UK Skilled Worker Visa Rules 2025: Key Changes to Skill and Salary Requirements

Introduction: A Major Overhaul of the Skilled Worker Visa

The UK Government is introducing sweeping changes to the Skilled Worker visa rules, aiming to reverse what it calls an “unsustainable broadening” of eligibility. These reforms, detailed in the White Paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System, mark a return to stricter immigration controls and a renewed focus on domestic workforce development. The changes have also been announced for students, carers, and settlement/citizenship routes.

Raising the Bar: New Skill Thresholds for Sponsored Roles

One of the cornerstone changes is the reinstatement of the minimum skill level from RQF Level 3 (A-level equivalent) to RQF Level 6, which corresponds to graduate-level occupations. This reverses the more liberal stance adopted post-Brexit in 2020, which allowed non-degree roles to qualify under the visa route.

Impact on Key Sectors

Previously eligible sectors such as:

• Health and care support roles;
  
• Catering and hospitality;
  
• Logistics and warehousing, and
  
• Retail and construction trades;
  

will now find many of their roles excluded from the Skilled Worker pathway. Around 180 occupations currently sponsored at RQF Levels 3–5 will no longer qualify under the new system.

Salary Requirements Increased

Another significant shift is the introduction of a higher general salary threshold of £38,700, up from £26,200. This new minimum applies to most Skilled Worker roles unless a specific occupation has a higher “going rate.”

The Government has also announced the abolition of the Immigration Salary List (ISL), previously known as the Shortage Occupation List, which allowed salary discounts for high-demand roles. Going forward, these concessions will be reconsidered by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) as part of a broader review of fair wage practices.

Transitional Protections and Two-Tier System

Importantly, the new UK Skilled Worker visa rules apply only prospectively. Workers already in the UK under this visa will be allowed to:

• Extend their visas
  
• Switch employers
  
• Take on supplementary roles
  

…as long as they stay within currently eligible occupations. New applicants and those switching visa categories, however, will need to meet the higher RQF Level 6 and salary thresholds.

This creates a two-tier system:

• Current visa holders: Retain access to existing roles
  
• New applicants: Face more restrictive eligibility
  

Future Role of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL)

Some positions that lose eligibility may eventually be transferred to a new Temporary Shortage List (TSL). Access to this route will be temporary, conditional, and subject to both MAC review and alignment with broader sectoral workforce strategies.

Strategic Implications for Employers and Applicants

For employers, these reforms demand strategic workforce planning and a shift toward domestic training and upskilling. Sponsorship will become more selective, and roles that once depended on overseas recruitment will now need local solutions.

For prospective visa applicants, the landscape has narrowed. Meeting both the skill and salary thresholds will become crucial for securing a UK work visa under the Skilled Worker route.

Conclusion: A Clear Policy Shift Toward Domestic Workforce Development

The updated UK Skilled Worker Visa Rules represent a fundamental realignment of the UK’s immigration strategy. By raising the skill and salary bars, the Government aims to reduce dependency on migrant labor in lower-skilled roles and push for deeper investment in the local workforce.

Furthermore, both employers and potential migrants should prepare for this new, more competitive environment — one that rewards higher qualifications, stronger salaries, and long-term domestic capacity-building.