Impact of UK Skilled Worker Visa Changes on International Students

The UK Skilled Worker Visa is a work visa designed for international workers who have the right skills to work in the UK. This visa is granted for up to five years, depending on how long your Certificate of Sponsorship lasts. It is crucial to remember that your visa remains valid only as long as you stay in the same job. If you decide to switch roles or employers, you will need to apply for a new Skilled Worker visa.

This Story also Contains

1. How Does a Graduate Visa Help International Students?
2. New Strict UK Skilled Worker Visa Rules for Care Industry
3. Impact of UK Skilled Worker Visa Changes on International Students
4. Meeting Skilled Workers Target by 2030
5. Conclusion

Out of the 25,469 individuals whose Graduate Visas expired at the end of 2023, 63% moved on to another visa route to keep working in the UK. However, 42% of these workers opted for Skilled Worker visas, making it the most popular choice for international graduates looking for employment. However, the recent changes to the Skilled Worker visa have affected a few industries, so it is important to understand its impact.

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How Does a Graduate Visa Help International Students?

The UK Graduate Route visa provides an opportunity for international students to stay and work in the UK after they graduate. This not only gives them valuable work experience but also opens doors to long-term work visas. Indian students can stay for two to three years, depending on their degree. Graduate Visa helps international students in the following manner.
1. Enables international students to experience their learning in the practical world.

2. It allows them to apply for other long-term work visas if they secure a job.

3. Students can build skills and knowledge that make them stand out to potential employers.

4. It also helps students manage their education loans and cover living costs while they are in the UK.

5. The visa offers a temporary stay, giving students the chance to explore various career paths and gain experience.

New Strict UK Skilled Worker Visa Rules for Care Industry

Before the strict UK skilled worker visa rules 2025, the visa used to be a great option for handling any labor shortages in the country. Especially for the care sector, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK skilled worker visa helped in getting labour from outside UK, resulting in more career opportunities for international employees. However, with the new guidelines for UK skilled worker visa from April 2025, the Care industry recruiters are required to prove that they have made efforts to hire workers already based in England before they can sponsor international employees. The changes for care worker recruitment only apply to England. These employees can be UK based or international employees already present in the UK. Inviting new international employees to the Care industry will be a big challenge. This is a big step that could make it even tougher for international graduates to enter into healthcare jobs in the UK.

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• UK Skilled Worker Visa Requirements

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Impact of UK Skilled Worker Visa Changes on International Students

Changes to the employer sponsorship requirements and salary thresholds for workers are significant updates to the Skilled Worker visa. The new guidelines for the UK Skilled Worker Visa impacts the international students in the following manner.

Minimum Salary Increase

UK skilled worker visa new rules state that certain payments will now be deducted from the annual salary of sponsored workers. This means that sponsors need to check if the worker's salary still meets the minimum threshold after these deductions, as set by the Immigration Rules. In addition, the minimum salary threshold has been raised to GBP 25,000 a year (or GBP 12.82 an hour).

Prioritizing Existing UK Workers

From April 9, 2025, employers in England in the care sector will be required to show that they have made an effort to hire a care worker already living in the UK who requires new sponsorship before looking for international workers. This change is made to decrease the dependency on international workers. Sponsors will also have to provide proof from the appropriate regional partnership that they've attempted to recruit locally.

Meeting Skilled Workers Target by 2030

By 2030, the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport predicts that the country will need an extra one million tech professionals. However, to achieve these targets, there is an urgent requirement to create new visa pathways specifically aimed at international students and graduates. This new visa route should be separate from existing options like the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa, Skilled Worker visa, and Global Talent visa. It needs to set realistic salary thresholds for graduates, expand global access, and provide better support for employers dealing with sponsorship.

Conclusion

By making new stricter rules for the Skilled Worker visa, the UK will start losing great international students. This is because students will start aiming for other countries that offer better opportunities for career growth. Already, there has been a 20% drop in the migration that was expected by the end of 2024. Hence, the stricter the rules, the more challenging and demovating it is for international workers.

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