Immigration blog and updates

The UK government published press release on Sunday 11th May 2025 and started by ‘(…) immigration system will be radically reformed so the system is controlled, managed and fair under a landmark White Paper to be published tomorrow (Monday 12 May).’ We did write an earlier update on the upcoming changes in UK immigration laws. The Home Office White Paper has been released today 12th May 2025. According to the Home…

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The UK government published press release on Sunday 11th May 2025 and started by ‘(…) immigration system will be radically reformed so the system is controlled, managed and fair under a landmark White Paper to be published tomorrow (Monday 12 May).’ The White Paper setting out the actual changes is due to be released today 12th May 2025 and it is highly anticipated. The changes are radical and the impact will…

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Recruitment of care workers on skilled worker health and care visa is put under more scrutiny by Home Office. Where an applicant for health and care visa is being sponsored for a job with working locations entirely in England as ‘6135 – Care workers and home carers’, and ‘6136 – Senior Care Workers’ from 9 April 2025, their sponsor must have tried to recruit from the pool of displaced care…

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Visa application fees, settlement application fees, British citizenship fees and Certificate of Sponsorship COS fees are all increasing from 9th April 2025. In early 2024 there was huge increase in NHS Surcharge fees. The trend to increase immigration fees is very likely to stay as the government aims to reduce net migration to the UK. Further below we copy Home Office notification dated 19 March 2025 of the immigration fee…

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Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules published on 12 March 2025. Changes in immigration rules relating to Skilled Worker visas including Health and Care visa, will take effect from 9th April 2025. Those recently published changes mainly relate to minimum pay for skilled workers, recruitment of care workers Soc Code 6135 and senior care workers Soc Code 6136 and deductions from salary for skilled workers.   Skilled Worker –…

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Proposals for increase of minimum salary for all work visas and spouse/family visas are in the news at present March 2025. Meeting the minimum salary level is one of the key requirements for the Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) and Skilled Worker visa to be granted. The minimum salary requirement is equally important as the minimum NQF Level 3 skill requirement and genuine vacancy test. Current minimum salary level for skilled worker visa The standard minimum salary for…

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EUSS scheme and EUSS Family Permit immigration permissions are a separate set of rules that has its own unique complexities. In January 2025 Home Office published a factsheet informing of the automated upgrade to settled status. From early 2025, the Home Office is to introduce a new process to automatically convert eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status without the need for them to make a further EUSS application. Settled status under EU Settlement…

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Level 1 user requirements change – skilled worker sponsor licence Level 1 user changes announced by Home Office. UK Visas and Immigration UKVI immigration rules and guidance are changing frequently and there have been recent changes to Key Personnel requirements. This blog is specifically focused on key personnel and particularly Level 1 user role for skilled worker sponsor licence. One of the key duties for each sponsor licence applicant and…

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Sponsoring workers in personal capacity – big changes. Important updates have been made to the sponsor guidance and Sponsor a Skilled Worker. Sponsor licence holders need to keep up to date with of all the changes introduced by the Home Office UK Visas and Immigration. Examples of ‘personal capacity’ can be employing a nanny. Unfortunately this will no longer be possible. In addition those migrant workers’ that already hold skilled…

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