The UK changed its rules for skilled workers, students, families and employers between 2024 and 2026. This article was first published on 12 January 2026 and was updated on 6 November 2026 so that every figure matches what gov.uk currently states. It covers the changes that matter most to Indian applicants.
Important Notice
The changes outlined in this article came into effect in stages from 2024 to 2026. Existing visa holders should check whether transitional arrangements apply to their situation. New applicants must meet the updated requirements from their effective dates.
Key Changes at a Glance
Skilled Worker Visa: The Current Salary and Skill Rules
Two changes took effect on 22 July 2025: the general salary threshold rose, and the minimum skill level went back to degree level. The figures below are the ones that apply now.
General Salary Threshold
Applies to most Skilled Worker applications from 22 July 2025. The £38,700 figure applied from 4 April 2024.
Health and Education Roles
Listed health and education jobs paid on national pay scales, from 22 July 2025
What Does This Mean for You?
The general requirement is £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher. The minimum skill level is now RQF level 6, which is degree level. Medium-skilled roles at RQF level 3 to 5 qualify only if they are on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, or if you are extending and your first certificate of sponsorship was issued before 22 July 2025.
| Category | Previous Threshold | Threshold From 22 July 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Skilled Worker | £38,700 | £41,700 | +8% |
| Health and Education Roles | £23,200 | £25,000 | +8% |
| New Entrant and Immigration Salary List Jobs | £30,960 | £33,400 | +8% |
| Relevant PhD (non-STEM) | £34,830 | £37,500 | +8% |
| Minimum Skill Level | RQF 3 | RQF 6 | Raised |
Most new applicants from abroad must meet £41,700 or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. Reduced figures apply to new entrants, Immigration Salary List jobs and some PhD holders, with a floor of £33,400. From 8 April 2026 the required salary must also be paid in each pay period, at least monthly, so check how your employer pays you. Workers extending a visa on a certificate of sponsorship issued before 22 July 2025 may have transitional protection.
Skilled Worker Visa: English, Care Workers and Shortage Lists
- English: B2 is required for new applications and for switching from most other visas from 8 January 2026. B1 still applies to people who held a Skilled Worker visa before that date and are extending or updating it.
- Care workers: care worker and senior care worker roles closed to new applications from overseas on 22 July 2025. People already working in adult social care in the UK can still switch in until 22 July 2028, so overseas applicants should not expect a sponsored care worker visa.
- Shortage lists: the Shortage Occupation List was replaced by the Immigration Salary List in April 2024. The interim Temporary Shortage List, which covers some medium-skilled roles at RQF level 3 to 5, applies only where the certificate of sponsorship was issued before 31 December 2026. As of 6 November 2026 gov.uk shows no end date on the Immigration Salary List page, so check the current list before relying on it. Workers newly sponsored in medium-skilled roles from 22 July 2025 generally cannot bring dependants.
- Fees: from 8 April 2026 the Skilled Worker application fee is £819 for up to 3 years and £1,618 for more than 3 years from outside the UK (£943 and £1,865 from inside the UK). The Health and Care Worker visa fee is £324 or £628. The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year, except on the Health and Care Worker visa.
Family Visa: The Income Requirement Is £29,000
The minimum income requirement for a partner visa has been £29,000 since April 2024, and gov.uk still states that figure. It does not rise with the number of children for new applicants.
Increase to £29,000
The minimum income requirement increased from £18,600 to £29,000 for new partner applications.
Still £29,000
No later increase has taken effect. You and your partner need a combined income of at least £29,000 a year, or savings of £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall.
Extensions of Earlier Partner Visas
People who first applied as partners before 11 April 2024 and are extending need £18,600, plus £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child, capped at £29,000.
Who Is Affected?
- British citizens sponsoring non-UK partners or spouses
- Settled persons (ILR holders) sponsoring family members
- Existing family visa holders applying for extensions (transitional rules may apply)
- Parents and adult dependent relatives have no fixed income threshold; they must show they can be supported without public funds
Transitional Arrangements
If you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending that visa, the lower £18,600 base applies. New applicants must meet the current requirement. The family route application fee is £2,064 from outside the UK and £1,407 from inside the UK since 8 April 2026.
Graduate Route: 18 Months From 1 January 2027
The Graduate Route lets international students stay and work in the UK after completing their studies. The length of stay depends on the date of your application.
Current Graduate Route Features
- Duration: 2 years for applications made on or before 31 December 2026; 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027; 3 years for doctoral graduates
- Fee: £937, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year
- Work restrictions: None - you can work in any job at any skill level
- Switching: Can switch to Skilled Worker visa if you find qualifying employment
- Extension: Cannot be extended, but can switch to other visa categories
- Settlement: Time on the Graduate Route does not count towards settlement
MAC Review Completed
The Migration Advisory Committee completed its review of the Graduate Route in May 2024 and recommended retaining it. Student visa rules were tightened separately to address concerns about visa misuse, including restrictions on bringing dependents.
Student Visa Dependent Rules
One of the most significant changes affecting international students is the restriction on bringing dependents to the UK.
| Student Type | Can Bring Dependents? | Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| Taught Master's Students | No | Government-sponsored students only |
| PhD/Research Students | Yes | Full dependent rights maintained |
| Undergraduate Students | No | Government-sponsored students only |
Student maintenance funds are also rising. gov.uk currently shows £1,529 a month in London and £1,171 a month outside London, for up to 9 months. Statement of Changes HC 584 raises these to £1,570 and £1,203 for applications made on or after 30 November 2026.
Immigration Health Surcharge Increase
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which gives visa holders access to the NHS, has increased significantly:
Standard Adult Rate
Applies to most work visa holders and their dependents; Health and Care Worker visa holders do not pay it
Student & Youth Mobility Rate
Discounted rate for students and YMS applicants
Cost Implications
For two adults and two children on 5-year visas, the IHS alone would be about £18,110 (£1,035 per adult and £776 per child, for each year). Combined with application fees, sponsorship costs, and legal fees, the total cost of immigration has increased substantially.
Fee Changes in April 2026
Home Office application fees rose on 8 April 2026. The figures below are from the gov.uk fee tables and were unchanged in the table dated 8 October 2026.
- Family route (partner, child, parent): £2,064 from outside the UK and £1,407 from inside the UK; adult dependent relative £3,635 from outside the UK
- Graduate Route: £937
- Indefinite leave to remain: £3,226
- Naturalisation as a British citizen: £1,709
Sponsor Licence Changes for Employers
Employers wishing to hire international workers have also seen changes to their obligations:
- Increased compliance burden: More rigorous right-to-work checks and reporting requirements
- Higher Immigration Skills Charge: Medium and large sponsors pay £1,320 for the first 12 months and £660 for each additional 6 months; small and charitable sponsors pay £480 and £240
- Certificate of Sponsorship allocation: Closer monitoring of CoS usage and allocation
- Salary evidence: Stricter requirements for demonstrating genuine vacancies at advertised salaries
If you're an employer looking to sponsor workers, ensure your HR team is updated on the new compliance requirements. Non-compliance can result in sponsor licence suspension or revocation, leaving your sponsored employees in a precarious position.
Settlement (ILR): Earned Settlement Confirmed
On 2 November 2026 the Home Secretary confirmed the earned settlement model. It replaces the assumption that most work visa holders can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after 5 years.
- 10 years: the default qualifying period for most work routes, including Skilled Worker, for people who earn at least £12,571 in 5 of the 7 years before applying
- 5 years: people earning at least £50,271 in 3 of the 5 years before applying, specified public service roles, care workers who entered or switched into the route before May 2025 and earn £25,000 a year, and family members of British citizens, who keep their current pathways
- 3 years: people earning at least £125,141 in 3 of the 4 years before applying, and the highest talent group, which the government response says is subject to review
- 20 years: people with immigration rule breaches or recent use of public funds
- Conditions for all: good character with no criminal record, strong English language ability, the Life in the UK test, no outstanding government debt and a sustained earnings contribution
- English date: for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 the English requirement rises from B1 to B2 in speaking and listening (Statement of Changes HC 1691)
- Student and Graduate time: does not count towards settlement
What Is Confirmed and What Is Not
The model is confirmed policy, but the detailed Immigration Rules and full transitional arrangements for people already on a route have not been published. The government response says further guidance will follow before implementation and that applications are ordinarily decided under the rules in force at the date of application, so current Skilled Worker visa holders should not assume the 5-year period still applies to them.
What Hasn't Changed
Despite the sweeping reforms, several popular routes remain intact:
- Global Talent visa: For leaders in science, humanities, engineering, arts, and digital technology
- Scale-Up visa: For talented individuals recruited by qualifying scale-up companies
- India Young Professionals Scheme: For Indian citizens, by ballot; 3,000 places were available in 2026, with ballots held on 17 to 19 February and 21 to 23 July
- Innovator Founder visa: For entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas
- Ancestry visa: For Commonwealth citizens with UK-born grandparents
Planning Your UK Immigration Journey
For Skilled Workers
- Assess your salary potential: Ensure your job offer meets £41,700 or the going rate for the occupation, or a lower figure that applies to your category
- Check the Skilled Worker occupation list: Your occupation must be skilled to RQF level 6, or be a medium-skilled role on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List
- Budget comprehensively: Factor in IHS, application fees, and settlement costs
- Plan for settlement: Expect 10 years to ILR by default unless you earn at least £50,271 in 3 of the 5 years before applying or work in a specified public service role
- Prepare English early: B2 applies to your visa application, and B2 in speaking and listening applies to settlement applications from 26 March 2027
For Family Visa Applicants
- Verify income sources: Ensure you and your partner meet the £29,000 combined income requirement through salary, savings, or a combination
- Gather comprehensive evidence: Payslips, bank statements, tax returns for the required period
- Check transitional arrangements: If you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending, the lower £18,600 base applies
- Plan for the future: Understand the pathway to settlement and citizenship
For Students
- Research carefully: Understand dependent restrictions before committing to a course
- Consider the Graduate Route: Plan for 18 months of post-study work if you apply on or after 1 January 2027
- Target Skilled Worker roles: Identify occupations where you can meet the salary threshold after graduation
- Build UK networks: Networking during studies can help secure sponsorship after graduation
Looking Ahead
Two points remain open: the detailed Immigration Rules for earned settlement, and what, if anything, replaces the Temporary Shortage List for certificates issued after 31 December 2026. Student maintenance funds rise on 30 November 2026, so check the figures that apply on your application date. Check gov.uk or speak to a qualified immigration adviser before you apply.
