Articles

The first Budget Statement of the Andy Burnham government was made on 28 October 2026 and included several significant business immigration announcements. These announcements are aimed at making it easier for employers to recruit and retain highly skilled international talent. The proposed reforms cover Skilled Worker salary thresholds, visa curtailment periods, graduate recruitment and the tax treatment of certain sponsorship costs.

Much of the detail, including eligibility criteria and implementation dates, is still to follow. Employers should therefore treat the announcements as an opportunity to review their workforce planning rather than make immediate changes.

The Government has confirmed plans for a new "Earned Settlement" system. The changes would replace the current five-year route to settlement for many migrant workers with a standard ten-year qualifying period, although some individuals could qualify after three or five years.

For employers, this could mean supporting some sponsored workers for longer, budgeting for additional visa applications and managing increased uncertainty among employees already planning for settlement.

Discover what employers should review before the October 2026 Right to Work changes, including contracts, supply chains, verification and compliance processes.

Understand who is responsible for Right to Work checks under the October 2026 changes, including organisations using agencies, contractors and supply chains.

From 1 October 2026, the UK's Right to Work Scheme will apply to a wider range of working arrangements.

The Sponsor Guidance was updated on 28 August 2026, introducing important changes to the operation of the Sponsor Management System (SMS). These updates include the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA), the phasing out of Level 2 users, and new policies addressing SMS inactivity. This article explores these key changes and their implications for your business and sponsor licence compliance.