The United Kingdom’s new immigration rules, including changes to salary and skills thresholds for Skilled Worker visas, will be implemented from 22 July 2025.
This was among the updated information released by the Home Office.
The major new Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 997), published on July 1, begins the implementation of the “sweeping reforms” to the immigration system announced in May in the Government’s White Paper.
Among the main changes, new applicants will now require a bachelor’s degree or equivalent RQF Level 6 qualification.
According to the explanatory memorandum, this change will eliminate around 180 occupations from the list of eligible roles under the Skilled Worker route, though workers already in these occupations will continue to be able to be sponsored.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government intends to deliver a “complete reset” of the immigration system. She stated:
“These new rules mean stronger controls to bring migration down, to restore order to the immigration system and to ensure we focus on investing in skills and training here in the UK.”
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) is also closing to new principal applications, taking effect from 3 p.m. today.
The Government says that it now considers ARAP to have fulfilled its original purpose, with the Defence Secretary stating that closure will allow resources to be refocused on national security priorities. The closure represents the first formal step towards completing the UK’s Afghan resettlement commitments, with remaining relocations due to be completed by the end of this Parliament. Since its launch over four years ago, the scheme has supported the relocation of more than 21,000 Afghan principals and their family members to the UK.
In addition, some minor drafting changes are being made by the Statement of Changes to correct incorrect paragraph references and other errors.