The Home Office has begun 2026 with two headline changes that will reshape how global employers deploy staff to the United Kingdom.
First, from 8 January 2026 all first-time applicants for the Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual (HPI) and Scale-up visa routes must now prove English ability at CEFR level B2 rather than the previous B1 standard. The higher benchmark is equivalent to A-level or upper-intermediate proficiency and must be demonstrated through a Secure English Language Test (SELT) taken with an approved provider or through a degree taught in English. Existing migrants who entered these routes before 8 January keep the old requirement for extensions, but employers will need to screen new hires more rigorously and factor in extra preparation time for testing. HR teams should update recruitment materials, job adverts and sponsorship processes immediately. Failure to submit the right evidence will lead to visa refusals, costing both the applicant and the sponsor time and fees.
Secondly, ministers have confirmed that the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system becomes a **mandatory** pre-departure permission for visa-exempt nationals from 85 countries on 25 February 2026. Airlines, ferry operators and Eurostar will face civil penalties if they carry passengers who have not obtained an ETA, giving practical effect to the government’s “no permission, no travel” policy. An ETA costs £16, is valid for two years (or until passport expiry) and allows multiple visits of up to six months each. Since the soft launch in 2023 more than 13 million approvals have been issued, but February marks the first date when travellers can be turned away at the gate. Employers that move staff to the UK for meetings or short assignments should build ETA checks into travel-booking workflows and inform assignees that applications can take up to three working days if manual review is required.
![UK raises English language bar for work visas and confirms full ETA enforcement from 25 February 2026]()
For companies that would rather not wrestle with form-filling and shifting rules, VisaHQ’s dedicated UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) provides a streamlined service for both ETAs and work visas, including automated SELT scheduling, document vetting against the new B2 standard and real-time status alerts—letting HR teams focus on the assignment rather than the paperwork.
Taken together, the higher English threshold and hard ETA enforcement signal the government’s twin priorities of raising skill levels for long-term migrants while digitising the border for short-term visitors. Businesses reliant on junior or medium-skilled overseas talent may find some roles fall below the new language bar, while event organisers should expect a brief learning curve for frequent travellers adjusting to the ETA app. In the longer term, officials say the changes will improve labour-market integration and support a fully contactless border by 2030.
Practical tips for employers:
• Book SELT tests early—centres in key labour markets such as India and Nigeria are already reporting longer lead times.
• Update sponsorship policies and template offer letters to reference the B2 requirement.
• Add an ETA step to travel authorisation systems and remind employees that a new passport requires a new ETA.
• Monitor further Home Office communications; fee increases for ETA have been mooted and could follow later in the year.
First, from 8 January 2026 all first-time applicants for the Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual (HPI) and Scale-up visa routes must now prove English ability at CEFR level B2 rather than the previous B1 standard. The higher benchmark is equivalent to A-level or upper-intermediate proficiency and must be demonstrated through a Secure English Language Test (SELT) taken with an approved provider or through a degree taught in English. Existing migrants who entered these routes before 8 January keep the old requirement for extensions, but employers will need to screen new hires more rigorously and factor in extra preparation time for testing. HR teams should update recruitment materials, job adverts and sponsorship processes immediately. Failure to submit the right evidence will lead to visa refusals, costing both the applicant and the sponsor time and fees.
Secondly, ministers have confirmed that the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system becomes a **mandatory** pre-departure permission for visa-exempt nationals from 85 countries on 25 February 2026. Airlines, ferry operators and Eurostar will face civil penalties if they carry passengers who have not obtained an ETA, giving practical effect to the government’s “no permission, no travel” policy. An ETA costs £16, is valid for two years (or until passport expiry) and allows multiple visits of up to six months each. Since the soft launch in 2023 more than 13 million approvals have been issued, but February marks the first date when travellers can be turned away at the gate. Employers that move staff to the UK for meetings or short assignments should build ETA checks into travel-booking workflows and inform assignees that applications can take up to three working days if manual review is required.
For companies that would rather not wrestle with form-filling and shifting rules, VisaHQ’s dedicated UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) provides a streamlined service for both ETAs and work visas, including automated SELT scheduling, document vetting against the new B2 standard and real-time status alerts—letting HR teams focus on the assignment rather than the paperwork.
Taken together, the higher English threshold and hard ETA enforcement signal the government’s twin priorities of raising skill levels for long-term migrants while digitising the border for short-term visitors. Businesses reliant on junior or medium-skilled overseas talent may find some roles fall below the new language bar, while event organisers should expect a brief learning curve for frequent travellers adjusting to the ETA app. In the longer term, officials say the changes will improve labour-market integration and support a fully contactless border by 2030.
Practical tips for employers:
• Book SELT tests early—centres in key labour markets such as India and Nigeria are already reporting longer lead times.
• Update sponsorship policies and template offer letters to reference the B2 requirement.
• Add an ETA step to travel authorisation systems and remind employees that a new passport requires a new ETA.
• Monitor further Home Office communications; fee increases for ETA have been mooted and could follow later in the year.
