The Home Office has confirmed a sweeping package of immigration changes that quietly took legal effect on 8 January 2026 but were formally detailed to the press on 18 January. The most eye-catching shift is an increase in the minimum English-language level for three of the UK’s flagship work routes—Skilled Worker, Scale-up and High Potential Individual—from B1 to B2 on the Common European Framework. Employers sponsoring staff who filed after 8 January must now prove their recruits can converse at an ‘upper-intermediate’ rather than ‘intermediate’ standard.
Alongside the language uplift, headline visa fees rose by 7 per cent, while the Immigration Health Surcharge for adults climbed to £1,035 per year. A Skilled Worker applying from overseas for a three-year visa now pays £885 in fees plus £3,105 in surcharge—an outlay of almost £4,000 before dependants. Business-mobility specialists warn that rising fixed costs will squeeze mid-skill hiring exactly when British companies are already grappling with wage inflation and a shortage of STEM talent.
Organisations struggling to stay ahead of these policy shifts can turn to VisaHQ, whose digital platform and visa specialists help employers and individuals compile UK work-permit applications, book accredited English-language tests and forecast the full cost of sponsorship from day one. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/.
![UK Raises English‐Language Bar and Visa Fees, Extends Settlement Wait Times]()
The reforms also lengthen most settlement clocks. Routes that previously led to Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years—such as Skilled Worker—now require six. Government officials argue that a longer qualifying period will “reduce churn” and deter what they call “visa hopping”. Critics counter that the extra year simply postpones stability for workers who have already paid substantial taxes and fees.
Universities and business-travel coalitions have reacted sharply. Universities UK estimates that raising maintenance-fund thresholds and tuition protection levies will add £2,800 to the average international student’s first-year costs, threatening enrolments that underpin 68 per cent of postgraduate research. The Institute of Directors, meanwhile, calls the English-language hike “a hidden skills tax” because the affected B1-level roles are disproportionately in growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing where on-site training is common.
In practical terms, HR teams should audit ongoing sponsorships: workers whose Certificates of Sponsorship were issued before 8 January are protected by transitional rules, but any amended certificates will trigger the new thresholds. Recruiters are advised to budget extra time for language testing at B2 level—currently dominated by IELTS UKVI sessions that are already booking three weeks out in some regions.
Alongside the language uplift, headline visa fees rose by 7 per cent, while the Immigration Health Surcharge for adults climbed to £1,035 per year. A Skilled Worker applying from overseas for a three-year visa now pays £885 in fees plus £3,105 in surcharge—an outlay of almost £4,000 before dependants. Business-mobility specialists warn that rising fixed costs will squeeze mid-skill hiring exactly when British companies are already grappling with wage inflation and a shortage of STEM talent.
Organisations struggling to stay ahead of these policy shifts can turn to VisaHQ, whose digital platform and visa specialists help employers and individuals compile UK work-permit applications, book accredited English-language tests and forecast the full cost of sponsorship from day one. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/.
The reforms also lengthen most settlement clocks. Routes that previously led to Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years—such as Skilled Worker—now require six. Government officials argue that a longer qualifying period will “reduce churn” and deter what they call “visa hopping”. Critics counter that the extra year simply postpones stability for workers who have already paid substantial taxes and fees.
Universities and business-travel coalitions have reacted sharply. Universities UK estimates that raising maintenance-fund thresholds and tuition protection levies will add £2,800 to the average international student’s first-year costs, threatening enrolments that underpin 68 per cent of postgraduate research. The Institute of Directors, meanwhile, calls the English-language hike “a hidden skills tax” because the affected B1-level roles are disproportionately in growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing where on-site training is common.
In practical terms, HR teams should audit ongoing sponsorships: workers whose Certificates of Sponsorship were issued before 8 January are protected by transitional rules, but any amended certificates will trigger the new thresholds. Recruiters are advised to budget extra time for language testing at B2 level—currently dominated by IELTS UKVI sessions that are already booking three weeks out in some regions.
