the new rules are yet to be approved by Parliament but are expected to come into effect from July 22.
UK Introduces Tougher Visa Norms to Curb Skilled Migration
The British government on Tuesday introduced the first set of tougher visa norms in the House of Commons, The Hindustan Times reported.
According to the report, the stricter visa rules aim to limit the recruitment of foreign skilled workers across various sectors, including the care industry.
These proposed changes were introduced under the ‘Immigration White Paper’ presented in May 2025. Key revisions include an increase in the skills and salary thresholds for foreign workers — including Indians — the termination of overseas recruitment for care workers, and the removal of over 100 professions, such as chefs and plasterers, from the Shortage Occupation List, which previously allowed certain visa exemptions.
As per the Hindustan Times report, the new rules are yet to be approved by Parliament but are expected to come into effect from July 22.
The changes are designed to attract workers with graduate-level qualifications or higher, thereby rendering several low-paid jobs ineligible for work visas.
“We are delivering a complete reset of our immigration system to restore proper control and order, after the previous government allowed net migration to quadruple in four years,” UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was quoted as saying.
“These new rules mean stronger controls to bring migration down, to restore order to the immigration system, and to ensure we focus on investing in skills and training here in the UK,” she added.
The Home Secretary further stated that the new framework “values skills, tackles exploitation, and ensures those who come to the UK make a genuine contribution.”
The report also cited UK minister Seema Malhotra, who clarified that skilled workers already residing in the UK would be exempted from the increased skill level requirement.
Under the new guidelines, applicants will need to hold a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent starting July 22, when the changes are scheduled to be implemented.
“Salary requirements for work visas are being raised in line with the latest Office for National Statistics data, ahead of an upcoming thorough review of salary thresholds — including discounts — by the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC),” Malhotra said in a parliamentary statement.
The UK Home Office stated that these measures are a significant step toward ending the country's reliance on low-skilled foreign labour.
“Workers in occupations listed under the temporary shortage list will no longer be allowed to bring dependants, and will not be eligible for salary or visa fee discounts. The occupations on the list are time-limited until the end of 2026 and will remain beyond that date only if recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee,” the Home Office added.
