Urgent update for sponsors of overseas nationals: significant changes to the sponsorship of overseas Teaching Assistants and other support staff coming into force from 22 July

Following the recent statement of changes published by the Home Office, certain education-related roles will no longer be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa route. Specifically, from 22 July 2025, it will only be possible to sponsor under the following occupation codes in very limited circumstances:

• Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs) – SOC 3231
• Teaching Assistants (TAs) – SOC 6112
• Educational Support Assistants – SOC 6113

These occupations will now be listed in a new Table 3a of Appendix Skilled Occupations. This means that they may only be sponsored under the Skilled Worker route if the applicant:

1. was granted permission as a Skilled Worker under the rules in place before 22 July 2025, and
2. has had continuous permission as a Skilled Worker under the relevant SOC code since that date.

As a result of this change, these roles will not be eligible for new overseas recruitment or for switching into the Skilled Worker route after this date. The new rules will however still allow individuals already sponsored under these SOC codes to extend their visa in the UK, provided their permission has been continuous. 

The above will also impact the ability to sponsor individuals undertaking other support roles which are below degree level, including HR Advisors, Payroll Officers and Science Technicians. 

To confirm, the upcoming changes will not however impact the sponsorship of teaching staff. These occupations will remain eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route beyond 22 July. 

In readiness for 22 July, we are urging our education sector clients to bring forward the sponsorship of any eligible support staff roles if possible. Provided the CoS is assigned on or before 21 July, the application will be decided in accordance with the current Immigration Rules in place. Importantly, the Sponsor Management System (SMS) will be inactive from 6pm on Monday 21 July 2025 until 9am on Tuesday 22 July 2025 – it will therefore be essential to take urgent action if any of your support staff will be impacted by these changes. 

Please get in touch with our Head of Immigration, Julie Moktadir (juliemoktadir@stoneking.co.uk) if you require any further advice or if you are unsure as to whether it will be possible to sponsor a specific role from 22 July.