Immigration white paper published: what HR teams need to know
The UK Government has published its long-promised White Paper setting out how it intends to reduce net migration. The proposed changes are likely to have a significant impact on employers who rely on overseas talent.
Background: reforms to tackle immigration
The White Paper highlights increasing concerns over recent increases in the UK's net migration figures, and uses this to justify new policies aimed at reducing legal and illegal migration. The new policies signal a shift to a more controlled, skills-based immigration system, which will directly affect sectors that rely heavily on overseas workers.
Key changes to immigration rules
A central element of the proposed reforms is a return to higher skill-level requirements for the Skilled Worker visa. When these changes are implemented, only roles at RQF level 6 will qualify for Skilled Worker sponsorship (the current threshold is RQF level 3), effectively halving the number of eligible occupations. The White Paper includes proposals for sponsorship of lower-skilled roles, which will be strictly time-limited and only permissible in roles where there are demonstrable shortages and where the employer has a plan in place for increasing recruitment of domestic workers.
Another major change will be the closure of the care worker visa route. While there will be a transitional period until 2028, allowing those already in the UK to extend or switch visas, this will have a huge impact on the care sector, which in recent years has relied heavily on the immigration system to fill vacancies.
Other significant changes announced in the White Paper include:
- A significant rise in the Immigration Skills Charge by 32%
- Reducing the length of visas issued under the Graduate route from two years to 18 months
- Increasing the standard qualification period for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) from five to ten years in Points-Based immigration routes, with the opportunity to reduce that period based on contributions to the economy and society
- Increasing the language requirements for Skilled Workers from level B1 to level B2
- Introducing an English language requirement at level A1 for adult dependants of workers and students
What can employers do now?
Employers should be prepared for the impact of these changes on their recruitment strategies. With higher skill threshold requirements, sectors that currently rely on lower-skilled overseas workers are likely to face increased competition for domestic talent. Businesses should begin planning for how to upskill current staff and align recruitment efforts with the new immigration requirements, including benchmarking of salaries and reviewing which roles are likely to meet the new skill-level requirement. Employers who continue to sponsor workers will also need to budget for the increased Immigration Skills Charge, which will affect hiring costs.
The proposals in the White Paper are not yet law, and the timing and precise details of the changes have yet to be announced. However, they clearly point toward a more selective, compliance-heavy immigration system. Being proactive now will help mitigate disruption later.
The White Paper in its entirety can be found at Restoring control over the immigration system white paper.