Major changes to the UK Immigration rules will come into effect today 22 July 2025 and according to immigration lawyers at Constantine Law, could prove a major headache for employers in the construction sector.
The government’s statement of changes, announced 1st July 2025, concern businesses in respect of Skilled Workers and are as follows:
Skills threshold
The required skill level for a Skilled Worker visa reverts to the pre-Brexit position of RQF Level 6 (degree-level). This in practice does not mean that the applicant must hold a degree, it is that the role is deemed to be at graduate level. This change abolishes over 100 eligible occupations, making the number of roles capable of sponsorship more limited, aiming the Skilled Worker route for more senior and specialist roles.
Transitional arrangements
The new rules only apply to those newly applying as Skilled Workers from 22 July 2025. Those already in the UK as a Skilled Worker in an RQF Level 3 (A-Level) role are unaffected. This allows existing Skilled Worker visa holders to continue to renew their visas and change employers without the need to meet the new RQF Level 6 skills threshold.
There will also be time-limited access to roles below RQF Level 6 through the Immigration Salary List and newly created Temporary Shortage List, that will include RQF Level 3-5 occupations. The Immigration Salary List, which offers a reduced salary threshold for certain occupations is also due to be abolished altogether on 31 December 2026.
An important point to note – Skilled Workers accessing RQF Level 3-5 roles for the first time after 22 July 2025 will not be able to bring their dependants to the UK.
Some limited roles within the construction industry have a temporary reprieve, but this won’t last forever, and at the moment will be time limited to end of 2026, unless the government decides to delay implementation. For example, certain types of welders, bricklayers, stonemasons, roofers, carpenters, boat and ship builders are on the immigration salary list and temporary shortage list.
Minimum salary threshold
The Skilled Worker minimum salary threshold will increase to £41,700 (up from £38,700), and the new entrant salary rate will also rise to £33,400 (up from £30,960). Although these increases are not as high as we anticipated, the increases are designed to encourage businesses to invest in the domestic workforce, while also ensuring that overseas workers have the means to support themselves while living in the UK.
Rebecca Tester, Business Immigration Partner at Constantine Law said, “These changes reflect a fundamental change in how UK businesses can access talent from overseas. We believe they will impact the Construction sector in particular, given it is suffering from a well-publicised shortage of workers.
We are expecting further changes to come in the not-too distant future, including raising the Immigration Skills Charge (currently at £5,000 for a 5-year visa), increasing the qualifying residence period for permanent settlement (Indefinite Leave to remain, or ILR) from five to 10 years and increasing the level of English language skills required for certain visa categories.”
She added: “Many of the actual and expected changes to the immigration rules during the rest of 2025 and beyond, demonstrate the government’s clear and continued commitment to further reduce migration into the UK. Given the UK housing shortage, it remains to be seen whether this will have a significant impact on Labour’s other key aims to boost economic growth and to “get Britain building again.”