GB UK Immigration Rule Changes – April 2025 Summary

1. Skilled Worker Route: Care Worker Sponsorship Rules Tightened

New Requirement for Employers: Sponsors must now first attempt to recruit from the existing pool of care workers already in the UK (who have lost sponsorship) before hiring from abroad.
Employers must obtain regional partnership confirmation that no suitable candidates were available domestically.
Applies only in England.
Exemptions:
- Current visa holders already sponsored before the rule change.
- Legal switchers from other visa routes with 3+ months employment history with the same employer.

2. Salary Thresholds – Skilled Worker Route

Minimum salary floor increased:
- From £23,200 → £25,000/year
- Or £11.90 → £12.82/hour
Reflects latest ONS wage data and ensures threshold stays above National Living Wage (rising April 2025).
Health & Education roles: Updated to match latest national pay scales.
"New entrant" reduction rule clarified: Only applies for UK professional qualifications.

3. Visit Visa Requirement for Trinidad and Tobago

Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago will now require a visitor visa to enter the UK.
ETA eligibility removed.
Reason: Rising misuse of visitor routes, including asylum claims.

Transition Period (until 23 April 2025, 15:00 BST):

Visa-free travel allowed for nationals with booked travel made before 12 March 2025 for trips within the six-week window.
ETA still required during this transition.
Booking changes won’t avoid the new visa requirement.

4. Changes to Ukraine Schemes

Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE):
- Now includes children under 18 with Leave Outside the Rules.
Homes for Ukraine Scheme:
- New “approved sponsor” requirement for minors.
- Unified definition of “parent”.
- Parents must be lawfully resident in the UK to sponsor children.

5. Global Talent Route Updates

Evidence changes in arts and culture endorsements at the request of Arts Council England.
Updated Prestigious Prizes List: More individuals can now qualify without formal endorsement.

6. Other Key Updates

EU Settlement Scheme: Amendments made (details to follow in official guidance).
Youth Mobility Scheme: 2025 quotas updated.
ETA Exemptions:
- Children under 18 in French school groups → no ETA required.
- British Nationals (Overseas) → removed from ETA requirement list.
Students:
- New “genuine intention to study” rule for short-term student visa.
- PhD students can transfer to new sponsors without academic progression rules, if following a supervisor.

Change	Key Impact
Care Worker Sponsorship	Harder to recruit directly from abroad. Must check local labor pool first.
Skilled Worker Salary	Must offer £25k+ or £12.82/hour minimum. No undercutting allowed.
Trinidad and Tobago Visa	Visitor visa now mandatory post-transition. ETA no longer valid.
Ukraine Schemes	More inclusive protections for children; stricter minor sponsorship rules.
Global Talent Route	Easier for top-tier global talent to apply without an endorsement.