The United Kingdom has announced a major shake-up of its immigration rules, barring more than 100 occupations from being filled by foreign workers. The decision, revealed by the Home Office on Saturday, is part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to prioritize job opportunities for British citizens and reduce reliance on overseas labor.
According to the Home Office, the new policy is designed to create a “fairer, skills-focused system” while restructuring the visa process. The changes mean that a wide range of roles—spanning agriculture, hospitality, health, protective services, and creative industries—are no longer eligible for overseas recruitment under the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) scheme.
Some of the affected roles include managers and proprietors in agriculture, forestry, and logistics; health and social care positions such as dispensing opticians, pharmaceutical technicians, youth and community workers, and counselors; police officers, firefighters, and prison officers; and creative professionals like actors, dancers, artists, photographers, translators, and fashion designers.
Lower-skilled jobs that were previously available to foreign workers (RQF Level 3–5) will now only be allowed under a newly created Temporary Shortage Occupation List. In addition, salary thresholds for some remaining eligible roles have been increased by at least 30 percent.
The move has already caused concern among thousands of Nigerians in the UK holding skilled worker visas or CoS sponsorships, with many worried about the impact on their employment prospects.
The Home Office emphasized that the aim is to cut net migration while strengthening opportunities for local talent. “More than 100 occupations are no longer open to overseas recruitment, ensuring more jobs for British workers,” the department said in a statement.
