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Impacts of the changes to the UK immigration policy

Release Date
2025-10-23
Media
NHS Employers
Summary
The UK government is implementing a wide-ranging overhaul of its immigration system that will significantly affect international staff working in the NHS and social care sectors. The reforms, outlined in the 2025 Immigration White Paper, aim to prioritize “control, contribution, and community cohesion,” reshaping work, study, and family visa routes. By the end of 2025, new family policy frameworks and expanded eVisa systems will be introduced.

In social care, new visa applications for care workers and senior care workers are being closed. A transition period will last until 22 July 2028, during which existing workers may extend or switch visa routes. After this period, these roles will be removed from the system entirely. Only CQC-registered employers can sponsor such workers, and the minimum salary requirement is set at £31,300 per year. Health and Care Visa holders remain exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge, but those switching into this route after 11 March 2024 will no longer be permitted to bring dependants.

For medical and health professionals, the Health and Care Visa will continue but with tighter conditions. The minimum salary threshold is £25,000 for national pay scale roles and £31,300 or the occupation-specific rate (whichever is higher) for other positions. From 16 December 2025, the Immigration Skills Charge will rise by 32% to £1,320 per person per year, while the IHS exemption for this visa type remains in place. Dependants may still accompany visa holders, except for those in sub-degree roles. Nursing auxiliaries (SOC 6131) will be restricted to environments with registered nurses or other licensed health professionals.

For non-clinical NHS roles under the Skilled Worker Visa, the general minimum salary threshold has been raised to £41,700, though those who entered before April 2024 may continue under a lower threshold of £31,300. Applicants must also pay an increased Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 annually (£776 for dependants under 18).

The cost of a Certificate of Sponsorship has risen to £525 and must be paid by the sponsoring employer. Salary thresholds and visa costs are now higher across the board, with minimum pay for skilled roles starting at £25,000 per year. Meanwhile, the minimum income requirement for family visas increased to £29,000 in April 2024.

Overall, the government’s strategy seeks to reduce net migration while maintaining essential international recruitment in the health and care sectors. However, stricter salary, language, and family restrictions will make it harder to recruit new international staff, shifting focus toward retaining existing foreign workers and ensuring compliance under the new system.
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United Kingdom

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