Statement of changes to immigration rules

On the 14th of October 2025, the UK government released a statement of changes to the Immigration Rules.

The main changes are as follows:

Increased English language requirement

From the 8th of January 2026, applicants entering as a skilled worker or through a “high potential individual” (HPI) or “scale-up” route must meet a higher English language standard equivalent to an A-Level.

This represents a step up from the current GCSE level requirement.

Existing skilled workers who entered the route before the 8th of January 2026, and later extended their visas, will not need to meet the higher language standard.

The government has also indicated that English language requirements for dependants of sponsored workers may be introduced in the future.

Immigration skills charge (ISC) increase

The immigration skills charge, payable by employers sponsoring workers under the Skilled Worker route, will increase by 32% from the 16th of December 2025.

The ISC for medium to large sponsors will rise from £1,000 to £1,320 per worker per year.

The fee remains mandatory and cannot be passed on to or recovered from the sponsored employee.

Graduate visa duration reduced

From the 1st of January 2027, the graduate visa will be reduced from 2 years to 18 months for degree holders.

PhD graduates will continue to qualify for a 3-year visa.

Graduates completing studies in 2026 will still be eligible for the current 2-year visa.

Contact our HR and employment experts to discuss how the 2026 immigration changes could affect your workforce.