Update: What are the Sponsorship Rule Changes for 2025 and 2026?
By Eylem Kara
Eylem Kara is a Paralegal in the Immigration Department. Full of promise and imbued with determination and passion for helping clients, she has an extremely bright future ahead of her. Studying at Regent’s University, Coventry University, BPP Law School and the University of Law, she also already has years of experience under her belt. She is a rising star in the industry, and extremely knowledgeable in immigration law.
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Summary
Under the new sponsor rules for 2025/26, which came into force on 22nd July 2025:
- Sponsored skilled workers from overseas now generally require degree-level (RQF 6) roles, as most RQF 3 to 5 jobs are no longer eligible for new sponsorship
- Sub‑graduate roles are only sponsorable if on the interim ISL or TSL, both of which are time‑limited
- Salary thresholds and going rates have increased significantly
- Overseas care worker recruitment has closed
- New RQF 3 to 5 ISL/TSL workers cannot bring dependants
- Certificates of Sponsorship face stricter checks, so SOC codes, skill level and salary must precisely match the new rules
On 22nd July 2025, the UK radically overhauled its sponsored work routes so that most new Skilled Worker visas are now reserved for higher‑skill, higher‑salary roles, with only narrow, temporary exceptions for some mid‑skill occupations. The changes raise the minimum skill level to RQF 6, increase salary thresholds, restrict dependants and close off most new overseas recruitment in lower‑skilled roles such as frontline care, meaning sponsors must now reassess which roles they can fill via sponsorship and how much they need to pay. In this article, we will outline the key changes sponsors should be aware of.
Higher skills threshold from 22nd July 2025
From 22nd July 2025, the Skilled Worker route moves from accepting many RQF 3 to 5 roles to requiring new sponsored jobs to be at RQF 6 (graduate level) or above. In simple terms, roles that used to count as ‘skilled enough’ with A‑level or equivalent qualifications now generally no longer qualify unless they fall into a narrow exception.
What does this mean for sponsors?
For sponsors, this means a large number of mid‑skill roles have dropped out of scope for new overseas recruitment. HR teams must now map each position to the updated Appendix Skilled Occupations and confirm that the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code falls within the RQF 6 tables before assigning a CoS, rather than relying on historic coding. If the job is below RQF 6, the only route to sponsorship is via the temporary ISL or TSL lists, both of which are narrow and time‑limited (see below). Workers who already hold Skilled Worker permission before 22nd July 2025 can continue to be sponsored for an RQF 3 to 5 role. This applies to extensions, changes of employment and supplementary work at least until 22nd July 2028 for some roles, although these transitional rules may be reviewed.
Higher salary, going and hourly rates
The general Skilled Worker salary threshold has increased, with the main Option A minimum rising from £38,800 to £41,700 a year for most new applicants. Occupation‑specific ‘going rates’ have also increased. There is also a new hourly wage floor of £17.13 for most Skilled Worker options, calculated on a maximum of 48 paid hours a week, which must be met as well as the annual threshold.
The minimum salary requirements for the Global Business Mobility and Scale‑up routes have increased. Senior or Specialist Workers and UK Expansion Workers now need at least £52,500 (up from £48,500), Scale‑up Workers at least £39,100 (up from £36,300), and Graduate Trainees at least £27,300 (up from £25,410), alongside the uplifted ‘70% of going rate’ figures based on 2024 ASHE data.
What does this mean for sponsors?
For sponsors, many existing salary offers that once met the rules now fall short. Employers need to re‑cost recruitment plans, review existing sponsored workers’ pay before extensions, and ensure that HR systems flag any cases where contracted hours or overtime patterns might push the hourly rate below £17.13, even if the annual figure looks compliant. Budgeting for future hires should assume higher salary baselines across Skilled Worker, and sponsors should also be aware of increased thresholds in related sponsored routes.
New temporary Shortage list (TSL) and immigration Salary list (ISL)
To soften the immediate impact on some sub‑graduate roles, the Home Office has created two interim lists: an expanded Immigration Salary List (ISL) and a new Temporary Shortage List (TSL). From 22nd July 2025, a role below RQF 6 can only be sponsored if its SOC code appears on one of these lists, which together cover a limited selection of RQF 3 to 5 occupations, such as certain logistics and IT support roles. Both lists are scheduled to end by 31st December 2026 (or earlier for some jobs), at which point either the role must meet the RQF 6 criteria, or it ceases to be sponsorable.
What does this mean for sponsors?
Employers relying on sub‑graduate roles should review current and projected workforce needs and check whether key roles appear on the ISL or TSL. HR teams will also need to build in the new restriction that workers newly sponsored after 22nd July 2025 in RQF 3 to 5 ISL/TSL roles cannot bring dependants, which will affect recruitment messaging and candidate expectations (see below for more details).
Care workers, dependants and transitional protections
For care workers and senior care workers, entry clearance sponsorship for new workers from overseas closed on 22nd July 2025, even though these roles appear on the ISL. A limited in‑country switching concession allows people already lawfully working for a sponsor as a care worker or senior care worker for at least three months to switch into the Skilled Worker route with the same employer until 22nd July 2028, after which this option is expected to end. At the same time, applicants newly sponsored from 22nd July 2025 in any RQF 3 to 5 role on the ISL or TSL can no longer bring new dependants (i.e. partner and children), although existing dependants can usually extend their stay.
What does this mean for sponsors?
The effect for sponsors in the care sector is a major restriction on recruiting new overseas staff, with a shift in focus to retaining and regularising existing workers already in the UK before the cut‑off. Providers must audit their current workforce to identify who can benefit from the switching concession and within what timeframe, and adjust recruitment strategies towards domestic recruitment or alternative visa routes. Across sectors, sponsors also need to factor in the loss of dependants for new RQF 3 to 5 hires, as this may reduce the attractiveness of some offers and affect retention.
Certificates of sponsorship
Alongside the skills and salary changes, sponsors are seeing increased Certificate of Sponsorship refusals due to HR teams using outdated SOC codes, mismatching job descriptions to the new RQF 6 criteria, or setting salaries below the revised thresholds or going rates.
What does this mean for sponsors?
Internal processes should require HR or Key Personnel to:
- Confirm the correct SOC code and skill level under the new tables
- Check both annual and hourly pay against the new thresholds and going rates, and
- Include enough role detail on the CoS to justify the classification.
Final words
The July 2025 changes push the sponsored work system back towards a higher‑skill, higher‑salary model, with only narrow, temporary exceptions for some sub‑graduate roles. Sponsors that plan ahead by auditing roles against RQF levels, re‑benchmarking salaries, tightening CoS processes and making full use of transitional windows will be best placed to keep recruiting and retaining the talent they need.
FAQs
1. Can I still sponsor new workers in RQF 3 to 5 roles in 2026?
Only if the SOC code appears on the ISL or TSL, which are narrow and time‑limited and scheduled to end by 31st December 2026 or earlier for some roles.
2. What happens to my existing Skilled Workers in RQF 3 to 5 jobs?
Workers already in the Skilled Worker route before 22nd July 2025 can usually continue to extend or change roles with transitional protection until at least July 2028, provided they meet the specific conditions in the rules.
3. Do I have to increase salaries for current sponsored staff immediately?
No, but anyone extending, changing employment or applying for settlement will need to meet the new thresholds or transitional rates.
4. Can new care workers still come to the UK?
No, entry clearance sponsorship for new overseas care workers and senior care workers closed on 22nd July 2025. However, a limited in‑country switching route remains until 22nd July 2028 for eligible workers already employed in those roles.
5. How can I reduce the risk of CoS refusals under the new rules?
Sponsors should update SOC code mappings, train HR on the new RQF 6 and salary requirements, require detailed job descriptions on each CoS, and double‑check both annual and hourly pay against the updated thresholds and going rates before submission.
