Additional changes to the UK immigration system announced: In order to put the Immigration White Paper’s recommendations into effect, the UK government revised the Immigration Rules.
In order to carry out additional measures indicated in the Immigration White Paper (IWP), the UK government has announced additional changes to the immigration system.
The NHS will be impacted by a number of recently announced measures, including the hiring and retention of people who need Home Office documentation in order to reside and work in the UK.
Among these modifications are:
- SOC 6131: Updates will be made to the terminology pertaining to SOC 6131 (nursing aides and auxiliaries). In the past, SOC 6131 was only applicable in settings with registered nurse positions for the purposes of the Immigration Salary List. The setting in which a registered nurse or other qualified health care professional works will be changed.
- Immigration Skills Charge increase: The Immigration Skills Charge will rise by 32% to £1,320 per person annually for applications submitted on or after December 16, 2025.
- English language criteria: The English language standards for skilled worker, high potential individual (HPI), and scale up visas have been upgraded from B1 to B2 for new applications submitted on or after January 8, 2026.
- Graduate Visa Reform: The two-year sponsoring period for graduate visas will be shortened to 18 months for applications submitted on or after January 1, 2027. A PhD graduate visa will continue to be valid for three years.
The HPI and Global Talent Visas have been improved, while the Family and Private Life Visas’ eligibility standards have been adjusted.
A recent update on the announced modifications to the Immigration Rules was released by the Home Office.
The GOV.UK website has a complete list of the Immigration Rules’ revisions.