What changed and when: Skilled Worker and sponsor rule changes, 2025 to 2027
A standing log of the changes to the Skilled Worker route and to sponsor duties, with the date each took effect, who it touches, and the instrument and paragraph that says so. It is checked against GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk as at 2 October 2026 and is meant to be cited.
In short
- 8 October 2026: most of Statement of Changes HC 584 takes effect, including the new SW 18.3 and the SW 9.2 amendment. Later parts follow on 29 October, 30 November and 9 December 2026.
- 31 December 2026: the cut-off for certificates issued for occupations on the Temporary Shortage List (SW 6.1A) and for the Immigration Salary List rows that carry that removal date.
- 8 March 2027: the last day to convert or deactivate Level 2 users on the SMS (L4.59).
- Not law yet: earned settlement. The consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and no Statement of Changes carrying it had been laid as at 2 October 2026.
The change log, newest first
Read the status column as at 2 October 2026. “Laid; not yet in force” means a Statement of Changes has been put before Parliament and its Implementation section gives a later date.
| Date | What changed | Who it affects | Document and paragraph | Status on 2 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 2027 | Last date to convert Level 2 users to Level 1 or deactivate them; after it the Home Office deactivates them. | All licensed sponsors with Level 2 users | Sponsor guidance Part 1 v08/26, L4.59 | Guidance date; not yet reached |
| 31 Dec 2026 | A certificate of sponsorship must be issued before this date for an occupation to count on the Temporary Shortage List. The Salary List rows carry the same removal date. | Sponsors of occupations below RQF 6 | Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 6.1A; Appendix Immigration Salary List | In the Rules; date not yet reached |
| 9 Dec 2026 | EU Settlement Scheme biometric residence permit changes (APP EU16). | Not Skilled Worker or sponsor rules | HC 584, Implementation; EM 6.3 | Laid; not yet in force |
| 30 Nov 2026 | Student route maintenance uplift (APP ST8 to ST10). | Student sponsors, not Skilled Worker | HC 584, Implementation; EM 6.3 | Laid; not yet in force |
| 29 Oct 2026 | Appendix T2 Minister of Religion and Appendix Temporary Work: Religious Worker changes. | Sponsors of ministers of religion and religious workers | HC 584, Implementation (APP MOR1 to MOR10, APP RW1 to RW10); EM 6.3 | Laid; not yet in force |
| 8 Oct 2026 | All other HC 584 changes, including SW 18.3 (modern slavery work condition) and SW 9.2 (assessment provider named in place of Ecctis). | Skilled Workers; their sponsors | HC 584, Implementation; APP SW1, APP SW2; EM 5.2, 6.3 | Laid; not yet in force |
| 1 Oct 2026 | Right to work scheme extended to worker’s contracts, individual sub-contractors and online matching services. | Every employer, including sponsors | S.I. 2026/683 (C. 57), reg. 2; employer’s guide of 1 October 2026; Part 3 C7.27 | In force |
| 9 Sep 2026 | No new Level 2 users can be appointed. | All licensed sponsors | Sponsor guidance Part 1 v08/26, L4.58 | In force |
| 3 Sep 2026 | Mandatory SMS multi-factor authentication begins on a phased basis; expected for all sponsors by November 2026. | All licensed sponsors | Sponsor guidance Part 1 v08/26, L4.67, L4.84 | In force (phased) |
| 3 Aug 2026 | Appendix Skilled Worker amended by HC 259 (SW 2.2, 4.2(d)(ii), 6.1(g)(i), 14.3B(d), 20.2, 27.2, 38.2). Sponsor guidance Part 2 and Appendix D published at v08/26. | Skilled Workers; sponsors | HC 259, Implementation, APP SW1 to APP SW7; GOV.UK version lines | In force |
| 8 Apr 2026 | Fees increase: Table 14 amounts £1,579 to £1,682 and £574 to £611. | Sponsors paying Table 14 fees | S.I. 2026/311, reg. 1(2), reg. 7, Schedule 4 | In force |
| 8 Jan 2026 | English language at B2 for the Skilled Worker route (APP SW3 amends SW 4.1); B1 kept for an extension on the same route. | New Skilled Worker applicants | HC 1333, Implementation; APP SW3; EM 5.22, 5.23 | In force |
| 16 Dec 2025 | Immigration Skills Charge amounts increased by 32%: £480 and £1,320 for 12 months or less. | Every sponsor assigning a certificate | S.I. 2025/1324, reg. 2(3), Explanatory Note | In force |
| 22 Jul 2025 | Skill threshold back to RQF level 6; expanded Immigration Salary List and interim Temporary Shortage List; care worker entry clearance closed. | Skilled Workers; sponsors, especially in care | HC 997, Implementation; EM section 5 and 6 | In force |
8 October to 9 December 2026: Statement of Changes HC 584
HC 584 was laid on 3 September 2026. Its Explanatory Memorandum lists what the instrument changes:
Changes to Part Suitability: clarification regarding breach of immigration laws; Changes to Appendix Skilled Worker to support victims of modern slavery; Removal of the fee for a human rights claim by those in the Family Returns Process; Changes to Part 1; Extending Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse (VDA) eligibility to include adult dependent children; Changes to facilitate the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ programme; Changes to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS); Changes to the continuous residence requirement in Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O))
It gives the dates in one paragraph:
6.3 The changes to Appendix T2 Minister of Religion and changes to Appendix Temporary Work – Religious Worker will come into effect on 29 October 2026, the changes relating to the Annual Uplift to the Student Route Maintenance Requirement will come into effect on 30 November 2026 and the EUSS changes relating to biometric residence permits will come into effect on 9 December 2026. All other changes will come into effect on 8 October 2026 as detailed in the implementation section of the Statement of Changes.
The Statement of Changes itself lists the paragraphs for each date. Appendix Skilled Worker is in the 8 October list:
The following paragraphs shall take effect on 8 October 2026: INTRO1 and INTRO2 … APP SW1 and APP SW2
What it changes for Skilled Workers and sponsors
Two amendments to Appendix Skilled Worker. APP SW2 inserts a new paragraph after SW 18.2:
SW 18.3. A Skilled Worker who has been referred into the National Referral Mechanism and is in receipt of a positive Conclusive Grounds decision, where that decision was made during their most recent permission, may have the conditions in SW 18.2(b) to (e) amended, such that any work (including self-employment and voluntary work) is permitted, except for work as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach).
The Explanatory Memorandum gives the purpose in paragraph 5.2: these changes “lift that restriction for Skilled Workers who are identified by the Home Office Competent Authorities as victims of modern slavery, allowing them to work for any employer for the remaining duration of their existing permission”. For a sponsor, the practical point is that a worker with that decision may lawfully work for another employer; the sponsor’s reporting duties in Part 3 are a separate question to read in the current guidance.
APP SW1 changes SW 9.2 so that where it said “Ecctis” it will say “the qualification and language assessments provider”. The Appendix Skilled Worker section of the Statement of Changes carries only these two amendments: nothing in it touches the salary thresholds, the occupation tables or the English language level.
What it does not change
The instrument does not mention earned settlement. A text search of the Statement of Changes and of the Explanatory Memorandum for “earned” returns nothing. The other items in the list above (the Family Returns Process, Appendix VDA, Erasmus+, the EU Settlement Scheme, BN(O)) are outside the Skilled Worker route, and the 29 October, 30 November and 9 December changes are to other routes.
3 August 2026: HC 259 and sponsor guidance v08/26
HC 259 was laid on 9 July 2026. Its Implementation section puts most paragraphs, including “APP SW1 to APP SW7”, in force on 3 August 2026. The Appendix Skilled Worker changes are technical: SW 2.2, SW 20.2, SW 27.2 and SW 38.2 are replaced with a version that carries the “Exceptions for overstayers” wording, and SW 4.2(d)(ii) and SW 6.1(g)(i) now key on the date the certificate of sponsorship was issued by the sponsor, rather than on the date of the application.
Sponsor guidance versions move on their own dates. On 3 August 2026 GOV.UK published Part 2 (sponsor a worker) and Appendix D (record-keeping) at version 08/26. Part 1 and Part 3 reached version 08/26 later, on 28 August 2026.
This version replaces version 05/26 (published on 20 May 2026). A full list of changes can be found in the guide.
Published version 08/26 of the guidance, this replaces version 05/26. A full list of changes can be found in the guidance.
3 September 2026 to 8 March 2027: SMS security and Level 2 users
These are guidance dates, not Rules dates. They come from Part 1 v08/26 and are covered in full in the SMS multi-factor authentication post.
L4.67. We have been trialling the use of MFA on a voluntary basis with a limited number of sponsors since November 2025. We will introduce mandatory MFA on a phased basis, beginning on 3 September 2026, and expect this to be in place for all sponsors by November 2026.
L4.58. From 9 September 2026, you can no longer appoint Level 2 Users to your licence.
L4.59. You must take this action by no later than 8 March 2027. After that date, we will deactivate the accounts of any Level 2 Users you still have.
L4.84. You must ensure we have a current email address for your SMS Users, as well as a current mobile phone number and correct date of birth for your Level 1 Users.
1 October 2026: right to work checks extended
Section 48 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 was brought into force by a commencement regulation made on 24 June 2026:
Section 48 (extension of prohibition on employment to other working arrangements) of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 comes into force on 1st October 2026.
The GOV.UK employer’s guide published on 1 October 2026 says what the date means for penalties:
In relation to employment under a worker’s contract, as an individual sub-contractor or in the case of an online matching service providing the details of a service provider to clients or customers, a civil penalty may only be imposed where the employment commenced on or after 1 October 2026.
Sponsor guidance Part 3 v08/26 (C7.27) already points to the date: “From 1 October 2026, the responsibility to carry out right to work checks will also apply to organisations that engage individuals under a worker’s contract or individual sub-contractors …”. A sponsor’s own duty to check every sponsored worker is separate and is in C7.28.
8 April 2026: fees
The Immigration, Nationality and Passports (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/311) were made on 17 March 2026 and laid before Parliament on 18 March 2026.
Except as specified in paragraphs (3) and (4), these Regulations come into force at 9.00 a.m. on 8th April 2026.
In Table 14 (fees in relation to sponsor licences, premium services for sponsors, certificates of sponsorship and confirmations of acceptance for studies), in relation to the fee number in that table specified in column 1 of the table below, for the fee specified in relation to that fee number in column 2 of the table below, substitute the fee specified in column 3 of the table below.
The Schedule lists fee numbers, not descriptions. Fees 14.1.1, 14.1.4, 14.1.5 and 14.1.6 rise from £1,579 to £1,682. Fees 14.1.2, 14.1.3, 14.2.1, 14.2.2 and 14.2.3 rise from £574 to £611. Which fee number is which licence or service is set in Schedule 4 to the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 and is not reproduced here. This page does not state any Skilled Worker application fee, because it was not in the sources retrieved.
8 January 2026: English language at B2
HC 1333 was laid on 14 October 2025. Its Implementation section puts APP SW3 in force on 8 January 2026. APP SW3 reads:
APP SW3. In the table in SW4.1, for “level B1”, substitute “level B2 or, where the applicant’s most recent permission was as a Skilled Worker and which was granted subject to a requirement at level B1, level B1”.
5.23 The new requirements will apply to those seeking an initial grant of leave in a relevant route following the implementation of these provisions on 8 January 2026. Those who have already obtained a permission where they were required to show a B1 level, will continue to be subject to a B1 level requirement where they are seeking an extension on the same route.
How B2 is shown is set out in Appendix English Language and summarised in the certificate checks post.
16 December 2025: Immigration Skills Charge
The charge is set by regulations, not by the Immigration Rules. S.I. 2025/1324 was made on 15 December 2025 and came into force on 16 December 2025 (regulation 1(1)). Regulation 2(3) substitutes the table in paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the 2017 Regulations.
Regulation 2(3) of these Regulations increases the amounts of charges payable by sponsors by 32%.
The amount of the charge payable by a small or charitable sponsor is the amount specified in column 2 of the Table which corresponds to the period of prospective employment in respect of which the certificate of sponsorship is assigned specified in column 1.
In the substituted table, a sponsorship of 12 months or less is £480 in column 2 (small or charitable sponsor) and £1320 in column 3 (other sponsors); more than 12 and up to 18 months is £720 and £1980; the 60-month row is £2400 and £6600. The same regulation also updates the exemptions to current SOC 2020 codes.
22 July 2025: HC 997
HC 997 was laid on 1 July 2025. Its Implementation section applies one part at 15:00 BST that day (the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy closure) and the rest on 22 July 2025:
All other changes in this Statement shall take effect on 22 July 2025.
On the skill threshold, the Explanatory Memorandum says:
These changes therefore lift the threshold for Skilled Workers back to RQF level 6.
On the two lists, it describes interim measures:
These changes introduce interim measures, under which occupations below RQF level 6 continue to be eligible for the Skilled Worker route where they appear on either: an expanded Immigration Salary List …; an interim Temporary Shortage List …
On care workers (SOC codes 6135 and 6136) it says entry clearance closed and in-country switching continues for a transition period:
As set out in the Immigration White Paper, these changes close entry clearance applications for Skilled Workers sponsored in these occupation codes.
The same section gives the end of the in-country route as 22 July 2028. It also says the changes update general salary thresholds and going rates “in line with the latest (2024) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data”. Transitional protection applies to workers already in the route when the changes took effect.
31 December 2026: the Temporary Shortage List
SW 6.1A. A SOC 2020 occupation code (or, where relevant, an eligible job within a SOC 2020 occupation code) is only included on the Temporary Shortage List where: (a) it appears in the list below; and (b) an application has been made using a certificate of sponsorship issued by a sponsor to an applicant before 31 December 2026.
An occupation is only included on the list where an application has been made using a certificate of sponsorship issued by a sponsor to an applicant before the removal date stated in the table.
The test is the date the certificate was issued, not the date the worker arrives or the application is decided. The Salary List table gives a removal date per occupation, and the rows retrieved on 2 October 2026 carry 31 December 2026 (check the row for the code you are using).
Announced, not yet law: earned settlement
The 2025 White Paper proposed that settlement would be earned, not automatic. The Home Office consultation ran from 20 November 2025 and closed at 11:59pm on 12 February 2026. As at 2 October 2026 its GOV.UK page reads:
Settlement will no longer be granted automatically after a fixed period. Instead, migrants will need to earn it by demonstrating sustained good conduct, contribution and integration.
Visit this page again soon to download the outcome to this public feedback.
The newest entry in the GOV.UK collection of Statements of Changes is HC 584 of 3 September 2026, and it does not contain earned settlement. Until a Statement of Changes carrying it is laid and takes effect, nothing about it is in the Immigration Rules. This is the entry to re-check on each visit.
How to read a Statement of Changes
- What “HC” means. The statement is a House of Commons paper, numbered by the House (HC 584). Older ones carry “Cm” or “CP” numbers. The number is how you find the document, not the date it applies.
- Laid versus in force. The date in the title (3 September 2026) is the day it was laid before Parliament. The Implementation section lists, by paragraph, the date each part takes effect. One instrument can have several dates, as HC 584 does.
- Transitional wording. The Implementation section also says which Rules govern an application made before the date. For many of HC 584’s paragraphs it says applications made before the date are decided under the Rules in force the day before. Read it for the route you are on.
- The Explanatory Memorandum. A separate document, written for Parliamentary committees. It says in plain words what each change is for and gives the commencement dates (HC 584 paragraph 6.3). It is not the law, but it is the quickest way to see the shape of a statement.
- Not every date is in a Statement of Changes. Charges, fees and commencement of Acts come from Statutory Instruments (S.I. numbers on legislation.gov.uk). Sponsor guidance dates come from the version line on the GOV.UK page.
How SponsorGuard keeps the version in view
Rules move on several dates at once, so a finding is only useful if it says which text it was checked against. SponsorGuard’s rules catalogue carries a guidance version, and the matter note for a signed pack lists the guidance versions the pack’s rules cite and the Skilled Occupations data version. That data is pinned to a GOV.UK page date (3 August 2026), and a daily check compares the live page dates with the pinned one and raises a warning when GOV.UK has republished the source. It reads the rules and flags the change; the solicitor decides what it means for the client. See the Appendix D records post and the compliance visit checklist for the other duties on the dated list above.
Questions people ask
What changes on 8 October 2026?
Statement of Changes HC 584, laid 3 September 2026, says in its Implementation section that most paragraphs take effect on 8 October 2026, and the Explanatory Memorandum (6.3) says “All other changes will come into effect on 8 October 2026”. For Skilled Workers that includes APP SW2, which inserts SW 18.3 (a modern slavery work condition), and APP SW1, which amends SW 9.2. Other dates in the same instrument are 29 October, 30 November and 9 December 2026.
When did the Immigration Skills Charge go up?
On 16 December 2025. The Immigration Skills Charge (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1324) were made on 15 December 2025 and came into force on 16 December 2025. Their Explanatory Note says regulation 2(3) “increases the amounts of charges payable by sponsors by 32%”. For a sponsorship of 12 months or less the table shows £480 in column 2 and £1320 in column 3.
Is earned settlement in the Immigration Rules yet?
Not on the sources checked on 2 October 2026. The GOV.UK consultation page shows a closed consultation (closing at 11:59pm on 12 February 2026) and says the outcome is still to be published. The newest Statement of Changes in the GOV.UK collection is HC 584 of 3 September 2026, and neither its text nor its Explanatory Memorandum contains the words “earned settlement”.
Is a Statement of Changes law when it is laid?
The Rules change when the Implementation section says they take effect, not when the statement is laid. HC 584 was laid on 3 September 2026 and its paragraphs take effect on four later dates. Some statements depart from the usual convention: HC 997 says one part took effect at 15:00 BST on 1 July 2025, the day it was laid.
Which documents should I cite for a date?
Cite the instrument with its number and the paragraph that sets the date: the HC number and its Implementation section for the Rules, the S.I. number and regulation for charges, fees and commencement, and the version line of the GOV.UK guidance for sponsor guidance. This page names each one.
Does the Temporary Shortage List end on 31 December 2026?
SW 6.1A says an occupation is only on the list where an application has been made using a certificate of sponsorship issued by a sponsor to an applicant before 31 December 2026. The Explanatory Memorandum to HC 997 describes the removal dates as “set at the end of 2026 (with the exception of adult social care where there are specific separate arrangements)”.
Sources
- Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 584, with its Explanatory MemorandumLaid 3 September 2026; changes in force 8 October, 29 October, 30 November and 9 December 2026; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 259, with its Explanatory MemorandumLaid 9 July 2026; Appendix Skilled Worker changes in force 3 August 2026; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1333, with its Explanatory MemorandumLaid 14 October 2025; English language change in force 8 January 2026; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 997, with its Explanatory MemorandumLaid 1 July 2025; Skilled Worker changes in force 22 July 2025; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- The Immigration Skills Charge (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1324)Made 15 December 2025; in force 16 December 2025; legislation.gov.uk as made; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- The Immigration Skills Charge Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/499), Schedulelegislation.gov.uk as made; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- The Immigration, Nationality and Passports (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/311)Made 17 March 2026; in force 8 April 2026; legislation.gov.uk as made; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/683 (C. 57))Made 24 June 2026; legislation.gov.uk as made; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- Right to work checks: an employer's guide (GOV.UK), Employer's guide to right to work checks: 1 October 2026Published 1 October 2026; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors, Part 1: apply for a licenceVersion 08/26, published 28 August 2026 (GOV.UK page updated 3 September 2026); retrieved 1 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors, Part 2: sponsor a workerVersion 08/26, valid from 3 August 2026 · GOV.UK
- Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors, Part 3: sponsor duties and complianceVersion 08/26, valid from 3 August 2026 · GOV.UK
- Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled WorkerGOV.UK, page updated 3 August 2026; retrieved 1 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- Immigration Rules, Appendix Immigration Salary ListGOV.UK, page updated 3 August 2026; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- Earned settlement (GOV.UK consultation)Opened 20 November 2025; closed 11:59pm on 12 February 2026; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
- Immigration Rules: statement of changes (GOV.UK collection)Newest entry HC 584, 3 September 2026; retrieved 2 October 2026 · GOV.UK
SponsorGuard provides compliance software and record-keeping tools. It is not a law firm or an immigration adviser and does not give legal or immigration advice, which are regulated activities (Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, section 84). This page describes what the published Home Office guidance and the Immigration Rules say, with the paragraph for each point, so you can read the source yourself. Guidance versions and figures are those in force on the date shown; the Home Office changes them, so check the current version before you rely on any of it.
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