UK immigration: July 2025 Statement of Changes - Health and Care sector

Key takeaways for Skill Level

• New hires from outside the UK are closed for Care Workers (SOC 6135) and Senior Care Workers (6136) and in-country switching applications will only remain open until 22 July 2028*, after which these roles will be removed from the Immigration Salary List and the Temporary Shortage List
• If the sponsor is regulated by QCC England and the job is in a registered part of the business, it is possible to switch or extend under SOC 6135 and 6136 or for those who are not working in a QCQ registered part of the business need to have been working in 6135 or 6136 for three months and have been continually sponsored under SW in same SOC since before 11/03/2024 under old SOC 6145 or 6146 and must be applying to extend with the same sponsor as the last grant of leave
• QCQ rules only apply in England and outside of England only need to meet switch if worked in SOC in last three months and extend if currently sponsored in the SOC

*Workers must have been legally employed by their sponsor for at least 3 months prior to their application to qualify

Key takeaways for Salary

• SOC 6135 and 6136 are on the Immigration Salary List and expected to stay there until 22 July 2028
• Those who are switching in to SW Table 1a applies, General Threshold £30,960 and Going Rate £33,400, Hourly rate £17.13 per hour
• Those who are currently sponsored in SW Table 2AA applies General Threshold £25,000 and Going Rate £25,000, Hourly rate £12.82 per hour

Actions for Sponsors

1. Salary review: Undertake an audit of all sponsored workers to review salary against the rules effective from 22 July 2025, and ensure salaries meet relevant thresholds going forward
2. Review of recruitment pipeline: Ensure that individuals who will continue to be sponsored that do not meet the new requirements are issued a CoS before 22 July 2025 (note that the SMS will be down for 48 hours so it is recommended this is done on or before 18:00 on 21 July 2025)
3. Recruitment strategy: review any pipeline sponsorship plans and submit applications in 6135 and 6136 as soon as possible before 22 July 2025.  In-country switching into these codes remains permitted until 22 July 2028, provided the employee has worked for the sponsor for at least three months. Recruitment strategies should be updated to align with the new requirements and maintain a strong talent pipeline for the business
4. Updating policy documents and training: HR teams should stay informed of the latest changes, including updated skill and salary thresholds. Offer letter templates and immigration policies must be revised to reflect new rules and remain up to date on dependants, and relevant training should be provided to HR and mobility staff
5. SMS actions: For CoS’ assigned from 22 July 2025 you should clearly state how the worker meets the eligibility criteria as set out in the sponsor guidance. You should also ensure for SOC 6135 and 6136 you tick to confirm if the job is on the current Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List (‘TSL’) which will be amended to include the TSL from 22 July 2025

The Government is expected to announce further details later this year on the proposed increase to the Immigration Skills Charge and the new English language requirements. These anticipated changes should be incorporated into workforce planning and any budgeting discussions.

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