Overview

• Parliament received the inaugural legislative package from the May 2025 Immigration White Paper on July 1, with changes set to take effect from July 22 if approved by MPs and peers.
• The reforms formally end the recruitment of overseas care workers, although existing staff in the UK will remain under newly outlined transitional arrangements.
• New rules raise salary and skill requirements to degree level, removing 111 occupations—from chefs and butchers to veterinary nurses—from skilled worker eligibility.
• A time-limited temporary shortage list will permit below-degree hires only until the end of 2026, with no family reunification or visa fee and salary discounts.
• Home Office projections indicate the package could reduce net migration by up to 100,000 people per year, but unions warn the cuts risk creating critical staffing shortages.