New Immigration Rules: Construction And Hospitality Sectors To Face Major Blow (9 July 2025)

The UK government's latest Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, coming into force on 22 July 2025, represents one of the most significant tightening of work visa eligibility in recent years, in the United Kingdom. The new rules pivot almost entirely towards highly skilled, graduate-level roles, leaving many traditionally sponsored jobs in construction and hospitality sectors ineligible under the updated Skilled Worker visa route.

What's changing?

Under the new framework:

• Only occupations listed in the revised Table 1 of Appendix Skilled Occupations (primarily RQF level 6+ roles) are eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.
• The government has removed almost all RQF 3-5 roles, previously sponsored at lower thresholds, from eligibility.
• Salary thresholds have been significantly raised (£41,700 for many general occupations).

This shift follows a deliberate strategy to reduce net migration by focusing on "highly skilled" migrants and sharply curtailing reliance on overseas workers in sectors seen as lower skilled.

Impact on the construction sector

Historically, the UK construction industry has depended heavily on overseas labour to fill gaps in skilled trades such as:

• Bricklayers, carpenters, painters, decorators, and general construction operatives
• Site supervisors and middle-tier project controllers

Under the new rules from July 2025:

• Most of these roles, which sit at RQF 3-5, are not included in Table 1 or any of the transitional or shortage lists.
• Only highly specialised professional roles like civil engineers (SOC 2121) and quantity surveyors (SOC 2453) remain eligible.

Even previously critical shortage roles like plumbers, welders or scaffolders, which were supported under Temporary Shortage Occupations, are largely absent from the new tables. As a result, construction firms will struggle to sponsor essential skilled trades under the Skilled Worker route, likely exacerbating project delays and cost overruns.

Impact on the hospitality sector

The hospitality industry faces an equally severe setback:

• Chefs (SOC 5434), a staple of previous sponsorship under Skilled Worker rules (historically accepted at RQF 3), have been entirely removed from the list of eligible occupations.
• Restaurant managers (SOC 1223), also formerly sponsorable, do not appear in the new Table 1.
• Even high-end establishments that previously met sponsorship criteria by paying well above the minimum thresholds can no longer hire overseas chefs or kitchen managers under this route.

This means from 22 July 2025, UK hospitality businesses will have no route under the Skilled Worker visa to bring in international chefs or restaurant managers, regardless of salary or culinary specialism. This change could be particularly damaging for sectors dependent on international cuisines, event catering, and tourism-driven dining, already strained by domestic labour shortages.

These latest changes would not affect existing skilled workers who are already sponsored in these positions and/or within these industries, and extending their current visa will remain possible under the Old Rules and Regulations.

The latest changes mark a decisive move away from sectors historically reliant on international skills at technician or supervisory level. As the new Immigration Rules take effect, construction sites and restaurant kitchens across the UK may soon feel the sharp edge of a policy determined to reshape the UK labour market — with consequences that will reverberate well beyond immigration compliance teams.