Full speed ahead for the White Paper immigration reforms

The Home Office continues to proceed with the large-scale reforms originally announced in the Immigration White Paper in May 2025, some of which came into force in July 2025. These latest changes announced on 14 October 2025 will be coming into effect over the next 18 months. We have set out below a timeline to help you plan for these latest changes.

In the coming weeks

The UK will continue eVisa transition to digitalise the immigration system. In mid-July 2025, the Home Office removed 90-day physical visa vignettes for most main applicants on work and study routes. The next phase, starting in the coming weeks, will extend this to most other visa applications. This is a welcome change and will make the visa process from outside the UK more streamlined and consistent. Eventually all visa holders will be granted digital eVisas as opposed to physical immigration documents.

4 November 2025

The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa route will be expanded to 100 universities – up from 50. This will make this visa category available to a greater number of talented international students allowing them to come to the UK for two years to live and work. It does have an 8,000 annual cap, which is unlikely to be met, and which operates between 1 November and 31 October each year. Again, this is a welcome change and will help businesses with graduate recruitment from the top ranked universities around the world.

16 December 2025

The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) will increase by 32% (assuming the draft regulations are approved by Parliament). For medium to large sponsors this means an extra £320 per year, so for the average 3-year Skilled Woker visa it will cost employers £960 more (and this cannot be passed on to the employee). The UK is already one of the most expensive countries to obtain a visa, and now further increases will need to be budgeted for in the recruitment process. Full details below:

• For medium to large sponsors the ISC will be £1,320 per year (up from £1,000 per year); and
• For small sponsors, the ISC will be £480 per year (up from £364 per year).

Where possible employers should assign Certificates of Sponsorships before the change takes place to take advantage of the lower fees.

8 January 2026

The English Language requirement for new Skilled Worker visas will increase from B1 to B2 standard (upper intermediate). It is important that businesses start to plan for the higher test level well in advance of the changes. The other methods of proving English language will still be acceptable; a university degree taught in English or a passport from an English language majority speaking country. Thankfully, transitional arrangements will be in place for any Skilled Woker visa holders already in the category at the lower B1 level, so there will be no issues for extension applications.

January 2027

The Graduate visa length will be reduced to 18 months (down from two years). Employers will therefore only have one more cohort of UK students switching from Student visas to Graduate visas in Summer and Autumn 2026 that will receive the full two years. The route is currently important to allow UK students who have completed their course to obtain a job in the UK without needing sponsorship. This is a key entry level visa and allows recent student graduates time to reach the relatively high Skilled Worker salary requirements they will need for a Skilled Worker visa. Reducing the Graduate visa to 18 months will put pressure on business to fast track the normal two-year structured apprenticeships and graduate schemes to fit within the shorter period. Employers who have apprenticeships and graduate schemes with a two-year duration will therefore need to consider how they structure their schemes in the 2027 intake year.

Other notable changes

• From 21 October 2025 the Home Office have increased some of the priority service fees associated with a Sponsor Licence. The sponsor change of circumstances priority fee is now £350 (up from £200), and the initial sponsor licence priority fee is now £750 (up from £500).
• Nationals of Botswana (with immediate effect at 3pm BST on 14 October 2025) must now apply for a full Visit visa before travelling to the UK. They can no longer apply for the straightforward ETA. There is a small window for transitional arrangements if a person had already booked travel, but this is limited in scope and applies only if an ETA was already approved and travel booking was made before 3pm on 14 October 2025. This booked travel must then take place before 25 November 2025.
• Palestine, which was formally recognised by the UK in September, will be officially added to the visa national list. From 11 November 2025, Palestinian nationals will be able to officially obtain a Visit visa before visiting the UK.
• From 25 November 2025 the Innovator Founder route is being tweaked to allow Students who have completed their course to establish a business while switching to the Innovator Founder route.
• From 11 November 2025, Global Talent visa holders can use an expanded “prestigious prizes” list and further help is also being provided for architectural graduates to use a greater variety of awards to qualify under this route.

Things that are not happening (yet!)

• Expanding English language testing for dependants has been paused. This is good news for families moving to the UK.
• Increasing the English language requirement for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). This has not been actioned so far.
• Publication of the Earned Settlement and Citizenship consultation. This is expected later in 2025, or early 2026. The consultation will look at moving settlement from five years to 10 years and importantly clarify if this will affect people already in the UK.
• Wider illegal working checks. Later this month, the Home Office will launch a six-week public consultation on extending right to work checks to cover a wider range of working arrangements in the gig economy, the self-employed and agency staff workers.