A wave of immigration reforms that focus on attracting skilled talent while reducing net migration have been announced by the UK government.
The changes, some of which come into force in November 2025, were outlined in the government’s white paper on immigration.
They include the revision, from 8 January 2026, of English language requirements from B1 to B2 – equivalent to English A-level standard – for Skilled Worker, HPI and Scale Up visas, which all aim to grant businesses access to high levels of talent.
New travel rules include a requirement for nationals of Botswana to have a visa to visit the UK (effective as of 14 October 2025) and the addition of Palestine to the visa list (from 11 November 2025).
A 32 per cent increase to the current immigration skills charge is also expected, rising to £1,320 (US$1,770) for large sponsors and £480 (US$643) for small sponsors.