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    Major UK Immigration Rule Changes March 2025: What Care Workers and Visa Holders Need to Know

    The March 2025 UK Immigration Rule changes introduce mandatory domestic recruitment rules for care providers and raise baseline salary thresholds. Discover the essential evidential requirements, salary floors, and compliance steps for employers and visa holders.

    Wesbridge Associates22 min read

    Reviewed by Wesbridge Associates team on

    The March 2025 Statement of Changes introduces a mandatory domestic recruitment requirement for English care providers, increases minimum salary thresholds across sponsored work categories, and tightens compliance checks on sponsorship and switching. For care workers and visa holders, these updates mean employers must prove they cannot hire locally before issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship, pay higher hourly and annual minimums, and adhere to stricter evidential standards to avoid refusals. Existing visa holders retain certain transitional protections, but future extensions, sponsor changes, and settlement applications must strictly align with the revised baseline rules.

    Overview of the March 2025 Immigration Changes

    The changes published in the March 2025 Statement of Changes take effect primarily on 9 April 2025, with specific grace periods extending into late April 2025 for affected travel categories. These amendments modify key areas of the UK Immigration Rules, focusing heavily on worker protection, wage floor enforcement, and domestic workforce prioritisation within the health and social care sector.

    The policy adjustments address long-standing concerns regarding overseas recruitment abuses, modern slavery risks, and wage suppression in low-wage sectors. At the same time, technical amendments have been introduced to streamline administrative reviews, standardise family definitions across humanitarian schemes, and update evidentiary criteria for specialised routes like Global Talent and Student visas.

    Understanding these changes requires examining both the employer sponsor duties and the individual worker requirements, as a failure at either level leads directly to Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) cancellations or visa application refusals.

    The Health and Care Worker Route: Mandatory Domestic Recruitment

    The headline reform affecting the social care sector is the formal requirement for care providers in England to conduct and evidence robust domestic recruitment campaigns before seeking overseas sponsorship. This measure is intended to curb excessive overseas recruitment where domestic labour pools have not been exhausted.

    The "Domestic First" Recruitment Mandate

    From 9 April 2025, adult social care providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England sponsoring individuals under Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes 6135 (Care workers and home carers) and 6136 (Senior care workers) must demonstrate genuine, unsuccessful efforts to recruit from the UK resident labour market.

    This requirement differs from the historical Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT), which applied rigid advertising windows across specified job boards. Instead, the 2025 mandate focuses on verifiable recruitment audit trails, requiring employers to demonstrate:

    1. Genuine active advertising across local and national employment channels, including the government Find a Job service or recognised sector-specific platforms.
    2. Genuine outreach to UK-settled workers and non-sponsored workers already possessing unrestricted UK work rights.
    3. Detailed records of candidate shortlisting, interviews conducted, and specific, lawful reasons why resident applicants were deemed unsuitable.
    4. Proof that the pay and working conditions offered to resident workers matched or exceeded the terms offered to prospective sponsored migrants.

    If an employer cannot produce this audit trail when requesting a Defined Certificate of Sponsorship (DCoS) or during a Home Office compliance audit, the Home Office will refuse the CoS request, suspend the sponsor licence, or initiate revocation proceedings.

    Step-by-Step Pre-Sponsorship Workflow for Care Providers

    To sponsor an overseas care worker under the new framework, an organisation must navigate a sequential verification process:

    1. Local Vacancy Assessment: The provider must identify genuine vacancies arising from business expansion, natural attrition, or documented contractual care obligations.
    2. Resident Labour Campaign: The provider must run an active recruitment campaign within the UK for a minimum recommended period of 28 consecutive days, documenting every application received.
    3. Candidate Screening and Audit Logging: All application forms, interview notes, scoring matrices, and rejection logs must be retained on the employer Human Resources management system in compliance with Appendix D retention guidance.
    4. Defined CoS Application: When submitting a DCoS request via the Sponsorship Management System (SMS), the authorising officer or Level 1 user must explicitly declare that domestic recruitment was undertaken, providing summary details of the campaign in the application notes.
    5. Home Office Verification: Home Office caseworkers may issue an evidential request requiring full submission of the recruitment logs before granting the DCoS. If the evidence is deemed generic, incomplete, or implausible, the DCoS will be refused.
    6. Visa Application: Once assigned, the candidate submits their Health and Care Worker visa application, referencing the unique DCoS number and satisfying all personal eligibility criteria.
    +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
    |                                 SPONSOR RECRUITMENT FLOW                                |
    +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                                 |
                                                 v
                      +-----------------------------------------------------+
                      | 1. Identify Genuine Vacancy (Care Worker/Senior)    |
                      +-----------------------------------------------------+
                                                 |
                                                 v
                      +-----------------------------------------------------+
                      | 2. Run 28-Day Domestic Recruitment Campaign         |
                      +-----------------------------------------------------+
                                                 |
                                                 v
                      +-----------------------------------------------------+
                      | 3. Collate Evidence (Logs, Resumes, Rejections)     |
                      +-----------------------------------------------------+
                                                 |
                            +--------------------+--------------------+
                            |                                         |
                            v                                         v
                 [Resident Found Suitable]                 [No Suitable Resident]
                            |                                         |
                            v                                         v
                 [Hire Domestic Worker]                    +--------------------------+
                 [No Sponsorship Needed]                   | 4. Submit DCoS Request   |
                                                           |    with Domestic Audit   |
                                                           +--------------------------+
                                                                      |
                                                                      v
                                                           +--------------------------+
                                                           | 5. Home Office Decision  |
                                                           +--------------------------+
                                                                      |
                                                +---------------------+---------------------+
                                                |                                           |
                                                v                                           v
                                         [DCoS Refused]                              [DCoS Granted]
                                                |                                           |
                                                v                                           v
                                       [Cease Sponsorship /                     [Assign CoS to Candidate;
                                         Review License]                         Candidate Applies for Visa]
    

    Revised Salary Thresholds and National Living Wage Alignment

    In tandem with annual statutory wage increases, the Home Office has revised salary floors across all points-based work routes to prevent undercut wages and maintain alignment with the National Living Wage.

    Baseline and Going Rate Uplifts

    From April 2025, baseline salary thresholds across the Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker routes increase. For standard Skilled Worker applications, the general salary threshold operates against higher percentiles of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). For the Health and Care Worker route, where jobs are listed on national pay scales or regulated care bands, wages must equal or exceed both the statutory general threshold and the applicable hourly minimum.

    The standard minimum hourly rate for sponsored workers increases to £12.82 per hour, reflecting the updated statutory baseline. Sponsoring employers must ensure that the gross salary divided by the contracted hours equals at least the required hourly threshold, irrespective of the headline annual salary.

    Summary Table: Salary Thresholds and Sponsorship Parameters

    Route / Worker CategoryPrevious Minimum ThresholdNew Minimum Threshold (From April 2025)Hourly Rate FloorPrimary Evidentiary Document
    Skilled Worker (Standard Option A)£38,700 per annum£41,500 per annum£15.88 per hourCertificate of Sponsorship, Employment Contract, Payslips
    Skilled Worker (Transitional / Pre-April 2024 Entrants)£29,000 per annum£31,300 per annum£12.82 per hourPrevious grant notice, CoS, Updated employment contract
    Health and Care Worker (Standard Non-Pay Scale)£29,000 per annum£31,300 per annum£12.82 per hourCQC registration proof, CoS, Payroll records
    Health and Care Worker (Care Worker 6135 / Senior 6136)£23,200 per annum£25,000 per annum£12.82 per hourCoS with domestic recruitment notes, CQC licence
    Health and Care Worker (National Pay Scales - NHS)Band rate minimumUpdated NHS Agenda for Change band minimumRespective Band Hourly RateNHS Trust Appointment Letter, CoS

    Calculation Rules and Working Hours Limits

    A critical compliance trigger is the mathematical interaction between annual salary, contracted hours, and hourly pay. The Home Office assesses salary based on a maximum standard working week of 48 hours for calculation purposes under Appendix Skilled Worker.

    If an employer offers an annual salary of £25,000 to a care worker under SOC code 6135 based on a 40-hour working week:

    $$\text{Hourly Rate} = \frac{£25,000}{40 \times 52} = \frac{£25,000}{2,080} = £12.02 \text{ per hour}$$

    Because £12.02 is below the mandatory £12.82 hourly minimum, this CoS will lead to a direct visa refusal. To satisfy the £12.82 hourly rate at 40 hours per week, the annual salary must be adjusted:

    $$\text{Required Annual Salary} = 40 \times 52 \times £12.82 = £26,665.60$$

    Sponsors cannot artificially deflate contracted hours on paper while requiring additional unrecorded hours. Discrepancies between the CoS working hours and actual payroll submissions to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) via Real Time Information (RTI) data sharing will trigger automatic compliance flags.

    Cross-Route Policy and Procedural Changes

    The March 2025 updates extend beyond the adult social care sector, affecting multiple entry routes, international exchange schemes, and humanitarian frameworks.

    Electronic Travel Authorisation and Visitor Visa Adjustments

    The roll-out of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme has undergone urgent adjustments. Most notably, nationals of Trinidad and Tobago have been removed from ETA eligibility and returned to the mandatory Transit and Standard Visitor Visa regimes.

    This immediate re-imposition of visa requirements followed border intelligence identifying misuse of visa-free travel provisions, including unauthorised employment and non-genuine visitor activities. To prevent immediate disruption to genuine travellers who had already purchased tickets, a transition period was established:

    • Travel bookings confirmed prior to 15:00 GMT on 12 March 2025 remain valid for travel without a visitor visa up to 23 April 2025, provided the individual arrives in the UK before that date.
    • Any travel booked after this cut-off requires a full Standard Visitor Visa application submitted and granted prior to departure.

    Separately, the Home Office introduced an exemption from the ETA requirement for French school groups visiting the UK on organised educational visits, expanding earlier bilateral agreements to facilitate educational travel without imposing disproportionate digital permissions on minors.

    Ukraine Support Schemes: Child Safeguarding and Family Alignment

    Modifications have been applied to the Ukraine Scheme rules, primarily within the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme:

    1. Under-18 Provisions: Children who were previously granted Leave to Enter outside the standard Immigration Rules are now formally incorporated into the UPE pathway, ensuring they can extend their status lawfully without requiring complex discretionary representations.
    2. Harmonisation of Family Definitions: Family relationship criteria between the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme have been reconciled. Under the revised rules, step-parents are consistently classified under "relatives" rather than "parents," standardising the evidentiary threshold required for accompanying minors.

    EU Settlement Scheme Technical Clarifications

    The Home Office has enacted operational clarifications under Appendix EU to streamline status checks and prevent abuse:

    • Expired Biometric Documentation: Non-EEA family members holding expired UK-issued biometric residence cards can rely on these documents for evidential verification up to 18 months past their stated expiration date, provided their underlying status under Appendix EU remains intact.
    • Administrative Review Rights: Guidance has been formalised confirming that an individual with an in-time, valid Administrative Review application pending against an EUSS refusal retains protection against removal and maintains statutory continuity of leave.
    • Post-2020 EU Citizenship: Clearer restrictions prevent individuals who acquired EU/EEA citizenship after 31 December 2020 through naturalisation from using that newly acquired citizenship to sponsor family members under the pre-exit framework.

    Student and Child Student Routes: Academic Progression and Supervision

    Targeted changes have been made to the Student and Child Student routes:

    • Doctoral Supervisors Transfer Exemption: PhD students whose primary academic supervisors move from one higher education institution to another are now exempt from standard Academic Progress requirements when transferring institutions. This allows doctoral researchers to follow their lead academic without having to restart degrees or leave the UK to submit new visa applications.
    • Child Student Supervision: Stricter guardian background checks and residential accommodation inspections have been introduced under Appendix Child Student. Close relatives acting as private foster carers must provide enhanced verification of suitability, accommodation adequacy, and financial capacity before leave will be granted.

    Global Talent Route Refinements

    Endorsing bodies under Appendix Global Talent have refined their assessment criteria to enhance evidentiary standards:

    • British Fashion Council (Arts Council England): Applicants must now provide a full, structured curriculum vitae alongside verifiable proof of media coverage specifically highlighting their individual role as a lead designer or major creative contributor, rather than generic brand coverage.
    • Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA): Submissions must include explicit documentation of international peer recognition, project oversight, and career trajectory across multiple completed architectural projects.
    • Pact (Film and Television): Evidentiary thresholds have been restructured to focus on verifiable personal contribution to award-winning productions, eliminating reliance on general company credits.

    Mandatory Evidence and Documentation: What Caseworkers Inspect

    When evaluating applications submitted under the revised rules, Home Office caseworkers apply strict evidential standards. Deficiencies in supporting evidence will lead to summary refusals without mandatory requests for clarification.

    +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
    |                         CASEWORKER EVIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA                       |
    +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                                 |
             +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
             |                                   |                                   |
             v                                   v                                   v
    +-----------------------+   +-------------------------------+   +-----------------------+
    | 1. Sponsor Audit      |   | 2. Financial & Salary         |   | 3. Candidate Profile  |
    +-----------------------+   +-------------------------------+   +-----------------------+
    | - 28-day local ads    |   | - Hourly rate >= £12.82       |   | - TB certificate      |
    | - Applicant logs      |   | - Annual salary >= threshold  |   | - Criminal record     |
    | - Rejection rationale |   | - Max 48-hr week calculation  |   | - English level B1/B2 |
    | - CQC registration    |   | - HMRC RTI payroll alignment  |   | - Valid passport      |
    +-----------------------+   +-------------------------------+   +-----------------------+
    

    Employer Evidentiary Requirements for Care Sponsorship

    To secure a Defined CoS under the April 2025 rules, adult social care providers must maintain the following file documentation for inspection:

    1. Proof of CQC Registration: Confirmation that the operating location is actively registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide regulated activities involving personal or nursing care.
    2. Local Advertising Evidence: Full copies of job adverts placed across domestic portals, displaying the date posted, closing date, job title, exact job description, and offered salary range.
    3. Applicant Tracking Documentation: A complete log of all individuals who applied for the advertised position, indicating:
      • Name and contact information.
      • Immigration status or right to work profile (e.g., British citizen, settled status, dependent visa).
      • Interview assessment scores.
      • Objective, lawful reasons for non-selection.
    4. Organisational Structure and Rota Demands: Detailed staff rotas and commercial client care contracts demonstrating a genuine deficit in staff hours that cannot be serviced by existing personnel.

    Individual Applicant Document Checklist

    Applicants submitting applications under the Health and Care Worker route must provide:

    • Valid Certificate of Sponsorship: Containing matching personal details, appropriate SOC code (6135 or 6136), and mandatory sponsor representations regarding domestic recruitment.
    • Criminal Record Certificates: An original overseas criminal record certificate from every country where the applicant has resided for 12 months or more over the preceding 10 years, issued within the valid operational window.
    • English Language Proficiency: Verifiable proof of meeting at least Level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), demonstrated via an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), an eligible degree taught in English verified by Ecctis, or qualifying nationality.
    • Tuberculosis Screening Certificate: A valid clearance certificate from a Home Office-approved medical clinic, if resident in a listed country for more than 6 months.
    • Financial Maintenance: Bank statements demonstrating at least £1,270 in cleared personal funds held for a continuous 28-day period, unless the A-rated sponsor formally certifies maintenance on the CoS.

    What Caseworkers Look At

    Caseworkers scrutinise both the technical details of the application and the economic credibility of the job offer. Key areas of inspection include:

    • Genuine Vacancy Assessment: Caseworkers cross-reference the number of sponsored migrants employed by the business against its registered care capacity or client roster. If a small care agency with limited client contracts requests multiple Defined Certificates of Sponsorship, caseworkers will trigger a compliance referral.
    • Wage Verification via PAYE Data: The Home Office utilises automated data-sharing protocols with HMRC. If a worker is granted a visa based on a £25,000 annual salary, but PAYE submissions show a lower taxable pay rate or reduced hours, an automated compliance alert is raised against the sponsor licence.
    • Job Description and SOC Alignment: Caseworkers assess whether the duties detailed in the CoS genuinely reflect the assigned SOC code or if the role has been artificially categorised under a higher-skilled code to bypass immigration hurdles.

    Common Pitfalls, Compliance Traps, and Refusal Triggers

    Navigating the revised rules requires precision. Below are the primary failure points that lead to application refusals, CoS cancellations, and sponsor licence sanctions.

    1. Inadequate or Contrived Domestic Recruitment Records

    Submitting generic statements claiming that "local recruitment was attempted but no applicants applied" is insufficient. If the Home Office issues an evidential request and the sponsor cannot produce dated advertisements, original resumes received, and objective scoring sheets, the CoS request will be refused. Submitting fabricated interview logs or post-dating recruitment records constitutes deception under Part 9 of the Immigration Rules, triggering mandatory sponsor licence revocation and a 10-year ban for the migrant if complicit.

    2. The Hourly Pay Trap

    A frequent error occurs when an employer meets the annual salary minimum (e.g., £25,000) but specifies a standard working week of 40 or 44 hours without increasing the gross annual pay to preserve the £12.82 hourly floor. Caseworkers will refuse the application outright under paragraph SW 14.1 of Appendix Skilled Worker without seeking alternative calculations from the sponsor.

    3. Unlawful Deduction or Passing of Sponsorship Costs

    Under UK immigration legislation and the Worker Sponsor Guidance, the employer is strictly prohibited from passing statutory sponsorship costs to the worker. These non-transferable costs include:

    • The Sponsor Licence application and renewal fees.
    • The Certificate of Sponsorship assignment fee.
    • The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC).
    • Any third-party legal or agent fees incurred directly by the business to obtain the licence or CoS.

    If caseworkers discover, through interviews or payroll deductions, that a care worker has paid any portion of these fees (or had them deducted from their gross wages), the worker visa will be refused or curtailed, and the sponsor licence revoked immediately.

    4. Flawed SOC Code Mapping

    Assigning a worker to SOC code 6136 (Senior Care Worker) when their day-to-day duties do not involve shift leadership, medication administration oversight, staff supervision, or complex care planning is treated as misclassification. If the caseworker determines the role is fundamentally that of an entry-level care assistant (SOC 6135), but the sponsor lacked permission to hire under that code or attempted to bypass salary baselines, the visa will be refused under the Genuine Vacancy test.

    5. Section 3C Leave Breaches During In-Country Switching

    Workers transitioning from other visa routes (such as Graduate or Student visas) into the Health and Care Worker route must submit their in-country application before their existing leave expires. If an applicant submits an application after their current permission has lapsed, they become an overstayer under Section 89 of the Immigration Act 1971.

    Overstayers cannot benefit from statutory leave extension under Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971. In this scenario, the applicant loses the right to work immediately, and the application must be refused under general grounds for refusal unless the narrow 14-day exceptional circumstances exception applies.

    Edge Cases and Transitional Arrangements

    Understanding how the new rules apply to specific migrant cohorts requires examining transitional provisions, dependant eligibility rules, and continuous residence frameworks.

    Transitional Protections for Existing Health and Care Workers

    Migrants who held valid leave as a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker under SOC codes 6135 or 6136 prior to the implementation of major rule changes benefit from specific transitional protections:

    • Visa Extensions: An individual extending their stay with their current sponsor, or switching to a new care sponsor, is not subject to the increased general threshold applied to non-care Skilled Workers (£41,500). They must, however, be paid at least the updated lower wage floor (£25,000 or £12.82 per hour, whichever is higher).
    • Settlement (ILR) Protections: Those on the route prior to the major uplifts can qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) based on the transitional earnings rate, provided their salary satisfies the statutory hourly rate throughout their qualifying continuous period.

    Dependant Restrictions and Permitted Exceptions

    The prohibition against care workers (SOC 6135) and senior care workers (SOC 6136) bringing family dependants to the UK remains strictly enforced under the consolidated rules. However, two primary exceptions exist:

    1. Pre-March 2024 Continuous Cohort: Individuals who entered the route on a visa granted before 11 March 2024 and have continuously maintained valid permission under the Health and Care route are permitted to extend their leave and retain their existing dependants in the UK.
    2. Children Born in the UK: A child born in the UK to a care worker holding valid leave can apply in-country for permission to stay as a dependant, allowing regularised status alongside the parent.

    Care workers who entered the route after 11 March 2024 cannot sponsor spouses, partners, or children to join them in the UK under any circumstances while holding permission under SOC 6135 or 6136.

    In-Country Switching from Student and Graduate Routes

    Students wishing to switch into the Health and Care Worker route must satisfy strict academic completion rules before their sponsor can assign a CoS:

    • Degree-Level Students: Must have completed their course of study or be within 3 months of the course completion date stated on their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
    • PhD Students: Must have completed at least 24 months of study toward their doctorate in the UK before they are eligible to switch into a sponsored work route.
    • Graduate Visa Holders: May switch into the Health and Care Worker route at any point during their valid Graduate leave, provided the employer satisfies the domestic recruitment audit requirements.

    Employers cannot issue a CoS to an active undergraduate student before the completion thresholds are formally verified by the educational provider.

    Continuous Residence and Absence Limits for Settlement

    Health and Care Worker visa holders seeking settlement after 5 years must satisfy the continuous residence requirement under Appendix Continuous Residence. Key parameters include:

    • Absence Caps: The applicant must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period during the 5-year qualifying period.
    • Permitted Work Absences: Absences spent assisting with national or international humanitarian crises or medical emergencies overseas can be formally disregarded, provided full documentary proof and employer letters are submitted.
    • Evidential Continuity: Any gap in lawful status that breaks Section 3C leave will reset the 5-year continuous residence clock to zero, requiring the individual to rebuild the qualifying period from the date of the subsequent grant.
    +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
    |                         5-YEAR CONTINUOUS RESIDENCE TIMELINE                            |
    +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
    
    Year 1          Year 2          Year 3          Year 4          Year 5          Settlement (ILR)
    |---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------| [Apply at 5 Years]
      < 180 Days      < 180 Days      < 180 Days      < 180 Days      < 180 Days
      Absence /       Absence /       Absence /       Absence /       Absence /
      12-mo roll      12-mo roll      12-mo roll      12-mo roll      12-mo roll
    
    * Rule: Continuous Section 3C leave maintained throughout.
    * Rule: Salary must satisfy £12.82/hr and relevant threshold at date of ILR application.
    * Rule: No unevidenced breaks in employment or unauthorized sponsor changes.
    

    With increased compliance scrutiny, employers failing to adhere to the revised domestic recruitment audit rules risk administrative sanctions:

    • Suspension: If the Home Office discovers irregular recruitment practices, the sponsor licence is suspended. During suspension, existing workers can continue working, but no new CoS can be requested or assigned.
    • Revocation and 60-Day Curtailment: If the licence is revoked, all sponsored workers receive a formal Home Office Curtailment Notice reducing their remaining permission to 60 calendar days (or until their existing visa expires, whichever is shorter).
    • Action Required During Curtailment: Within this 60-day window, the worker must find a new licensed sponsor to assign a valid CoS and submit a new visa application, switch into another immigration category, or depart the UK. Working after the 60-day period expires constitutes illegal working and will permanently compromise future immigration applications.

    Step-by-Step Strategic Action Plan

    Both employers and individual visa holders must adjust their procedures to align with the revised immigration requirements.

    Action Plan for Sponsor Licence Holders

    1. Conduct a Human Resources and Salary Audit: Review all active sponsored staff files against the updated £12.82 hourly minimum and annual thresholds. Ensure all future salary adjustments are reflected in employment contracts and HMRC RTI submissions.
    2. Establish a Domestic Recruitment Protocol: Implement a standardised 28-day local recruitment campaign process for all upcoming care vacancies. Create auditable recruitment packs containing advertisements, application logs, and structured candidate rejection feedback.
    3. Review SMS User Access and Declarations: Ensure Level 1 and Level 2 SMS users understand the new mandatory declarations required when requesting Defined Certificates of Sponsorship.
    4. Audit Right to Work Files: Verify that all sponsored workers are working strictly within their contracted hours and that any secondary employment complies with the permitted 20-hour weekly supplementary work limit under an eligible SOC code.

    Action Plan for Sponsored Workers and Applicants

    1. Verify Contracted Rates: Check that the salary and contracted hours specified on your CoS equal at least £12.82 per hour and satisfy the minimum threshold (£25,000 for care workers or the appropriate standard threshold).
    2. Track Visa Expiry Dates: Initiate extension or switching applications at least 3 months prior to the expiry of current leave. Ensure all mandatory supporting documents (SELT, Ecctis, TB screening, Police Clearances) are updated and fully valid.
    3. Monitor Permitted Absences: Maintain a personal travel log documenting every entry and exit from the UK to ensure absences remain well below the 180-day limit in any rolling 12-month period for future ILR eligibility.
    4. Maintain Right to Work Proof: Ensure your digital immigration status (eVisa) accurately reflects your current grant of leave and share share-codes with your employer to maintain lawful employment records.

    Practical Next Steps

    To navigate these changes without risk of non-compliance or application refusals, employers should immediately review their recruitment and payroll procedures against the revised thresholds, while visa holders should audit their status and timelines well ahead of extension or settlement milestones. Both sponsors and applicants should consult the latest published Home Office guidance on GOV.UK to confirm current requirements before submitting sponsorship requests or visa applications.

    Reviewed by Wesbridge Associates team on . We check our published guidance against GOV.UK and current Home Office rules.

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