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Time of India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UK's Skilled Worker rules change after July 22: Why this deadline matters for Indian tech professionals, engineers, and healthcare workers
New UK Skilled Worker visa rules: Higher salaries, digital visas, and longer path to residency The United Kingdom will introduce new Skilled Worker visa rules beginning July 22, 2025, bringing significant changes to salary thresholds, skill level eligibility, settlement timelines, and visa processes. These updates are part of a broader overhaul aimed at reducing net migration and shifting towards a more digitally managed immigration system. The upcoming changes are particularly relevant to Indian nationals, who form the largest group of Skilled Worker visa holders in the UK. Professionals in IT, engineering, and healthcare must carefully evaluate the new requirements and timelines, especially those planning to apply or renew visas under the current system. Skill and salary thresholds to rise significantly One of the most impactful changes is the increase in the required skill level. From July 22, only roles classified at RQF Level 6—equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree—will be eligible under the Skilled Worker route. Previously, jobs at RQF Level 3 (A-level or equivalent) were also accepted. This change excludes more than 180 occupations from eligibility, particularly affecting supervisory and technical roles. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Providers are furious: Internet access without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo Salary thresholds are also increasing. The new general salary minimum for Skilled Worker visa applicants is £41,700. Roles requiring a PhD will need a salary of at least £37,500, while those in STEM PhD roles or listed under the Temporary Shortage List (TSL) may qualify with a minimum salary of £33,400. Applicants who entered the UK before April 4, 2024, may still be eligible for a lower extension threshold of £31,300. For Indian IT professionals and engineers, who frequently apply under codes that previously fell under RQF Level 3–5, it is essential to verify if their role still qualifies under the updated skill classification. 10-year path to settlement begins From July 22, the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)—the UK's settlement status—will double from 5 to 10 years for Skilled Worker visa holders. While transitional protections may apply in certain cases, applicants should plan long-term immigration goals accordingly. To qualify for ILR under the new rules, individuals must also meet the new salary requirements and show continuous legal residence over the 10-year period. Why the July 22 deadline matters The last date to apply under the current Skilled Worker rules is July 21, 2025. After that, all applications will be assessed using the updated salary and skill criteria. Applicants and sponsoring employers are advised to secure a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) and submit visa applications before the deadline to benefit from existing eligibility conditions. Employers must also adapt their recruitment strategies. Medium-skilled jobs, including some IT support and health technician roles, may no longer qualify for sponsorship under the new RQF Level 6 requirement. Additionally, stricter sponsor licence compliance checks will be introduced. Digital visa system to apply from July 15 From July 15, 2025, all visas, including Skilled Worker visas, will be issued as eVisas. These are digital records linked to the applicant's passport and replace traditional visa stickers. Visa holders must keep their personal and passport details updated in the UKVI system to maintain valid immigration status. Employers and landlords will verify right-to-work and right-to-rent status through the digital system. This transition marks a shift to fully online immigration compliance for all new applicants. Key steps for Indian professionals before July 22 • Confirm whether your job remains eligible under RQF Level 6 • Ensure salary meets the revised thresholds • Have your employer issue a CoS before July 22 • Apply before the deadline to benefit from transitional rules • Prepare for digital compliance under the new eVisa system For Indian professionals seeking to live and work in the UK, acting before July 22 may be the most straightforward path under current immigration rules. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UK Jobs: Construction industry in UK is still able to hire foreign workers under visa clampdown, ETHRWorld
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis. Download ETHRWorld App Get Realtime updates Save your favourite articles Scan to download App Construction workers from abroad will still be able to migrate to the UK despite tighter visa restrictions announced by the government, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said, as Labour attempts to slash migration without damaging critical sectors of the to Parliament's Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Cooper said officials had already identified a series of occupations that would not appear on the new Temporary Shortage List . That list will allow employers to bring workers into the country who would not otherwise be eligible, because the job is classed as below degree the construction industry, and other sectors needed by the government to support its economic growth ambitions, will still appear on the list. That will come as a relief to firms in the UK who worried that restricting the migrant workforce would hamper their business.'Construction will continue to be on the Temporary Shortage List,' Cooper told lawmakers, adding that the industry would also have to develop a workforce strategy showing how it would train and recruit more British workers over time. Roles 'will only be able to go on the Temporary Shortage List if they are effectively in critical areas, for example those that are critical to the industrial strategy or something like construction.'Cooper's reassurance to the construction industry comes just weeks after the government unveiled its immigration white paper, which set out a series of changes to the UK's immigration system. Most employers will now only be able to recruit from abroad for roles which are degree level or above, and workers will have to stay in the country for 10 years, rather than five, before they can apply for settled restrictions were an attempt by Labour to stave off the anti-migrant Reform UK party, which has soared in popularity over the last year and won a slew of council seats in local elections last the UK has an Immigration Salary List which allows employers to recruit from abroad for over 1,300 roles where there is currently deemed to be a shortage. Being on that list means employers can recruit overseas nationals into those roles on a salary up to 20% below the general said that system was too lax, and had contributed to the unprecedented number of migrants coming to the UK while providing no incentive for businesses to hire or train out-of-work white paper abolishes the current system to replace it with the Temporary Shortage List. Cooper said the government will cut up to 180 occupations from the current Immigration Salary List — but that would still leave more than 1,000 on it.'We've already identified, as part of the immigration white paper, a series of occupations that will be taken off what used to be the immigration salary list,' Cooper said. 'The number of occupations on the temporary shortage list will be significantly lower than the number of occupations currently on the immigration salary list.'
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
A UK industry is still able to hire foreign workers under visa clampdown
Construction workers from abroad will still be able to migrate to the UK despite tighter visa restrictions announced by the government, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said, as Labour attempts to slash migration without damaging critical sectors of the economy. Speaking to Parliament's Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Cooper said officials had already identified a series of occupations that would not appear on the new Temporary Shortage List . That list will allow employers to bring workers into the country who would not otherwise be eligible, because the job is classed as below degree level. ALSO READ: Rising costs and visa hurdles push international students beyond the US,UK by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Motivos para escolher um Sofá de Couro [Descubra] Fiori Sofás Saiba Mais Undo But the construction industry, and other sectors needed by the government to support its economic growth ambitions, will still appear on the list. That will come as a relief to firms in the UK who worried that restricting the migrant workforce would hamper their business. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) 'Construction will continue to be on the Temporary Shortage List,' Cooper told lawmakers, adding that the industry would also have to develop a workforce strategy showing how it would train and recruit more British workers over time. Roles 'will only be able to go on the Temporary Shortage List if they are effectively in critical areas, for example those that are critical to the industrial strategy or something like construction.' Live Events ALSO READ: Oxford University opens applications for Rhodes Scholarship Cooper's reassurance to the construction industry comes just weeks after the government unveiled its immigration white paper, which set out a series of changes to the UK's immigration system. Most employers will now only be able to recruit from abroad for roles which are degree level or above, and workers will have to stay in the country for 10 years, rather than five, before they can apply for settled status. Those restrictions were an attempt by Labour to stave off the anti-migrant Reform UK party, which has soared in popularity over the last year and won a slew of council seats in local elections last month. ALSO READ: UK plans stricter rules for migrants seeking permanent residency Currently, the UK has an Immigration Salary List which allows employers to recruit from abroad for over 1,300 roles where there is currently deemed to be a shortage. Being on that list means employers can recruit overseas nationals into those roles on a salary up to 20% below the general threshold. Cooper said that system was too lax, and had contributed to the unprecedented number of migrants coming to the UK while providing no incentive for businesses to hire or train out-of-work Britons. The white paper abolishes the current system to replace it with the Temporary Shortage List. Cooper said the government will cut up to 180 occupations from the current Immigration Salary List — but that would still leave more than 1,000 on it. 'We've already identified, as part of the immigration white paper, a series of occupations that will be taken off what used to be the immigration salary list,' Cooper said. 'The number of occupations on the temporary shortage list will be significantly lower than the number of occupations currently on the immigration salary list.'
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Do you support PM's crackdown on immigration
Keir Starmer has boldly vowed to reduce net migration by the end of this parliament, advocating for a "controlled, selective, and fair" system. Do you agree with his plans? Amid Reform UK's surge in the polls ramping up pressure on the government to tackle immigration, Keir Starmer has unveiled Labour 's long-awaited strategy - and we want to know what you think of his plans. The Prime Minister has promised to reduce net migration by the end of this parliament, aiming for a system that he says will be 'controlled, selective, and fair.' In a speech just before the government's Immigration White Paper was released, he warned the UK risks becoming 'an island of strangers' and said the Labour Government would end the Tories' "experiment" in open borders. He said: "So when you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower-paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you are not championing growth. "You are not championing justice or however else people defend the status quo. You're actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart." Do you support the PM's crackdown on immigration? Take our poll below and if you can't see it, click here Labour's plans include introducing measures to make it harder for people to permanently settle in the UK. Migrants will need to live in Britain for a decade before they can apply for citizenship - instead of the current five-year period. What's included in the immigration white paper? The government's white paper proposes several changes, including raising the threshold for the skills visa to require a degree and a higher salary, as well as closing the social care visa route to overseas recruitment. Other proposed measures include: Increasing the English language requirements for both visa holders and their dependants Reducing the list of critical shortage occupations on the Temporary Shortage List Restricting dependants for lower-skilled workers on the Temporary Shortage List and raising salary thresholds for all visa holders seeking to bring dependants Shortening the time overseas students can stay from five years to 18 months after completing their studies, along with implementing stricter rules on student visas Extending the wait for migrants to obtain permanent settlement from five years to 10 years, unless they are deemed "high contributors." The white paper suggests these measures could lead to a reduction in immigration to the UK by approximately 98k people annually. However, it remains unclear how the government plans to address the gaps in the domestic workforce that have been filled by foreign labour, especially in sectors like social care, which heavily depends on migrant workers. Net migration surge Net migration - the difference between the number of people moving into and out of a country - surged after the UK left the EU five years ago. It hit 906k in the year to June 2023, before dropping to 728k in mid-2024. However, that's still significantly higher than its pre-Brexit peak of 329k in the year up to June 2015. With Reform UK's rise in the polls, the government is facing growing pressure to address both legal and illegal immigration. Today, Sir Keir made it clear that reducing migration is something he strongly supports, saying that parts of the economy "seem almost addicted to importing cheap labour" instead of investing in skills at home. He added: "On a day like today, people who like politics will try to make this all about politics, about this or that strategy targeting these voters, responding to that party. No, I'm doing this because it is right, because it is fair, and because this is what I believe in."
