UK Immigration Changes 2025: What Employers and Migrants Need to Know About New Rules, Costs, and Compliance

Recruty Ltd
Apr 9
3 min read

Introduction: Major Immigration Shake-Up in the UK for 2025 As the UK continues to refine its immigration policies, 2025 brings a series of impactful changes that employers and skilled workers alike need to understand. From rising visa costs to stricter sponsor compliance, businesses must adapt quickly to stay compliant and competitive in attracting global talent.

1. Skilled Worker Visa and Sponsorship Changes: What Employers Must Know

From 9 April 2025, care sector employers in England face a crucial change: they must prioritise local recruitment before hiring skilled workers from abroad. Sponsors will now need confirmation from a regional partnership that they attempted to recruit from within the UK first.

Key Updates for Sponsors:

Minimum salary for Health and Care Workers raised to £25,000
Band 3 healthcare roles no longer meet the threshold
Increased sponsor licence scrutiny with over 500 licences revoked in 2024
Stricter enforcement of sponsor compliance from UKVI
Sponsors are prohibited from passing key costs to workers (more below)

2. Sponsorship Costs: New Rules from December 2024

Starting 31 December 2024, employers can no longer pass certain sponsorship costs to skilled workers. This change aims to combat exploitation and reduce work-related debt.

Costs Employers Must Cover:

Sponsor Licence Application Fee
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Fee
Immigration Skills Charge (already prohibited)

However, employers can still recoup visa application fees, Immigration Health Surcharge, and Home Office partner charges.

3. Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Scheme Rollout

Similar to the US ESTA, the UK ETA will be mandatory for visa-free visitors from 8 January 2025 (non-Europeans) and 2 April 2025 (Europeans). It is not applicable to UK visa holders or British/Irish nationals.

ETA Fee Update:

From 9 April, the cost of an ETA rises from £10 to £16.

4. Transition to eVisas by 2025 UKVI is replacing physical documents like BRPs with digital eVisas. While BRPs remain valid for travel until 31 March 2025, all visa holders are encouraged to create their eVisa accounts on GOV.UK.

Why This Matters to Employers:

eVisa simplifies proof of right to work and right to rent
Ensures smoother recruitment and compliance verification

5. Graduate Visa and Skilled Worker Route Switching Effective 22 November 2024, the UK Home Office has updated the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) categories to streamline the transition from the Graduate Visa to the Skilled Worker Route. Sponsors are now required to use the specific CoS category: “Skilled Work (Student course complete switching to Skilled Worker)” when facilitating this switch. This change aims to simplify the process and reduce delays caused by incorrect category selection.

The Graduate Visa permits international students to remain in the UK for at least two years after successfully completing an eligible course. To switch to a Skilled Worker Visa, applicants must have a confirmed job offer from a UK employer approved by the Home Office, meeting the requisite skill and salary thresholds. The updated CoS category ensures that applications are correctly classified, facilitating a smoother transition for both sponsors and applicants.

For detailed guidance on the Skilled Worker Visa and the switching process, refer to the official UK government resources:

Skilled Worker Visa Overview:
GOV.UK
Switching to a Skilled Worker Visa:
GOV.UK

Employers and applicants are advised to familiarize themselves with these changes to ensure compliance and avoid unnecessary processing delays.

6. Right-to-Work Checks: Updated Rules and Penalties The scope of right-to-work checks has expanded to include staff hired via service contracts or apprenticeships. Employers are legally liable for failures—even when third-party identity providers are used. 7. UK Work Visa Fee Increases from April 2025 Visa fees are increasing across the board from 9 April 2025. Here's a breakdown:

Visa Type	Old Fee	New Fee
Skilled Worker (<3 years)	£719	£769
Skilled Worker (>3 years)	£1,420	£1,519
Health & Care Worker (<3 years)	£284	£304
Health & Care Worker (>3 years)	£551	£590
Senior/Specialist Worker (<3 years)	£719	£769
Senior/Specialist Worker (>3 years)	£1,420	£1,519