Key Takeaways
• The Skilled Worker visa salary threshold remains at £29,000; the proposed jump to £38,700 is paused.
• From April 9, 2025, most visa jobs will require a new minimum salary of £25,000 annually.
• The Migration Advisory Committee will review salary rules, influencing future worker and employer requirements.
The United Kingdom 🇬🇧 government has made a surprise move by pausing a heavily debated plan to raise the salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa. Under the previous proposal, people wanting to work in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 would need to earn at least £38,700 per year to get this type of work visa – an increase of 48% from the then-current threshold of £29,000. However, the new Home Secretary brought this plan to a halt. Instead, the minimum salary needed to qualify for a Skilled Worker visa will stay at £29,000 for now, not the much higher amount that had been discussed.
This decision comes at a time of continued debate over immigration policies in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧. The Home Secretary told Parliament that the government would wait for advice from the Migration Advisory Committee before making any major changes to salary rules for family immigration and work visas. The Migration Advisory Committee, an independent group that gives expert advice on migration, plays a big role in these decisions. By waiting for the committee’s review, the government is showing that it wants to base new rules on careful study, especially as these choices affect thousands of workers, employers, and families across the country.
Let’s break down what this means for different groups—workers, families, students, and businesses—and explain how these immigration policies might change in the near future.
Skilled Worker Visa Salary Threshold: The Original Plan and What’s Changed
At first, the plan was simple but tough: make it much harder and more expensive for foreign workers to qualify for the Skilled Worker visa. By raising the salary threshold from £29,000 to £38,700, the government said it hoped to lower net migration—meaning the difference between the number of people moving to the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 and those leaving. Many businesses, charities, and universities worried that such a big jump would make it really tough to hire skilled workers from abroad or keep essential staff, especially in fields where there aren’t enough UK workers.
Instead of pushing ahead with the rise, the Home Secretary decided this month to keep the threshold at £29,000 for now. The planned raise is “paused,” not cancelled forever, as the government waits to hear from the Migration Advisory Committee. This pause gives people more time to prepare—and keeps the door open for later changes if the government chooses to go ahead based on the committee’s advice.
Why the Government Paused the Salary Increase
The Home Secretary paused the rise for a few reasons. First, ministers want to hear directly from the Migration Advisory Committee before acting. This committee was already asked to review what salary rules should be for family visas and now will look closely at which jobs are truly in short supply in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧, especially in IT and engineering. These sectors have appeared on the shortage occupation lists for years.
By waiting, the government hopes to make careful choices that fit the current job market. They also want to avoid sudden shocks for businesses that might have been unable to pay the higher rate right away, leading to possible worker shortages or job losses.
Other Immigration Changes Go Ahead
Pausing the big salary jump does not mean everything stays the same. Many other immigration rules that were announced earlier in 2024 will still be rolled out this year. Some of these include:
- Most overseas students can no longer bring family members to the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 while studying.
- Care workers and senior care workers are limited in bringing dependants.
- The government has ended the rule allowing employers to pay foreign workers on shortage occupation lists 20% less than the standard rate. This means pay for migrant workers must be closer to what UK workers get for the same job.
These steps are designed to make immigration fairer for residents and to reduce overall migration numbers.
The New Salary Floor: What Changes in 2025
While the large jump to £38,700 has been paused, a new lower salary floor is going ahead soon. As of April 9, 2025, the minimum yearly salary for most Skilled Worker visa applications will rise from £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) up to £25,000 (£12.82 per hour). This change applies to most jobs, not just those on old shortage occupation lists.
For certain jobs in healthcare and education, salary levels will match the latest national pay deals, since these roles follow government wage agreements. If you want to work in any role that matches these national scales, you’ll need to earn at least the amount set in those agreements.
These changes are based on job market information from the Office for National Statistics. The goal is to make sure the Skilled Worker visa salary stays above the National Living Wage. This helps make sure that migrant workers are paid fairly and that local wages don’t fall because of underpaid work visas.
How Different Worker Groups Are Affected
The change is not the same for everyone. Here’s how it plays out for different groups:
- Care Workers and Senior Care Workers: These roles must meet the new £25,000 minimum. If you work in care and want to qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, this change is important.
- New Entrants: People starting their careers—sometimes fresh graduates or those under age 26—will also need to meet the £25,000 threshold.
- Jobs on the Immigration Salary List: The Immigration Salary List is the new name for what used to be called the ‘Shortage Occupation List.’ Roles here are also subject to the £25,000 minimum. This list is available from the official government source.
- Health, Education, and STEM PhD-Related Jobs: These roles will follow the same £25,000 rule if there’s no higher salary set by a pay agreement.
Previously, employers hiring for badly needed jobs could pay new hires less than UK workers under certain conditions. That 20% “discount” for shortage occupations is now gone, so pay must be at least what’s stated in the Immigration Salary List or national pay agreements. You can find the latest details on the government’s official page for Skilled Worker visa jobs.
Another new requirement is that if an applicant pays anything to their employer to secure a job or get a visa—like deductions or loan repayments—these amounts are taken off when calculating if the person meets the minimum salary. This rule stops “salary padding,” so only actual wages count for meeting visa rules.
What This Means for Employers
For employers, these ongoing changes bring both relief and new demands. The most obvious relief is that they do not need to pay almost £40,000 to every foreign worker right away. Many companies, especially small businesses and those in sectors like health and social care, were worried they could not afford the much higher rates.
Still, businesses must follow the new £25,000 floor from April 2025. Employers have to update their hiring plans and check the new salary rules for any Certificates of Sponsorship they issue after that date. The Certificate of Sponsorship is an electronic document that employers must give to foreign workers so they can apply for a Skilled Worker visa. The rules for this have changed as well, and failing to follow them could lead to penalties or losing the right to sponsor foreign staff.
Besides adjusting pay, employers must also remember that the Migration Advisory Committee is reviewing certain job sectors—especially IT and engineering—to see whether they should remain on the Immigration Salary List. There could be fresh changes to job eligibility, making regular updates and planning essential for businesses that depend on international talent.
The Migration Advisory Committee’s Role
The Migration Advisory Committee is the expert panel the government counts on for advice about which jobs are in short supply and what salary levels are fair for visas. The committee’s review of financial requirements for family visas—and sectors like IT and engineering—means there could be more tailored rules coming for these in-demand jobs. Their studies look at things like:
- How reliant a sector is on foreign workers
- Whether wages for UK workers are going up, down, or staying flat
- If it’s possible to train more UK workers instead of hiring from abroad
Involving the Migration Advisory Committee is meant to make sure any new rules are based on real data, not just political opinions or news headlines. As reported by VisaVerge.com, many stakeholders in the immigration and business communities are watching the committee’s reviews very closely, knowing future decisions will shape the UK’s work visa system for years to come.
Effects on Migration and Local Workers
The government hopes these changes will both control overall migration numbers and help protect pay and jobs for UK workers. By keeping salaries for work visas above the National Living Wage, it aims to stop employers from using cheaper migrant labour to push down wages or replace local staff.
For years, there’s been a fierce debate about how salary thresholds affect both migrants and UK-born workers. Some say higher pay requirements keep opportunities for people already living in the country. Others argue that the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 has always needed skilled and motivated workers from around the world, especially in healthcare, technology, construction, and other sectors that often struggle to find enough local staff.
The paused jump to £38,700 gives everyone more time to debate, adapt, and respond as the Migration Advisory Committee collects more evidence.
Next Steps and Future Outlook
For now, the biggest surprise is that a huge and sudden increase in the Skilled Worker visa threshold will not happen, at least right away. Instead, smaller steps—like the move to a £25,000 minimum—are in place, with the chance of further review later on.
If you are a worker considering a move to the United Kingdom 🇬🇧, or an employer looking to hire from abroad, now is the time to:
- Review upcoming salary rules and see which apply to your sector
- Check the details for your job role and the Immigration Salary List on the government’s official site
- Plan for possible new changes, especially as the Migration Advisory Committee continues its review
The UK government Skilled Worker visa page is the best place to find updates on job eligibility and salary requirements. Employers and workers should review this page regularly.
Summary: Key Points to Remember
- The current salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa remains at £29,000; it will not jump to £38,700 this year.
- From April 9, 2025, a new £25,000 per year minimum salary will apply to most job roles under the visa.
- The 20% pay discount for shortage occupations is gone, bringing more fairness to wages for all workers.
- The Migration Advisory Committee is reviewing salary needs and specific sectors, with possible new updates soon.
- Employers must check new rules carefully to stay compliant, especially with Certificates of Sponsorship and deductions.
By staying informed and flexible, both workers and employers can make the most of this period of change. The next major developments will depend on the Migration Advisory Committee’s findings and the government’s decisions in the months ahead.
For anyone connected to skilled work or hiring in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧, these are crucial times to follow policy updates and seek tailored advice where needed.
Learn Today
Skilled Worker visa → A UK work visa for people with job offers from approved employers, requiring minimum salary and skills criteria.
Migration Advisory Committee → An independent UK body that advises the government on immigration, particularly job shortages and appropriate visa salary thresholds.
Shortage Occupation List → A list of jobs in the UK facing worker shortages, often allowing visa applicants special concessions or faster processing.
Certificate of Sponsorship → An official electronic record from a licensed UK employer, required for foreign workers to apply for a Skilled Worker visa.
National Living Wage → The legally mandated minimum pay per hour for workers in the UK, set by the government and reviewed annually.
This Article in a Nutshell
The UK government has paused the drastic increase in the Skilled Worker visa salary threshold, maintaining it at £29,000 for now. From April 2025, a lower raise to £25,000 takes effect. The Migration Advisory Committee’s upcoming advice could shape further changes, impacting thousands of employers, workers, and families nationwide.
— By VisaVerge.com
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