Immigration News Weekly Roundup – 14 March 2025
This week, changes have been announced that will affect various aspects of UK immigration.
The UK government has issued statement of changes HC 733, introducing several significant modifications to immigration rules effective from various dates. Most notably, Trinidad and Tobago nationals now face an immediate visa requirement when travelling to the UK, losing their previous electronic travel authorisation privileges. From 3pm on 13 March 2025, these nationals must apply for visitor visas in advance, though a six-week grace period exists for those with confirmed bookings made before this deadline and an existing ETA, allowing travel until 23 April 2025.
This visa imposition follows similar patterns seen with Jordan and Colombia, citing asylum claim increases as justification. Statistics show Trinidad and Tobago applications rose from 234 in 2023 (representing 353 people) to 272 in 2024 (representing 444 people). Despite this increase being described by ministers as “significant and sustained,” Trinidad and Tobago nationals represented only 0.4% of the UK’s 108,138 asylum claims in 2024.
From 9 April 2025, care sector sponsors in England must meet new requirements before recruiting overseas workers or those switching from other immigration routes into care worker roles (occupation codes 6135 and 6136). The new rule requires sponsors to first attempt recruitment from within the UK, specifically seeking Skilled Workers already in-country who were previously sponsored in care roles but need new sponsorship due to employer licence loss, insufficient work provision, or identification by regional partnerships as requiring assistance.
The Skilled Worker route will see minimum salary thresholds increase from £23,200 to £25,000 annually (or from £11.90 to £12.82 hourly) from 9 April. Additionally, the standard working week calculation used for going rates will change from 40 hours to 37.5 hours. Those seeking “new entrant” salary reductions must now specifically rely on UK qualifications rather than qualifications from other countries. See our course here
For Ukraine scheme applicants, the rules have been modified to expressly include eligibility for those granted leave outside the rules before recent concessions were implemented. This follows January 2025’s concession allowing Ukrainian nationals to sponsor minor children, which came after charity pressure and legal action from the Work Rights Centre. The definition of “parent” for the Home for Ukraine scheme has also been amended to exclude stepparents, mirroring similar changes made elsewhere in immigration rules last year.
EU Settlement Scheme applicants will benefit from relaxed documentation requirements, with non-EEA nationals now permitted to use UK biometric residence cards or permits expired by up to 18 months as proof of identity and nationality. This streamlines the application process as those using expired documents will not need to provide biometrics again.
The rules also clarify several aspects of the EU Settlement Scheme. They confirm that individuals who became EU, EEA or Swiss citizens after the transition period cannot sponsor EUSS family permit applications. Additionally, applications can now be refused on suitability grounds without deportation or exclusion orders where the applicant’s pre-transition period conduct meets relevant EU law public policy tests. See our course on EU here
British Nationals (Overseas) will receive exemption from electronic travel authorisation requirements from 9 April, despite this requirement only being introduced last week. Similarly, children visiting with French school groups will be exempt from 2 April 2025, ensuring equality between non-visa nationals (who can travel using national identity cards) and visa nationals (who require passports).
Short-term English language study applicants will face additional scrutiny from 9 April, with a new “genuine intention to study” requirement being added to STS 5.1, likely increasing refusals as this assessment rests with Home Office decision makers.
For child students, a new definition of “nominated guardian” will be introduced from 29 May 2025, covering individuals appointed by parents, legal guardians or schools as carers outside term-time for less than 28 days, or as emergency contacts. Additional care and living arrangement requirements will be implemented, with decision makers needing to be satisfied about appropriate arrangements for the child’s safety. A discretionary refusal ground will apply where carers have criminal convictions.
In a welcome development, the free out-of-country error correction process will be expanded to include in-country cases where there are errors in conditions or time periods in permission grants, removing these from the formal Administrative Review process outlined in AR2.1(e).
Additionally, this week has brought to light three significant case decisions.
The Prestwick Care case confirms that sponsor license holders must strictly adhere to their obligations, with the Court holding that Home Office decisions on license revocation need not consider impacts on businesses, employees or wider community care needs. Sponsors cannot expect favourable treatment simply because license revocation might cause disruption to social care provision, emphasizing that sponsorship remains “a privilege, not a right.”
In Lee v Secretary of State, we see judicial clarification that when assessing Windrush compensation claims, applicants don’t necessarily need to demonstrate they held lawful status at specific points in time – what matters is whether they could have benefited from the Immigration Rules in force then. This case highlights how decision-makers must properly understand historical immigration law provisions when determining eligibility.
The Butt case reinforces that the public interest in immigration control carries substantial weight in family migration cases, particularly for overstayers with poor immigration histories. The Court of Appeal confirmed that Chikwamba principles have limited application in current practice and don’t override the need for proper Article 8 proportionality assessments.
With HC 733 introducing changes including new recruitment conditions for care sector sponsors in England from April 9th, these cases provide timely reminders of the strict compliance standards required by sponsors, how historical immigration status is assessed, and the high threshold in Article 8 claims for those with adverse immigration histories.
Following recent changes to immigration law introduced by the government, as well as key cases such as Prestwick Care, Lee v Secretary of State, and Butt which have redefined compliance standards, immigration advisors are encountering increased complexity. HJT Training’s new Consultation Services connects you directly with distinguished immigration law experts who provide strategic guidance based on over 20 years of experience. Ensure you are not dealing with these crucial changes without support. Collaborate with HJT to uphold the highest standards of practice while achieving outstanding client outcomes.
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For the full list of updates on media news, reports and Home Office Guidance and Policy updates, SEE BELOW
Immigration News
New rules to prioritise recruiting care workers in England – UKVI News
From 9 April, care providers who want to recruit a new worker from overseas will have to first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so and will help end the reliance on overseas recruitment as we restore order to our immigration system through our Plan for Change.
For full report, click here
The UK deepens cooperation with France on people smuggling – UKVI News
The UK and France have further deepened their small boats cooperation with the signing of the Upstream Working Group Roadmap yesterday (6 March) at the Ministry of Interior.
The UK’s Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, and France’s Special Representative on Immigration for the Minister of State, Patrick Stefanini, met in Paris to agree stronger measures, focussing on stemming irregular migration flows into both France and the UK.
For full report, click here
Trinidad and Tobago calls new UK visa requirement ‘disproportionate move’ – The Guardian
Trinidad and Tobago has described Britain’s new visa requirement for tourists from the twin island state as a disproportionate and disappointing response to the issue of false asylum applications. Trinidad and Tobago nationals previously could visit the UK without a visa, only requiring the electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which was introduced in January for all visa-exempt nations.
For full report, click here
Tories announce policy to deport all foreign nationals with criminal convictions – The Guardian
All foreign nationals in the UK who receive a criminal conviction would be deported under a new Conservative party policy. The Tory plan would introduce an amendment to the government’s borders bill that would remove the current threshold, in which foreign criminals are only removed after being handed a prison sentence of one year. The party hopes this amendment, which would need support from Labour MPs, would also make it easier for the government to deport foreign offenders by ending exceptions that had been granted by the European court of human rights.
For full report, click here
UK couple fined £1,500 after reporting Channel stowaway found in motorhome – The Guardian
A couple who discovered a boy hidden on the back of their motorhome after their journey from France to Essex have been fined £1,500 by the Home Office. Adrian and Joanne Fenton called the police when they found the person zipped inside the cover of a bike rack after pulling up on their drive at their home in Hybridge.
For full report, click here
Ministers delaying inquiry into treatment of migrant carers, RCN says – The Guardian
Ministers are dragging their heels on an investigation into the mistreatment of migrant carers, the country’s largest nursing union has said, as it continues to receive complaints about low pay, substandard accommodation and illegal fees. Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, has written to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, to urge her to speed up her promised investigation into the abuse of foreign care workers.
For full report, click here
Migrants and refugee families in the UK denied childcare funding, report finds – The Guardian
Tens of thousands of children in migrant and refugee families in the UK are being denied access to government-funded childcare because of benefit restrictions linked to their parents’ immigration status, a report says. Having “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) means parents are not entitled to 30 hours of free childcare and are having to stay home to look after their young children instead of working. This is pushing families into poverty and denying their children the benefits of the early years education available to their peers, the report finds.
For full report, click here
New statement of changes to the Immigration Rules imposes visit visa regime on Trinidad and Tobago, introduces protections for care workers – Electronic immigration network
The Home Office has today published a major new statement of changes to the Immigration Rules, making numerous changes. The 135-page statement of changes can be downloaded here. The 20-page accompanying explanatory memorandum is here. All documents related to the statement (HC 733) can be accessed from here on GOV.UK. The changes take effect from today through to 13 August 2025, with the majority coming into force in April.
For full report, click here
UK’s immigration trap EXPOSED as halal butchers and kebab shops issuing hundreds of skilled worker visas – GB News
Immigrants have been given skilled worker visas sponsored by 56 kebab houses, 83 businesses with “Halal” in their name, and one butcher alone sponsored 918 visas, GB News can reveal. In an exclusive documentary, premiering for GBN Members, we explore how immigration has changed cities across Britain, including the city of Bradford.
For full report, click here
PM says motorhome migrant fine ‘to be looked into’ – BBC News UK
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he would ask the Home Office to look into the case of a couple who were fined for unknowingly bringing a migrant into the UK. The intruder hid inside the cover of a bike rack while Adrian and Joanne Fenton drove from France to their home in Heybridge, Essex, in October.
For full report, click here
‘I’m proud of being a refugee who came to the UK’ – BBC News UK
Andrew Kueth was nine years old when he was forced to flee his country due to civil war. It was the start of an eight-year journey across two continents and thousands of miles which would see him survive beatings in jail and two sinkings in the Mediterranean.
For full report, click here
Conservatives call for salary hike on work visas – BBC News UK
The Conservatives say they will push for salary thresholds for all work visas to be raised to £38,700, by tabling changes to the government’s immigration bill currently going through Parliament.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the party wants to “bring to an end the era of mass migration”.
For full report, click here
Northern NHS trusts have fewest overseas workers – BBC News UK
Health services across the North East and Cumbria have the lowest number of NHS staff recruited from overseas in England, according to NHS figures. One in five NHS England staff registered a nationality other than British last year, but in the North East and Cumbria it was about one in 10.
For full report, click here
British workers ‘undercut by illegal immigrants’ – BBC News UK
Fines for employing immigrants illegally have been issued in Cumbria and the north-east of England at a rate 25% higher than the UK average. Some 150 firms – mainly takeaways, restaurants, car-washes and barber shops – have been told to pay more than £2m in the last five years, according to Home Office data.
For full report, click here
How migrant workers are saving the NHS from crisis – BBC News UK
New figures show hospitals across the West Country are being kept running partly thanks to migrant workers. About 25% of staff at Bristol’s Southmead and Swindon’s Great Western Hospital are from overseas. This equates to about 1,375 jobs in GWH and 3,250 roles in Southmead, according to NHS data
For full report, click here
Case Law
Butt v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 189
The Court of Appeal in dismissed an appeal against the refusal of leave to remain as a spouse by a Pakistani national who had overstayed in the UK. The court provided important clarification on the limited applicability of the Chikwamba principle, which holds that it’s rarely proportionated to refuse applications solely on procedural grounds requiring applicants to return home to apply. The judgement emphasised that poor immigration history (the appellant had overstayed for 5,394 days) significantly weighs against applicants in the proportionality assessment. The court found that, unlike in Chikwamba, there were no compelling factors or insurmountable obstacles to the couple relocating to Pakistan, and any future entry application was not certain to succeed. The case reinforces the high threshold required to outweigh the public interest in immigration control, especially for those with unfavourable immigration histories.
For full decision, click here
Lee v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWHC 519
The High Court quashed a Home Office decision refusing Windrush compensation to a Jamaican national denied UK entry in 1999. The court ruled officials incorrectly believed the claimant’s Indefinite Leave to Remain automatically lapsed after two years abroad, without properly considering his readmission rights under paragraphs 18 and 19 of the Immigration Rules. This confirms Windrush compensation can apply even when leave technically lapsed upon departure, if the person would have qualified for readmission under the relevant rules had they been able to prove their previous immigration status.
For full decision, click here
Prestwick Care Limited, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 184
The Court of Appeal addressed whether the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) must assess the impact on healthcare provision when revoking a care provider’s sponsor licence. The court ruled that whilst the SSHD has a “residual discretion” to consider such impacts, there is no legal obligation to do so before revoking a licence for breaches of sponsorship duties. In Prestwick’s case, the appeal was dismissed as the SSHD was entitled to focus solely on immigration compliance issues. However, in SCL’s case, the court upheld the quashing of the revocation on procedural fairness grounds, finding the SSHD failed to properly communicate suspicions of dishonesty to the company before reaching that conclusion. The judgment emphasises that sponsorship is a privilege, not a right, but confirms that allegations of dishonesty require procedural safeguards.
For full decision, click here
Home Office Guidance and Documents Policy Updates
Collection: Archive: Immigration Rules has been updated on 12th March 20225. To view the updated Collection, click here
Guidance: Immigration Rules archive: 18 February 2025 to 10 March 2025 has been published on 12th March 2025. To view the Guidance, click here
Guidance: UK visa requirements: list for carriers has been updated on 12th March 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Check if you can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) has been updated on 12th March 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Visit the UK as a national of Trinidad and Tobago has been published on 12th March 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Collection: Immigration Rules: statement of changes has been updated on 12th March 2025. To view the updated Collection, click here
Guidance: Bangladesh: tuberculosis test clinics for a UK visa has been updated on 12th March 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Pakistan: country policy and information notes has been updated on 12th March 2025. To View the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: workers has been updated on 12th March 2025. To View the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: students has been updated on 12th March 2025. To View the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Contact details for immigration compliance and enforcement teams has been updated on 11th march 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme has been updated on 10th March 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Check your eVisa is correct before you travel has been updated on 10th March 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Transparency data: Visa fees transparency data has been updated on 07th March 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Written by Shareen Khan – Legal Content Writer, HJT Training
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Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration advisors should consult the full decisions and official policy documents when advising clients on specific cases.
