Upcoming changes to the UK Immigration Rules

The government has announced a new set of updates which will come into effect on 8 April 2026 and 26 March 2027 respectively.

Key Changes from 8 April 2026:

Sponsor Compliance – Skilled Worker Visas: Employers who sponsor employees on the Skilled Worker route must ensure that the salary paid in each ‘pay period’ is at least the amount specified on the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) will check that, for monthly paid employees, total salary in any three-month period meets at least one quarter of the annual CoS salary. Non-compliance may trigger prompt action from UKVI.
Action: Please review your payroll processes to ensure ongoing compliance.

Higher English Language Requirement: Skilled Workers applying for settlement on or after 26 March 2027 will need to show they have B2 level English language competence (higher intermediate) in speaking and listening, unless exempt. This requirement will also extend to other visa categories, including International Sportsperson, Innovator Founder, Scale-up, Representative of an Overseas Business, and UK Ancestry routes, for both initial applications and settlement.
Action: Applicants originally granted initial visas based on a B1 English test or a degree taught in English at B1 level may need to re-take an approved B2 test before applying for settlement.

Digital eVisas: Since 25 February 2026, most UK entry visas - including Visitor and Work routes - are being issued as eVisas, replacing the old-style paper vignette endorsed into passports. Visa holders must now create a UKVI account to view and share their status (for example, during right to work checks by generating a 'share code').
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): Now expected to be fully enforced at the UK border, the ETA is a mandatory requirement for most visitors (excluding British and Irish citizens, and certain other exemptions). Everyone wishing to travel to the UK (except British citizens, Irish citizens and legal residents of Ireland who are travelling to the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man) must apply for an ETA in advance unless they hold a UK visa or UK residence status. Full details on how to apply can be found here.
Digital certificates of entitlement to right of abode: Further to the full roll out of the ETA, British and Irish citizens, including dual citizens, do not require an ETA. Dual British citizens need to ensure they are able to travel to the UK on either a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement to right of abode (which are now being issued in digital form) to prove their status.

Employers should promptly review and update compliance and payroll processes if needed to ensure compliance with the new salary monitoring rules.
Sponsored employees and migrants should begin preparing for potential English language re-testing at the higher B2 level before settlement applications submitted from 26 March 2027.
Business visitors and UK employers should familiarise themselves with the digital eVisa and ETA processes.

If you have any questions or need support on how these changes may impact you or your employees, please do not hesitate to get in touch.