UK Tightens Family Visa Rules for Certain Skilled Workers

The United Kingdom government has updated its Skilled Worker immigration rules to limit family visa eligibility for certain foreign workers. The revised regulations specify that a Skilled Worker must be sponsored for a job listed in Table 1, Table 2, or Table 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations to qualify for a dependent partner or child visa.

Workers in the following roles are affected: SOC 2020 occupation code "6135 Care workers and home carers," SOC 2020 occupation code "6136 Senior care workers," and SOC 2020 occupation code "3314 Prison service officers (below principal officer)." These exclusions apply to workers granted entry clearance or permission under rules effective from 22 July 2025. However, protections are in place for workers who received their Skilled Worker permission before these changes, allowing them to retain family visa eligibility if they have held continuous Skilled Worker permission since their initial grant.

The same requirements apply for a child applying for a visa as a dependant of a Skilled Worker parent.