With just three days to go, the Home Office on 8 November circulated an industry briefing highlighting the practical impact of the Statement of Changes HC 1333 that enters into force on 11 November. The 198-page explanatory memorandum—first published on 14 October—consolidates more than 60 rule updates, but many employers have only now clocked the looming deadline.
Headline changes include: (1) higher English-language (B2) requirements for future Skilled Worker, Scale-up and HPI applicants; (2) a trimmed Shortage Occupation List that removes 112 medium-skilled roles, including most care-workers; (3) liberalised eligibility for the High Potential and Global Talent routes; and (4) new powers to revoke sponsor licences where firms commit ‘serious or persistent’ employment-law breaches.
![Last-minute briefing urges businesses to adapt before 11 Nov Immigration Rules switch-over]()
An annex confirms transitional provisions. Applications lodged before 11 Nov will be considered under existing rules, so employers have until 23:59 GMT on 10 Nov to submit electronic forms and pay the Immigration Skills Charge if they wish to use the lower salary thresholds and B1 English test. After that, certificates of sponsorship issued under the old criteria will lapse, forcing applicants to meet the tougher test or seek a refund.
Legal advisers warn that delays in the UKVI portal this week could leave some sponsors in limbo. They recommend prioritising ‘must-move’ new hires, refreshing the Authorising Officer details on the Sponsor Management System, and updating assignment cost forecasts to reflect higher salary floors and potential uplift in Immigration Health Surcharge rates due next spring.
The Home Office says the reforms are essential to link migration with UK skills policy, but sector bodies from tech to hospitality argue the abrupt implementation gives insufficient planning time. For global-mobility teams, immediate actions include communicating the cut-off to line managers, auditing live recruitment cases, and scheduling English-language testing slots for January intakes.
Headline changes include: (1) higher English-language (B2) requirements for future Skilled Worker, Scale-up and HPI applicants; (2) a trimmed Shortage Occupation List that removes 112 medium-skilled roles, including most care-workers; (3) liberalised eligibility for the High Potential and Global Talent routes; and (4) new powers to revoke sponsor licences where firms commit ‘serious or persistent’ employment-law breaches.
An annex confirms transitional provisions. Applications lodged before 11 Nov will be considered under existing rules, so employers have until 23:59 GMT on 10 Nov to submit electronic forms and pay the Immigration Skills Charge if they wish to use the lower salary thresholds and B1 English test. After that, certificates of sponsorship issued under the old criteria will lapse, forcing applicants to meet the tougher test or seek a refund.
Legal advisers warn that delays in the UKVI portal this week could leave some sponsors in limbo. They recommend prioritising ‘must-move’ new hires, refreshing the Authorising Officer details on the Sponsor Management System, and updating assignment cost forecasts to reflect higher salary floors and potential uplift in Immigration Health Surcharge rates due next spring.
The Home Office says the reforms are essential to link migration with UK skills policy, but sector bodies from tech to hospitality argue the abrupt implementation gives insufficient planning time. For global-mobility teams, immediate actions include communicating the cut-off to line managers, auditing live recruitment cases, and scheduling English-language testing slots for January intakes.
