Latest UK Visa Sponsorship Rules

This all-in-one guide explains the latest UK visa sponsorship rules, including the major changes introduced in July 2025. It covers sponsor licence compliance, care sector specifics, salary thresholds, skill requirements, and transitional deadlines, with a focus on what both care providers and care workers need to know.

A UK Skilled Worker visa is the main route for non-UK nationals to work in eligible roles. Care-related roles historically included Care Workers (SOC 6135) and Senior Care Workers (SOC 6136), but rule changes in July 2025 have restricted eligibility.

‍Employers must:

‍- Hold a valid sponsor licence from the Home Office.
- Assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for each worker.
- Follow all sponsor duties such as reporting job changes and keeping records up to date.

The government’s July 2025 immigration policy changes, part of the “Restoring Control over the Immigration System” white paper, aim to:
- Reduce net migration.
- Raise the skill level for sponsorship to graduate level (RQF 6+).
- Restrict lower-skilled routes and tighten compliance checks.

‍Key changes from 22 July 2025:

- Skill Level Increase: Eligible roles for new sponsorship must now meet RQF Level 6 or higher, removing 112 lower-skilled occupations unless on the Temporary Shortage List.
- Care Worker Sponsorship Restrictions: New overseas applications for care worker and senior care worker roles are no longer accepted. Internal switching is only allowed if the worker is already in the UK and has been employed by their sponsor for at least 3 months before a new CoS is assigned, or if they have had continuous Skilled Worker permission in the same role. These transitional arrangements run until 22 July 2028.

‍
‍Higher Salary Thresholds:
‍- New entrant rate: £33,400/year (or £31,300 for transitional cases).
- Health & Care visa roles: higher of £25,000/year or £12.82/hour.
- Standard Skilled Worker: at least £33,400/year or £17.13/hour.

‍Temporary Shortage List: Includes certain essential lower-skilled roles, eligible until 31 December 2026 if the CoS is issued before that date.

‍Compliance Focus: More unannounced Home Office visits, faster licence suspension process, and strict right-to-work checks and visa expiry monitoring.

‍Fees and Timing: Visa and priority service fees remain unchanged since 1 July 2025. Any CoS assigned before 22 July 2025 will be processed under pre-July rules.

‍For care providers, immediate actions include:
- Audit current vacancies for eligibility under new rules.
- Issue any final CoS under old criteria before the 22 July cut-off.
- Adjust salary structures to meet the new thresholds.
- Document staff tenure for internal sponsorship switches in care roles.
- Review recruitment strategy to focus more on domestic or graduate-level hires.

‍For care workers already in the UK before 22 July 2025:
- You can continue in your role, switch to another eligible sponsor, or extend your visa until at least 2028 under the transitional rules.
- Keep records such as contracts and pay slips to support any future visa switch or extension.
- Understand that overseas applicants after the rule change cannot be sponsored in care worker roles unless meeting graduate-level requirements or appearing on the Temporary Shortage List.

This July 2025 update marks a major shift in how sponsorship works in the care sector. For providers, the emphasis is now on compliance, higher-skilled recruitment, and retention of existing staff. For workers, understanding your rights, keeping documents in order, and planning ahead for renewals or switches is more important than ever.