Immigration white paper: What does it mean for your global talent strategies?

The publication of the government’s much-awaited immigration White Paper – “Restoring Control Over the Immigration System” - was published on 12 May 2025. As a White Paper, this is not new law or any immediate change; however, it is a statement of intent with regards to new legislation and, moreover, it shows the immigration direction of travel.

To put immigration in the UK into context: net migration (the numbers of people entering the UK, calculated against the number of people leaving the UK) was around 900,000 in 2023 and around 720,000 in 2024*. Figures suggest that the majority of migration into the UK is via legal routes, rather than irregular/illegal routes. The White Paper’s proposals are about legal migration: people coming to the UK with jobs, to work in specific sectors, to study or to accompany as dependants.

Whilst we await further details and also official comment, what key areas of note should employers, applicants and higher education establishments be aware of?

Visa routes

The aim, the government have said, of its proposed immigration reforms are about focusing on skills, training and employing domestic workers, rather than relying on importing skills from abroad. To support overseas recruitment plans, employers will need to draw-up new “workforce strategies” to explain and evidence why they need to recruit from overseas and not train/recruit domestically. As well as a workforce strategy, the government also intends to limit future work visas to degree-level occupations as we used to see in the previous "Tier 2" system pre-2020. This change hugely impacts employers, for example, in leisure and hospitality as it restricts the ability to recruit chefs, bar/kitchen managers as well as in the construction sector, which relies heavily on non-degree-level occupations. There will also be an increase in language requirements for main visa applicants and their dependants.

As the proposed changes are aimed at non-skilled workers in particular, it is no surprise that existing skilled workers are unaffected by the White Paper’s proposals. In addition, expect a review of the Innovator Founder Visa route; although the government have said it wants to make it “easier” for employers to recruit the “brightest and best” talent from overseas.

Students, graduates and family visas

Higher education institutions please take note as the White Paper’s proposals could impact on the attractiveness of UK universities to foreign students. For example, the duration of Graduate Visas granted post study are expected to be reduced from 24 months to 18 months and a new English language requirement for all eligible adult dependants is also proposed for the first time.

Student sponsors will need to brace themselves for tougher compliance standards to maintain their ability to recruit international students with a new Red-Amber-Green rating system to track student sponsor compliance. Education providers at risk will face action plans and limits on their international student recruitment. There will also be a new requirement for education providers that use recruitment agents for foreign student enrolment to sign up to the stricter agent management standards set out in the Agent Quality Framework.

We also expect a higher education levy on income received from overseas students to be included in the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget – one to watch.

Another policy area of government review is family migration and there are plans here to “level the playing field” when it comes to granting visas for family members who wish to join someone living, studying or working in the UK including changing salary/income rules and English language requirements.

Sponsorship, salary thresholds and English language

Expect increases in sponsorship salary thresholds (the current minimum is £38,700 (£30,960 for new entrants)) as well as an increase to the Immigration Skills Charge by up to 32%. For most medium/large sponsors this would be £1,320 per sponsored employee and £480.48 per sponsored employee for small sponsors – this is also per year of sponsorship.

Following the recommendations of the 2024 MAC Review, the Immigration Salary List will be replaced with a "Temporary Shortage List” aimed at supporting recruitment in certain unspecified level occupations.

The English language requirement for sponsorship is being enhanced, from Level B1 to B2 of the CEFR for main applicants, indicating an "independent user" who can communicate fluently and confidently in most situations. A language requirement will also be introduced for Dependant Partners for the first time (at a lower level, A1 or “basic user”).

Sector specific – Care sector

Perhaps one of the major proposed changes is to the care sector with the White Paper proposing a ban on the recruitment of overseas care workers until 2028. Employers can continue sponsoring foreign carers already residing in the UK until 2028.

Longer settlement and citizenship

The route to settlement as a Skilled Worker is to be extended from 5 to 10 years. Individuals will be able to argue their route to citizenship should be shortened based on their contribution to UK society and its economy as well as there being different and shorter routes for vulnerable applicants. Lots of questions here, in particular, will there be any transitional provisions? For example, if someone was at 4 years and 10 months in their timeline, will they have to wait an additional 5 years and 2 months before being eligible? There will also be a “revamp” of current Life in the UK Test.

The White Paper does not explain whether this change will be applicable to those who already hold permission in the Skilled Worker category (and the Home Secretary failed to answer this question in the House of Commons on 12 May 2025).

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