these occupations only if they are already in the route (or have been sponsored for an application which is later successful) when the changes come into effect, or where an occupation is on the Immigration Salary List or on the new interim Temporary Shortage list. Routine updates to salary requirements across the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility and Scale-up routes are being made, in line with the latest (2024) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data, published by the Office for National Statistics. This is standard practice to ensure salary requirements continue to reflect the latest pay situation for UK workers, however only a minimal update was made in Immigration Rules changes in April 2025 (HC 733[footnote 5]), due to the forthcoming Immigration White Paper. These changes make the remainder of the standard update to general salary thresholds and going rates for individual occupations. To reflect these changes, Appendix Skilled Occupations has been restructured, so that it now presents the eligible occupations and updated going rates in separate tables for occupations at RQF level 6+ (Tables 1, 2 and 3) and occupations at RQF levels 3-5 (Tables 1a, 2aa and 3a). Corrections are also being made to Agenda for Change salary rates in Scotland (Table 4). For now, transitional arrangements in this Statement of Changes exempt workers who are already in the Skilled Worker route (or have been sponsored for an application which is later successful) when the changes come into effect from the increase to the skill threshold. As set out in the Immigration White Paper, this enables existing Skilled Worker visa holders to continue to renew their visas, change employment and take supplementary employment, in occupations below RQF level 6. These transitional arrangements will not be in place indefinitely and will be reviewed in due course. There are no transitional arrangements relating to the updates to salary requirements. This is also standard practice, as the pay of sponsored workers is expected to generally progress at the same rate as the pay of other workers in the UK, on which the ASHE data are based. As set out in the Immigration White Paper, the Government will commission the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a thorough review of salary requirements (including discounts). Any decision about transitional arrangements relating to that review will be made after the MAC have made their recommendations and should not be inferred from this Statement of Changes. Immigration Salary List and Temporary Shortage List The Immigration Salary List contains occupations eligible for Skilled Worker visas which the MAC have identified as having labour shortages and where it is sensible to offer a discounted salary. The Immigration White Paper set out that this list will be replaced by a Temporary Shortage List. Occupations below RQF level 6 must be listed on the Temporary Shortage List in order to gain access to the immigration system. These changes introduce interim measures, under which occupations below RQF level 6 continue to be eligible for the Skilled Worker route where they appear on either: an expanded Immigration Salary List, containing the existing entries plus occupations at RQF levels 3-5 which the MAC identified as being in shortage in its 2023 review[footnote 6] and 2024 rapid review[footnote 7] an interim Temporary Shortage List, containing occupations at RQF levels 3-5 which the Department for Business and Trade and His Majesty’s Treasury have identified as being important for the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy[footnote 8] The Immigration Salary List will be phased out in future changes to Immigration Rules. As the name suggests, entries on the Temporary Shortage List are time-limited and conditional. These changes therefore include removal dates for occupations on both lists, set at the end of 2026 (with the exception of adult social care where there are specific separate arrangements). The Government reserves the right to bring that date forward if compliance issues present on these lists. The future contents (and visa terms and conditions) of the Temporary Shortage List will be subject to review by the MAC. Occupations will only be included or retained on the list where the MAC has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce. Workers sponsored in occupations on either list at RQF levels 3-5 will not be able to bring dependants. This does not apply to occupations at RQF 6 or above, or workers sponsored in occupations at RQF levels 3-5 who are already in the Skilled Worker route and able to bring dependants before these changes come into effect. In line with the existing restrictions on dependants of care workers and senior care workers, these changes also exempt dependent children who were born in the UK or where the Skilled Worker has sole parental responsibility for them. Adult social care Concerns over workers sponsored as care workers and senior care workers (occupation codes 6135 and 6136) are well known. These include visa holders who have found themselves out of work due to employers over-estimating demand for their services or losing their ability to sponsor workers due to non-compliance, as well as significant concerns over abuse and exploitation of workers. As set out in the Immigration White Paper, these changes close entry clearance applications for Skilled Workers sponsored in these occupation codes. The changes also provide for in-country applications, for those switching from other visa routes, to continue for a transition period until 22 July 2028, at which point these occupations will be removed from the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List. Workers must have been legally working for the provider that is sponsoring them for at least 3 months before the date their certificate of sponsorship was issued to them by their sponsor. This requirement supports continuity of employment, and provides assurance that workers are suitable to be sponsored to work in the sector, and that sponsors and workers have been in an employer-employee relationship for a reasonable period of time, allowing both parties to demonstrate compliance with basic employment law (including National Minimum Wage regulations) and mitigate risks relating to potential exploitation. The requirement for sponsors to first try to recruit from the pool of Skilled Workers seeking new sponsorship is being removed. As a result of the above changes, all applications to which the requirement applied are being closed. The transitional provision for workers switching from other visa routes will be kept under review, to respond flexibly to any further emerging compliance issues in the sector. These include deliberate non-compliance and exploitation and broader failure to guarantee long term sustainable employment. The Government will monitor sponsor licence revocations, expansion/contraction of the number of displaced workers and Regional Partnership feedback, including success in matching workers to new employment. To prevent the occupation code “6131 Nursing auxiliaries and assistants” being misused to circumvent these changes, a clarification is being added to confirm this occupation code only applies to roles in environments where registered nurse roles also exist. As with the increase to the skills threshold, this Statement of Changes applies transitional arrangements to exempt workers who are already in the Skilled Worker route (or have been sponsored for an application which is later successful) or who switch to the route before the closing date of 22 July 2028. Closure of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) to new principal applications This instrument amends Appendix ARAP of the Immigration Rules in order to close the relocation route to the UK under the ARAP to future principal applications. It does so by amending the eligibility requirement in Appendix ARAP 3.3 to require that new principal applications by an Afghan citizen must have been submitted to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on or after 1 April 2021 and before 15:00 BST on 1 July 2025 to be considered eligible under Appendix ARAP. Eligible applicants who submitted their application before 15:00 BST on 1 July 2025 will still be able to make eligibility applications for their immediate family members and additional family members after this date. The ARAP is for Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Government in Afghanistan in exposed or meaningful roles and may include an offer for relocation to the UK for those deemed eligible by the MOD and who are deemed suitable for relocation by the Home Office under Appendix ARAP. It has now been over four years since the ARAP was launched, and as of 31 March 2025, has seen 21,316 principals and their family members already relocated to the UK. The Secretary of State for Defence told the House in December 2024 that the Government intends to reach a position where the UK’s Afghan resettlement schemes can be closed. He now considers the ARAP to have fulfilled its original purpose and can be closed to new principal applications, not least so that Defence efforts and resources can be focussed where they are most needed - on our nation’s security, to combat the acute threats and destabilising behaviour of our adversaries. ARAP closure to new applications is the first step to completing Afghan resettlement and is therefore being closed as soon as is practicable following December’s announcement. By the end of this parliament, the Government aims to have successfully honoured its obligation to complete relocations of eligible persons. In addition, many of the similar schemes operated by other countries have already closed and the MOD considers that the majority of those who would be eligible have now applied. The MOD currently have a backlog of c.22,000 ARAP decisions and while the scheme remains open the MOD will continue to receive new applications. With 95% of all applications received by the MOD to date having been found ineligible, the MOD continuing to accept new applications will add to their backlog and risks ultimately delaying the safe relocation of eligible applicants awaiting decisions. Amendments are also made to the introduction of Appendix ARAP to clarify the two stages of the ARAP application process. An application must first be made by the applicant to the MOD who will decide if the applicant is an eligible Afghan citizen. An applicant is deemed an eligible Afghan citizen if they receive from the MOD a decision that the eligibility requirements under ARAP 3.2 to 3.6 are met and that ARAP 3.7 does not apply. If the applicant is an eligible Afghan citizen, the second stage is that the MOD will, on behalf of the applicant, make an application for entry clearance (if they are outside the UK) or settlement (if they are in the UK) to the Home Office pursuant to Appendix ARAP. All applications made under the ARAP received before the closure of the scheme will continue to be considered. Alongside the closure of ARAP, we will also be closing the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). This means that HMG will not launch any further pathways nor accept any further referrals. Over 12,800 people have been successfully resettled under the ACRS since 2021 and over half of these arrivals have been children and a quarter women. The Home Office will continue to consider those referrals made under the ACRS Separated Families pathway but have not yet received a decision. This Government will honour our commitments to anyone found eligible, and to those who have already been found eligible for the ACRS but are not yet in the UK. Changes to align drafting across the Immigration Rules Neonatal care leave is being added to the list of permissible reasons for absences from sponsored work, to reflect the introduction of this form of statutory leave entitlement in April 2025. Minor changes are being made to align the drafting across the Immigration Rules. These are not policy changes and are minor presentational changes that are intended to provide greater transparency, clarity, and consistency. Other drafting changes The Statement of Changes also introduces minor drafting changes to correct incorrect paragraph references and minor drafting errors. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-997-1-july-2025/explanatory-memorandum-to-the-statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-997-1-july-2025-accessible