New Changes to the UK Immigration Rules from 14 October 2025

On 14 October 2025, the UK government published a number of changes to the immigration rules that will come into effect on various dates. 

Changes that are most relevant to sponsors and individuals who work or intend to work in the UK include:

• English requirement for Skilled Workers, High Potential Individuals and Scale-up Workers. From 08 January 2026, all new applicants under these routes must meet Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages in all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking and listening) of at least level B2, increasing from the current B1. Individuals who have already obtained a visa under these routes before 08 January 2026 will not be affected. They may continue to use B1 qualification to apply for extension on the same route.

Individuals who are considering working in the UK may wish to submit their applications promptly to take advantage of the lower English requirement before the new rules take effect. 

• Graduate Visa will be shortened from 2 years to 18 months. The change will apply to applications submitted on or after 01 January 2027. PhD graduates will continue to receive 3 years of leave. Graduate visa holders may work without sponsorship, can be self-employed, or set up their own business. It cannot be extended and therefore the individuals will need to consider switching to another visa category before the end of their visas if they wish to stay in the UK. 
• Students can switch to Innovator Founder route in the UK. From 25 November 2025, Students can apply to switch to Innovator Founder visa in the UK if their application is endorsed by an endorsing body. They may also be self-employed while their applications are being considered.

• Expanded Global University List for High Potential Individual visa. Graduates from top universities on the Global Universities List can apply for HPI visa which allows them to live and work in the UK for 2 years or 3 years for PhD graduates. The list will be expanded to include non-UK institutions ranked in the top 100 globally, doubling the current list. A cap of 8,000 applications per year will be introduced.

• Prestigious Prizes for Global Talent visa. Applicants who hold a qualifying prize can qualify without the need to obtain an endorsement from one of the Global Talent endorsing bodies. A further 27 prizes will be added to the list, taking effect from 11 November 2025. 

• Temporary Work: Seasonal Workers will only be allowed to work in the UK for no more than 6 months during any rolling 10-month period, rather than the current any rolling 12-month period. This will take effect from 11 November 2025. 

For more information or to discuss how these could affect your business please contact us on 0207 903 6889 or email contact@davenportsolicitors.com