To help industry digest the October Immigration White Paper, the Home Office has organised a series of free 50-minute ‘Town-Hall’ webinars—one of which took place on 24 October at 11:00 BST. The sessions outline imminent rule changes affecting Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual, Global Talent, and eVisa pathways, as well as forthcoming consultations on settlement and right-to-work checks.
Key highlights include expansion of the HPI visa to top-100 global universities, stricter English-language thresholds (B2) from January 2026, and a 32 percent rise in the Immigration Skills Charge. PhD graduates will retain a three-year post-study period, while most Graduate visa holders will see their stay cut to 18 months.
Corporate mobility and HR teams are urged to attend upcoming repeats (29 Oct, 30 Oct, 4 Nov) to grasp timelines and transitional provisions. Failure to adjust could result in rejected Certificates of Sponsorship, unexpected cost increases, or loss of statutory excuse in right-to-work audits.
Participating employers can pose questions live, offering a rare chance to clarify ambiguities before drafting 2026 workforce plans. Recordings will be made available, but the Home Office emphasises real-time engagement to gauge business readiness.
The proactive outreach reflects government recognition that rapid policy shifts demand agile communication, particularly for sectors like tech, health, and food processing that rely heavily on overseas talent.
Key highlights include expansion of the HPI visa to top-100 global universities, stricter English-language thresholds (B2) from January 2026, and a 32 percent rise in the Immigration Skills Charge. PhD graduates will retain a three-year post-study period, while most Graduate visa holders will see their stay cut to 18 months.
Corporate mobility and HR teams are urged to attend upcoming repeats (29 Oct, 30 Oct, 4 Nov) to grasp timelines and transitional provisions. Failure to adjust could result in rejected Certificates of Sponsorship, unexpected cost increases, or loss of statutory excuse in right-to-work audits.
Participating employers can pose questions live, offering a rare chance to clarify ambiguities before drafting 2026 workforce plans. Recordings will be made available, but the Home Office emphasises real-time engagement to gauge business readiness.
The proactive outreach reflects government recognition that rapid policy shifts demand agile communication, particularly for sectors like tech, health, and food processing that rely heavily on overseas talent.
