'Radical reforms' | UK immigration overhaul raises employer concerns over skills gaps & worker readiness

The government has announced sweeping reforms to the UK’s immigration system, pledging to reduce net migration and prioritise domestic workforce development. Unveiled in a new White Paper, the measures mark a drastic shift towards a more restrictive and domestically focused approach, drawing a mixed response from HR and immigration law experts.

According to the Home Office, the Immigration White Paper seeks to address what it calls a "failed immigration system" inherited from the previous administration, under which net migration nearly quadrupled from 2019 to 2023. The new framework will raise the threshold for skilled worker visas to RQF6 (graduate level), reflecting a return to degree-level requirements. 

The government also plans to introduce time-limited access for roles below the new skill threshold, granted only where employers can provide strong evidence of need and commit to domestic training strategies.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the measures are part of a "Plan for Change" to ensure migration is “properly controlled and managed” and to end an era where “overseas recruitment soared while action on training fell.”