Skilled worker shake-up: Laura Devine Immigration warns city firms to prepare for stricter salary and skill thresholds
Leading immigration law firm Laura Devine Immigration is advising City employers to urgently prepare for sweeping changes to the UK’s immigration rules, coming into force on 22nd July 2025. The reforms will significantly raise the bar for sponsoring overseas workers, with a sharp increase in salary thresholds and a tightening of the skills criteria — measures that will directly impact hiring pipelines across financial, legal and professional services sectors.
Under the new rules, the minimum skill requirement for a Skilled Worker visa rises from A-level to degree level, effectively cutting off sponsorship options for around 180 roles. Simultaneously, the minimum salary threshold jumps to £41,700, with reduced rates for new entrants and shortage occupations also rising. Crucially, these thresholds will apply immediately to all new Certificates of Sponsorship issued from 22nd July, with no transitional grace period for most roles.
“These changes represent one of the most significant resets of the UK’s Skilled Worker route in recent years,” said Laura Devine, managing partner of Laura Devine Immigration. “City firms – especially those that rely on international junior talent – need to act now. There’s a narrow window to assign certificates under the current rules, and beyond that, compliance failures or delays could severely disrupt hiring plans. The regulatory margin for error is narrowing, and HR and legal teams need to be fully prepared.”
The firm is advising employers to conduct urgent audits of active and planned sponsorships, ensure salary benchmarks meet the new criteria, and communicate changes clearly to stakeholders. In parallel, changes to care worker sponsorship, the replacement of the Immigration Salary List, and restrictions on bringing dependents add further complexity for firms operating across sectors or with broader international mobility needs.