4 Major Changes from 9th April 2025 | New UK Immigration changes

Summary

This video discusses key changes to the UK's immigration system, particularly focusing on work visas, care sector recruitment, and new electronic travel authorization requirements. Starting from April 9th, 2025, visa costs will rise for sponsor licenses and skilled worker visas. Additionally, care providers in England must prioritize UK-based workers before recruiting overseas. A salary increase for care workers and senior carers is also outlined. The video also highlights the need for a more effective immigration system and the forthcoming white paper to address these challenges. Ara, a lead business analyst, offers services in study abroad assistance, job training, and business analyst training.

Takeaways

• 😀 The UK's immigration system is facing criticism for not prioritizing highly skilled workers needed for economic growth, with only 32% of work visas allocated to them over the last four years.
• 😀 Many work visas were issued to sectors such as hospitality, construction, and care, raising concerns about the skills mismatch in the UK's workforce.
• 😀 The National Audit Office (NAO) found that recent changes to the skilled worker visa route were made without proper understanding of their impacts, leading to a surge in asylum claims from skilled workers.
• 😀 From April 9, 2025, there will be an increase in visa and sponsor license fees, including a rise in certificate of sponsorship fees from £239 to £525.
• 😀 Small and medium businesses will see an increase in sponsor license fees from £536 to £575, while large businesses will face similar increases.
• 😀 Skilled worker visa fees for applicants from outside the UK will rise, with fees for up to 3 years increasing from £719 to £769, and over 3 years from £1,420 to £1,519.
• 😀 In-country skilled worker application fees will also increase, with fees for up to 3 years rising from £827 to £885 and over 3 years from £1,636 to £1,750.
• 😀 From April 9, 2025, care providers in England must first attempt to hire UK-based displaced care workers before recruiting overseas workers, aiming to prevent exploitation and encourage responsible sponsorship.
• 😀 More than 470 sponsor licenses were revoked in the care sector between 2022 and 2024, impacting over 49,000 workers who were associated with these sponsors.
• 😀 The minimum salary floor for care workers and senior carers will increase from £23,200 to £25,000 per annum, reflecting the need for fair wages in the sector and aligning with the government's focus on skills and workforce development.

Q & A

What percentage of work visas in the UK were issued to highly skilled professionals in the past 4 years?

Out of approximately 560,000 work visas issued in the last 4 years, only about 32% were given to highly skilled professionals, which amounts to less than 181,000.

What criticism is directed at the UK's immigration system based on the data presented?

Critics argue that the UK's immigration system is outdated, failing to prioritize important sectors and attracting top global talent for critical industries, which affects economic growth.

How has the UK's asylum claim data changed from 2022 to 2024?

The number of asylum claims from skilled workers increased sharply, from 53 in 2022 to over 5,300 in the first 10 months of 2024.

What is the current stance of the UK government regarding immigration reforms?

The UK government plans to rethink its immigration policies and has postponed the release of a comprehensive immigration white paper until after the local elections in May 2025.

What changes to visa costs were announced to take effect on April 9, 2025?

Starting on April 9, 2025, several visa and sponsor license fees will increase, including skilled worker visa fees, sponsor license fees for small and medium businesses, and certificate of sponsorship fees.

What specific increase in visa fees for skilled workers is highlighted?

For skilled worker visas, the fee for applications from outside the UK has increased from £719 to £769 for visas of up to 3 years, and from £1,420 to £1,519 for visas over 3 years.

What changes are being implemented in the recruitment of care workers starting April 9, 2025?

From April 9, 2025, care providers in England must first attempt to hire from within the UK before recruiting care workers or senior care workers from overseas, as part of updated sponsor guidance.

Why were over 470 sponsor licenses revoked in the care sector between July 2022 and December 2024?

Over 470 sponsor licenses were revoked due to concerns about abuse and exploitation within the care sector, leaving many workers without sponsorship.

How will the new salary threshold for care workers affect recruitment?

The minimum salary for care workers and senior carers will increase from £23,200 (11.9 per hour) to £25,000 (12.82 per hour), while the general salary threshold for most skilled workers is £38,700 or the going rate for the occupation.

What new requirement for visitors to the UK will come into effect on April 9, 2025?

Starting April 9, 2025, all visitors to the UK, except British and Irish nationals, will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).