The UK Home Office announced new visa rules effective November 11, 2025. The updates affect various categories of immigrants, including seasonal workers, students, and families.
Student maintenance
First, the new immigration rules affect students, who will have to meet higher financial requirements to cover living costs.
From November 11, individuals applying for a UK Student Visa must demonstrate financial stability by providing bank statements that meet the new, elevated maintenance requirements. Specifically, students planning to study in London must show they have at least £1,529 per month, while those studying outside the capital need to have at least £1,171 per month.
Applicants must ensure their financial documents are current and that they have maintained the required funds for a continuous period of 28 days prior to submitting their application.
Key changes for seasonal workers
Secondly, the changes affect the Seasonal Worker (Temporary Work) immigration route. This route allows employers in the horticulture and poultry production sectors to employ overseas workers to do seasonal work through an approved scheme operator (sponsor).
The new regulations allow seasonal workers to quicker re-enter the UK.
In fact, workers can now engage in employment for up to six months without any rolling 10-month period, a change from the previous limit of six months per year.
This change is intended to provide more flexibility for both workers and farmers, facilitating easier returns for crop seasons. The seasonal worker visa scheme has also been extended until 2029, to offer the agricultural sector long-term stability.
Other key changes
Furthermore, the UK government has implemented increased fees for expediting sponsorship applications. Namely, the fees for processing sponsorship management requests went from £200 to £350, while the fee for priority service for sponsor license applications went from £500 to £750.
Finally, the Home Office introduced stricter rules on visa refusals for individuals with criminal convictions. Effective November 11, visa applications will be automatically denied for applicants with custodial sentences of 12 months or more. Also, the new rules allow the authorities to deny applications based on previous overstaying, breaches of visa conditions, illegal entry, or deception.
