UK Visa Changes Spring 2026: Salary Rules, Visa Brake & Key Updates

These Spring 2026 updates directly impact UK employers holding sponsor licences, Skilled Workers, international students, and those planning to settle in the UK permanently.

If you are an expat working in the UK or an employer recruiting overseas talent, here is exactly what the new Spring 2026 immigration changes mean for you.

1. The New "Visa Brake" (Effective March 26, 2026)

One of the most controversial measures introduced this spring is the "Visa Brake," which immediately restricts certain nationalities from applying for specific UK visa routes from overseas.

• Skilled Worker Route: As of March 26, 2026, citizens of Afghanistan are no longer eligible to apply for entry clearance via the Skilled Worker visa route.

• Student Route: Nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan are no longer permitted to apply for a Student visa from outside the UK.

• The Caveat: The Home Office noted that this measure only affects out-of-country applications. Individuals from these nations who are already legally inside the UK (for example, seeking to switch from a different visa or extend a current one) are not affected by this specific brake.

2. Stricter Salary Rules for Skilled Workers (Effective April 7, 2026)

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) is cracking down on employers who manipulate payroll to meet minimum salary thresholds.

Previously, some sponsors would average out a worker’s salary over a 12-month period to meet the required financial threshold on the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

• The New Rule: As of April 7, 2026, sponsored workers must be paid at or above the required minimum salary in every single individual pay period (e.g., monthly).

• The Impact: If an employer underpays a Skilled Worker in January, intending to make it up with a bonus in June, UKVI will immediately detect this as a compliance breach. Employers now face much faster escalation to licence suspension or revocation if they fail to meet the hourly and monthly going rates.

3. The Expanded "Right to Work" Checks

The burden on UK employers to verify immigration status has drastically widened.

Under the updated Spring 2026 sponsor guidance, the "Right to Work" check regime is no longer limited just to direct employees. Employers holding a sponsor licence must now verify the right to work for any worker they “directly engage”—even if that worker is not a direct employee, is a contractor, or is not sponsored by them.

Furthermore, because physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) are now obsolete, HR departments must conduct all Right to Work checks digitally using the worker's eVisa "share code."

4. Mandatory Visa Refusals for Suspended Sentences

The UK has tightened its "good character" and criminality thresholds.

Previously, actual custodial prison sentences of 12 months or more were grounds for mandatory visa refusal or deportation. As of March 26, 2026, this rule has been expanded.

• The Home Office will now mandate the refusal or cancellation of permission to enter or stay for anyone who has received a suspended sentence of 12 months or more.

• This applies regardless of how long ago the sentence was handed down, and regardless of whether the sentencing took place in the UK or in another country.

5. Looking Ahead: Higher English Requirements for Settlement (2027)

While this specific rule doesn't take effect until March 26, 2027, the Home Office has given expats a one-year warning to prepare.

Currently, applicants applying for Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) on routes like the Skilled Worker visa must prove their English language proficiency to a B1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

• The Change: Next year, the requirement for settlement will rise from B1 to the much harder B2 level across multiple visa categories.

• What You Should Do: If you were originally granted your initial work visa based on a B1 English test, you will need to re-take an approved Home Office English test at the B2 level before you submit your settlement application in 2027.

With compliance rules tightening across the board, navigating the UK visa system requires meticulous attention to detail.