On 12 March 2025, significant updates have been issued by the Home Office towards the Skilled Worker (especially for Care workers and home carers and Senior care works) and Skilled Occupations Appendices and these changes are to be implemented from 09 April 2025. These changes come into effect to enhance
clarity, align job roles with current standards, and improve accessibility for applicants and employers. Here’s a detailed overview of the specific changes:
UPDATES TO APPENDIX SKILLED WORKER
1. Additional wordings added: Minor changes have been made to the definition of a Certificate of Sponsorship, and to the validity requirements relating for a CoS in the Skilled Worker and Government Authorised Exchange routes. These changes reflect the new sponsorship IT system, under which CoS are valid for 90 days, rather than three months.
2. Salary updated: The options H, I, J and K have a minimum salary of £23,200 and this minimum salary has been raised to £25,000. This change is a standard practise acknowledging the increase of National Minimum Wage (NMW) from 01 April 2025. Also, this change can be seen reflecting in all the places where the salary update is required to meet the NMW.
3. New provisions added in relation to hiring of Care worker and Senior care
workers: Changes has been made to add provisions for care workers and senior care workers, as the sponsors / employers must to first try to use the displaced workers from the region of their business and only in the event of not finding a suitable worker, the employer is allowed to sponsor (both outside the UK and inside the UK) someone else to fill the vacancy. In addition to the afore-mentioned, the employer must obtain a confirmation from the regional / sub-regional partnership that the employer tried to meet the conditions and also confirm that there were no suitable workers available from the pool of displaced workers. These changes relate only to care jobs with working locations entirely in England. Applications relating to working locations in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland are unaffected.
4. Terminology Clarified: Changes make to make sure that the worker is claiming a ‘new entrant’ salary reduction based on training towards a recognised professional qualification which must be a UK qualification.
5. New provisions added in relation to money paid by the applicant to sponsor: Changes have been made to throw clarity over the deductions from the workers’ salary so that there is consistency with how paid allowances are treated, protect the workers from undertaking the burden of sponsorship costs and to close the unintended loophole of applicants paying towards their own salary through investing in their sponsor’s business.
6. Transitional arrangements – hours updated: In transitional arrangements, the going rates were based on 40 hour working week and this has now been substituted with 37.5 hour working week. Also, the table in transitional arrangements has also been updated to meet the new NMW.
7. Changes to settlement requirements: Changes have been made to clarify that the qualifying period for settlement as a lead applicant must consist of time spent in the UK only as a lead applicant and not as a dependant. Dependants may qualify for settlement separately, based on time spent in the UK as a dependant. This clarifies the policy position, following previous Statements of Changes, which had unintentionally made the drafting unclear.
These updates, effective 09 April 2025, are designed to clarify roles, recruitment practices, curbing workers being financially abused, enhance eligibility criteria, and ensure that the appendices reflect current employment standards and practices. As these changes are fully implemented, they promise to create a more accessible and clear framework for skilled workers and employers in the UK. For the latest updates on this changes and additional immigration news, stay tuned to our website or visit www.gov.uk. Your successful visa application starts with informed preparation!
Getting help:
Solicitors at Lawsmith Solicitors have extensive experience in handling Skilled Worker (private and business) matters. To discuss about your Skilled Worker sponsorship matters (employer / employee) with one of our Solicitors, please contact us on 02081295999 or email us on info@lawsmithsolicitors.co.uk or submit our
enquiry form.
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