Late on 9 December the Home Office laid Statement of Changes HC 1491 before Parliament—its seventh rule-book rewrite of 2025. While the headline move is a new visit-visa requirement for nationals of Nauru with only six hours’ notice, the 20-page document contains several other reforms of interest to corporate mobility managers.
First, the specialist Service Providers from Switzerland (SPS) route—created in 2020 to let Swiss firms complete pre-existing contracts in the UK—will close on 31 December 2025. Multinationals with teams rotating through London or Manchester under that route now have just three weeks to finalise any assignments or shift staff onto the Skilled Worker or Visitor (Business) categories. Swiss-based consultancy and pharma companies have already started emergency audits of who is on-site.
Second, the statement tightens the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). Border officers can now cancel pre-settled status if there is evidence an individual facilitated fraudulent applications. The travel-permit scheme is also widened so status holders abroad with a new passport can re-enter the UK more easily—avoiding costly route changes for assignees who have renewed documents while overseas.
![Home Office Publishes December Statement of Changes: Visa for Nauru, Closure of Swiss Service Route and EU Settlement Tweaks]()
For businesses racing to adjust to these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can step in by arranging last-minute visitor or work visas, monitoring staff travel documents, and filing emergency applications when rules change unexpectedly. Its London-based platform streamlines submissions for both Swiss service providers and EU pre-settled staff, with full details at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/.
Third, several technical fixes tidy up the Family and Private Life rules introduced in November and reinstate the requirement that Turkish self-employed businesspersons show sufficient funds for dependants—an omission that had caused casework confusion for HR teams supporting legacy ECAA staff.
Employers should update assignment checklists immediately: visas or transits booked for Nauruan nationals after 15:00 GMT on 9 December will be refused without a paper visa; Swiss service contracts should be reviewed for end-2025 staffing; and EU staff with pre-settled status travelling over Christmas should carry evidence of status continuity.
First, the specialist Service Providers from Switzerland (SPS) route—created in 2020 to let Swiss firms complete pre-existing contracts in the UK—will close on 31 December 2025. Multinationals with teams rotating through London or Manchester under that route now have just three weeks to finalise any assignments or shift staff onto the Skilled Worker or Visitor (Business) categories. Swiss-based consultancy and pharma companies have already started emergency audits of who is on-site.
Second, the statement tightens the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). Border officers can now cancel pre-settled status if there is evidence an individual facilitated fraudulent applications. The travel-permit scheme is also widened so status holders abroad with a new passport can re-enter the UK more easily—avoiding costly route changes for assignees who have renewed documents while overseas.
For businesses racing to adjust to these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can step in by arranging last-minute visitor or work visas, monitoring staff travel documents, and filing emergency applications when rules change unexpectedly. Its London-based platform streamlines submissions for both Swiss service providers and EU pre-settled staff, with full details at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/.
Third, several technical fixes tidy up the Family and Private Life rules introduced in November and reinstate the requirement that Turkish self-employed businesspersons show sufficient funds for dependants—an omission that had caused casework confusion for HR teams supporting legacy ECAA staff.
Employers should update assignment checklists immediately: visas or transits booked for Nauruan nationals after 15:00 GMT on 9 December will be refused without a paper visa; Swiss service contracts should be reviewed for end-2025 staffing; and EU staff with pre-settled status travelling over Christmas should carry evidence of status continuity.
