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On 1 July 2025, the Government published its July 2025 Statement of Changes, which comes just a week after the June 2025 Statement of Changes that covered the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as other areas of the rules.
In the new statement, they mainly focus on the Skilled Worker route into the UK, with updates to various areas of the rules for the route. There is only one section unrelated to the route, which discusses updates to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).
It should be noted that many of the updates to the rules were outlined in the Immigration White Paper that the Government released earlier in 2025.
Additionally, all of the updates related to the Skilled Worker route will come into effect from 22 July 2025.
Keep reading to find out about the changes announced by the Government, why they have introduced these changes, how they may impact you, and how we can help you.
Skill and salary thresholds
Skills
The first update to the Skilled Worker route covered in the July 2025 Statement of Changes is to the skill thresholds that let you get a visa.
Skills thresholds are ranked according to the Regulations Qualifications Framework (RQF). In the latest Statement of Changes, jobs must now be on level 6 or above of the RQF.
However, if a role is on the Immigration Salary List or the new Temporary Shortage List, it will not be increased to level 6. We cover the new list in the next section below.
In 2020, the skills threshold was lowered from level 6 to level 3, so it is essentially going back up to past levels.
This means that around 180 occupations will no longer be eligible on the Skilled Worker Visa, so many businesses will have to hire domestically instead of from overseas.
Salaries
Alongside the increase in skill thresholds, salary thresholds will also be increasing. This happens every year alongside changes to the UK minimum wage, and was initially announced in the March Statement of Changes.
In the new statement, all the Government has restructured Appendix Skilled Occupations to show the roles and respective salaries of occupations that have been increased to RQF Level 6.
Immigration Salary List and the Temporary Shortage List
In the Immigration White Paper, it was stated that the Immigration Salary List would be replaced by the Temporary Shortage List.
The Immigration Salary List outlines roles that have shortages in the UK, and so have lower salary requirements.
Now, the Temporary Shortage List will be introduced to have a similar role, but all occupations between RQF Level 3 to 5 must be included in it.
As the name suggests, roles on the new list are temporary and will be updated according to what the Department of Business and Trade and the Treasury consider to be industries that are vital to the UK, and need workers.
The Migration Advice Committee has also been asked to review roles on the new list, and they will advise the Government on whether certain roles’ continued presence on the list can be justified.
With this new list, employers will have less certainty about whether the roles they sponsor overseas workers for will continue to be classed as a role with shortages, and could end up no longer being able to pay future employers at a discounted rate.
It should be noted that the Immigration Salary List will not be removed straight away, as it will be phased out over time. This means that we currently have two lists related to occupation shortages.
Adult social care
From 22 July 2025, people will no longer be able to apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa. This was originally discussed in the Immigration White Paper, with the Government stating that due to the exploitation of workers on the route with fake job listings and poor working conditions, plus a reliance on overseas workers, that they would be ending the route.
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy
The only update to a rule that is not related to the Skilled Worker route, comes to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.
Essentially, this route for Afghan nationals to relocate to the UK will be closed with immediate effect. Anyone with ongoing applications will not be impacted, and they can still make applications for their family members alongside their own.
This route to the UK was originally created for Afghan nationals who worked with the UK, so that they could relocate to the UK. This is because they may be at risk of danger under the new government of Afghanistan.
The Government states that, due to it being over four years since the scheme started, alongside the fact many other countries have started closing their own routes, it is now ending this route into the UK.
Looking to the future
With the implementation of some of the rules changes that were discussed in the Immigration White Paper, it seems that the Government is looking to commit to what was outlined in the paper and make the immigration rules stricter.
In the press release released alongside the July 2025 Statement of Changes, they mention what steps they will be taking to further update the rules by the end of the year.
This includes:
- Increasing the immigration skills charge
- Raise the English language requirements for visas
- Introduce a new family policy framework that will be shown to Parliament
We will keep you updated on whatever future changes to the rules are announced.
How we can help
Not only can we keep you updated on any announcements related to the immigration rules, we can also assist you with your UK visa application, applying for settlement, and even assist you with naturalisation.
With the rules changing so often, it can be difficult to keep track of what impacts you, and whether you can still get the visa you wanted. This is why you need the assistance of our team of immigration experts.
To discuss your needs with them, you can first book a free 10-minute assessment. After this, you can then book a longer paid consultation which lasts either 30 minutes, or an hour. Your consultation can be with one of our immigration specialists, or with our Principal Solicitor, Nathan Woodcock. The choice is yours.
During your paid consultation, you will be given assistance with your application, as well as legal advice. We will help you every step of the way.
Get in touch with us today for our expert immigration advice, and keep visiting our website to find out about future Statements of Changes.
Still unsure about using our services? Then visit our testimonials and client success stories pages to see how we have helped people in the past.
Ready for assistance?
If you have any questions, or want to book an appointment with one of our legal experts, contact Woodcock Law today. Call us on +44 (0)20 7712 1705 or email info@woodcocklaw.co.uk.
