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UK to enforce new immigration rules from July 22
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The United Kingdom’s new immigration rules, including changes to salary and skills thresholds for Skilled Worker visas, will be implemented from 22 July 2025.
This was among the updated information released yesterday by the Home Office.
The major new Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 997), published on July 1, begins the implementation of the “sweeping reforms” to the immigration system announced in May in the Government’s White Paper.
Among the main changes, new applicants will now require a bachelor’s degree or equivalent RQF Level 6 qualification. According to the explanatory memorandum, this change will eliminate around 180 occupations from the list of eligible roles under the Skilled Worker route, though workers already in these occupations will continue to be able to be sponsored.
Skilled workers already in the UK will be exempt from the increased skill level requirement. The explanatory memorandum states: “For now, transitional arrangements in this Statement of Changes exempt workers who are already in the Skilled Worker route (or have been sponsored for an application which is later successful) when the changes come into effect from the increase to the skill threshold. As set out in the Immigration White Paper, this enables existing Skilled Worker visa holders to continue to renew their visas, change employment and take supplementary employment, in occupations below RQF Level 6. These transitional arrangements will not be in place indefinitely and will be reviewed in due course.”
Also, the salary thresholds for the Skilled Worker route are being increased as part of a routine salary update, in line with the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data.
After only a minimal increase in April 2025 ahead of the White Paper, these changes complete the remaining uplift to both general salaries and occupation‑specific rates.
Under the new dispensation, the baseline minimum salary to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa will rise from £38,700 to £41,700. For those with a relevant PhD, the minimum salary increases from £34,830 to £37,500. While there are no transitional arrangements for the new salary thresholds, this reflects standard practice. A review by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will follow, and any future transitional measures will be considered once this review is complete.
In the same vein, overseas recruitment for social care worker roles will also end on 22 July 2025, following concerns over widespread abuse, exploitation, and non-compliance in the sector. While new overseas applications will no longer be accepted, transitional provisions will allow in-country switching for care workers already in the UK until 22 July 2028. To qualify, workers must have been legally employed by their sponsor for at least three months prior to their application.
Some Nigerian healthcare workers were greatly affected by this abuse, which had even turned some into illegal immigrants. However, these safeguards aim to protect existing workers, support continuity of employment, and ensure compliance with basic employment standards.
In addition, a new temporary shortage occupation list is being introduced that will allow time-limited immigration access for sub-degree level roles, restricted to critical jobs that support the UK’s industrial strategy or key infrastructure projects. Workers employed in occupations on the temporary shortage list will no longer be allowed to bring dependants to the UK. Additionally, salary threshold and visa fee discounts will be removed. The Government has also commissioned the MAC to review the temporary shortage list’s scope, salary benchmarks, and associated benefits. Future access to the list beyond the end of 2026 will be conditional on the MAC’s recommendations.
Ministers have warned that all sectors must develop clear plans to train and recruit UK workers, or they risk being excluded from future immigration routes. The Government also signalled it will impose tighter restrictions if evidence emerges of ongoing exploitation or misuse within specific sectors.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government intends to deliver a “complete reset” of the immigration system. She stated:
“These new rules mean stronger controls to bring migration down, to restore order to the immigration system and to ensure we focus on investing in skills and training here in the UK.”
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) is also closing to new principal applications, taking effect from 3 p.m. today. The Government says that it now considers ARAP to have fulfilled its original purpose, with the Defence Secretary stating that closure will allow resources to be refocused on national security priorities. The closure represents the first formal step towards completing the UK’s Afghan resettlement commitments, with remaining relocations due to be completed by the end of this Parliament. Since its launch over four years ago, the scheme has supported the relocation of more than 21,000 Afghan principals and their family members to the UK.
In addition, some minor drafting changes are being made by the Statement of Changes to correct incorrect paragraph references and other errors.
US President Donald Trump says an agreement with Iran has been “largely negotiated” and details will be announced soon.
The deal would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, he said on Saturday, without giving further details.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei earlier told state television that US and Iranian positions had been converging in the last week, but warned that did not mean agreements would be reached on key issues and accused the Americans of “contradictory statements”.
On social media, Trump said he had a “very good call” with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and others about a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE”.
“An agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed,” Trump said.
“Final aspects and details of the deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly.”
He also said he had a call on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which “went very well”.
The president has not given any further details on the deal, but has insisted any agreement would “absolutely” prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Later, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said: “I congratulate President Donald Trump on his extraordinary efforts to pursue peace,” and said the phone call had been “very useful and productive”.
Pakistan has been helping to negotiate a peace deal, serving as an intermediary.
“We hope to host the next round of talks very soon,” he wrote in the statement on X.
The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, sparking conflict across the Middle East. Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.
A ceasefire in Iran was agreed in early April, and since then Washington and Tehran have engaged in talks over a long-term peace deal.
Speaking to state television on Saturday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also described a “memorandum of understanding”, saying Iran’s intention was to reach an agreement “in the form of a framework, consisting of 14 points”.
Baqaei said they were in the process of finalising the memorandum, so further talks could be held within 30 to 60 days “and ultimately a final agreement can be reached”.
The new sense of momentum comes after the mood appeared to have soured in Washington, with anonymous officials briefing US media on Friday that the administration was preparing for a fresh round of military strikes, although no final decision had been made.
On Friday, the president posted on Truth Social that he would not attend his son Donald Jr’s wedding this weekend so he could remain in Washington DC “during this important period of time”.
Last week, Trump had said the truce was on “massive life support” after rejecting Tehran’s demands, labelling them “totally unacceptable”.
The US has blockaded Iranian ports since 13 April.
On Saturday, US Central Command (Centcom) said it had redirected 100 vessels, disabled four, and allowed 26 humanitarian aid ships to pass since the blockade began.
Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper said its forces had been “highly effective” in “allowing zero trade into and out of Iranian ports which has squeezed Iran economically”.
Meanwhile, Iran has claimed military control of an area around the Strait of Hormuz, and has said all transit through the strait “requires coordination with and authorisation from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority”.
The US and Gulf allies have repeatedly rejected Iranian attempts to assert control over the strait, and the US has told ships not to comply with Iran’s rules.
Torrential rainfall has brought parts of New York City to a standstill after flash floods submerged roads, disrupted transport systems, and triggered chaotic scenes across multiple boroughs, including Queens and Brooklyn.
A viral video circulating on social media captured the intensity of the flooding, showing a woman struggling in powerful currents after attempting to escape a stranded bus.
The footage, widely shared online, highlighted the dangerous conditions as emergency responders rushed to affected areas.
Heavy downpours overwhelmed drainage systems on Wednesday, with authorities reporting that some areas received about 5 centimetres of rain within just one hour, turning streets and underpasses into fast-moving streams, leaving vehicles stranded and commuters trapped.
Reports say that in Brooklyn and Queens, the impact was particularly severe as floodwaters rose rapidly, forcing some motorists to abandon their vehicles while others waited for rescue on rooftops and elevated ground.
Transit authorities confirmed major disruptions across the city’s transport network.
Officials from New York Emergency Management issued urgent warnings as conditions worsened, advising residents to avoid floodwaters and move to higher ground where necessary.
Amid the ongoing crisis, authorities also referenced a separate fatal incident in Manhattan earlier in the week involving an open manhole.
The victim, identified as 56-year-old Donika Gocaj, died after accidentally stepping into a 10-foot-deep utility opening near Fifth Avenue.
They added, “Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority.”
Authorities say investigations into both the flooding impact and the manhole incident are ongoing as the city continues to recover from severe weather conditions.
United States President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, May 21, 2026, that he is uncertain whether he will attend his eldest son’s weekend wedding due to pressing geopolitical demands surrounding the war in Iran. The President’s eldest son, 48-year-old Donald Trump Jr., is scheduled to marry Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, 39, over the Memorial Day holiday weekend in the Bahamas.
Despite the deeply personal milestone, the commander-in-chief revealed to reporters in the Oval Office that the worsening international conflict has severely restricted his schedule, complicating his ability to leave Washington during a critical diplomatic juncture.
The timing of the destination nuptials coincides with an intensely scrutinized push by the administration to broker an exit strategy for the highly unpopular war, which has dramatically deflated the President’s domestic approval ratings. Public dissatisfaction has intensified in recent weeks, with voters expressing deep anger over skyrocketing costs of living ahead of November’s high-stakes midterm elections.
The couple had initially explored hosting a grand, high-profile wedding at the White House, but those plans were ultimately scaled back to an intimate destination ceremony on a private island in the Bahamas to avoid political blowback during wartime.
Addressing the media regarding his potential travel plans, the President emphasized the precarious public relations situation he faces while American forces remain heavily engaged in the Middle East stalemate. “He’d like me to go. It’s going to be just a small little private affair and I’m going to try and make it,” Trump told reporters.
“I said, ‘This is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.’ That’s one I can’t win on. If I do attend, I get killed. If I don’t attend, I get killed … by the fake news, of course.”
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