On the 12th 2025, the Home Office published a new major statement of changes to the Immigration Rules, announcing the arrival of several changes. All changes will be taken into effect from March 12th through August 13th, 2025, although the majority of changes will be implemented in April.
Visitors from Trinidad and Tobago
The United Kingdom is introducing a visa requirement for all visitors from Trinidad and Tobago effective immediately. This is primarily due to the significant increase in said nationals coming into the UK as visitors only to claim asylum on arrival. This misuse of the UK’s immigration system led to the new visa requirement for visitors from Trinidad and Tobago as well as needing a Direct Airside Transit Visa if transiting through the UK. Trinidadians and Tobagonians with an existing electronic travel authorization (ETA) and confirmed travel before the deadline may still enter the UK without a visa until the 23rd of April 2025. The government maintains that through these new guidelines, the UK’s relationship with Trinidad and Tobago remains strong and the UK will continue to warmly welcome visitors, as long as they have applied for a visit visa.
Concerns over Care Workers Compliance
Exploitation of overseas care workers and the related failure of some providers to uphold their employment commitments has caused growing concerns. The government is introducing new measures to alleviate these concerns, implementing new measures ensuring the prioritization of existing care workers already in the UK over the employers’ sponsoring of new hires from abroad. This measure applies only in England will not affect workers switching from other immigration routes if they have been employed by the same provider for a minimum of three months. The Home Office noted that since October 2020, 39,000 care workers have been associated with sponsors that lost their license.
Skilled Worker Salary Threshold and Immigration Rule Changes
To further support skilled workers, the Government is raising the Skilled Worker visas’ minimum salary threshold from 23,000 pounds to 25,000 pounds annually. This regularly scheduled update ensures that salary requirements remain on par with the most recent wage data from the Office for National Statistics. This new threshold maintains the salary well above the National Living Wage, which is also expected to rise in April 2025.
Ukraine Immigrants
Due to recent developments regarding the war in Ukraine, immigration rule changes are being implemented to the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE) and the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (HfU). The former will allow Ukrainians and their eligible family members to extend their stay. Eligibility will be extended to children under 18 who were previously granted Leave Outside the Rules in order to align their status with that of their families. Parents wishing to be joined by their children must lawfully reside in the UK in order to do so. The Home office’s HfU scheme will be introducing a an ‘approved sponsor’ requirement for minors and standardize defining a “parent” in order to align with the broader immigration system.
For more information on Immigration Rule Changes
Please contact our Head of immigration Leena Chouhan on [email protected]