The Home Office changes the Immigration Rules through Statements of Changes laid before Parliament. Each article below sets out what one statement changed for work visas, the SOC codes affected and the dates the changes take effect, from the statement and its explanatory memorandum on GOV.UK.
RSS feed · Dates written into the current rules
3 September 2026 · HC 584 HC 584: Skilled Worker and work route changes laid on 3 September 2026 HC 584 lets Skilled Workers with a positive Conclusive Grounds decision have work conditions amended from 8 October 2026 and changes two religious routes. Takes effect: 8 October 2026, 29 October 2026, 30 November 2026, 9 December 2026 9 July 2026 · HC 259 HC 259: Skilled Worker and work route changes laid on 9 July 2026 HC 259 ties the Skilled Worker prison officer dates to certificates of sponsorship, adds neonatal leave to Scale-up and takes effect mainly on 3 August 2026. Takes effect: 30 July 2026, 3 August 2026 5 March 2026 · HC 1691 HC 1691: Skilled Worker and work route changes laid on 5 March 2026 HC 1691 bars Afghan nationals from Skilled Worker entry clearance, adds pay-period and prison officer rules, and sets B2 English at settlement from 2027. Takes effect: 5 March 2026, 26 March 2026, 2 April 2026, 8 April 2026, 29 April 2026, 1 July 2026, 26 March 2027 9 December 2025 · HC 1491 HC 1491: Immigration Rules changes laid on 9 December 2025 HC 1491 closes the Service Providers from Switzerland route on 31 December 2025. It changes nothing in the Skilled Worker route or SOC code tables. Takes effect: 9 December 2025, 30 December 2025, 1 January 2026 14 October 2025 · HC 1333 HC 1333: Skilled Worker and work route changes laid on 14 October 2025 HC 1333 raises Skilled Worker English to B2 for new grants from 8 January 2026 and caps High Potential Individual at 8,000 applications a year. Takes effect: 14 October 2025, 4 November 2025, 11 November 2025, 25 November 2025, 8 January 2026 4 September 2025 · HC 1298 HC 1298: Immigration Rules changes laid on 4 September 2025 HC 1298 suspends new Appendix Family Reunion applications and amends Appendix FM. It makes no changes to the Skilled Worker route or other work routes. Takes effect: 4 September 2025 5 August 2025 · CP 1373 CP 1373: Immigration Rules changes laid on 5 August 2025 CP 1373 adds the UK/European Applicant Transfer Scheme to the Immigration Rules. It makes no changes to the Skilled Worker route or other work visa routes. 1 July 2025 · HC 997 HC 997: Skilled Worker changes laid on 1 July 2025 HC 997 raised the Skilled Worker skills threshold to RQF level 6, updated salary rules and added a Temporary Shortage List, mostly from 22 July 2025. Takes effect: 1 July 2025, 22 July 2025