Hospitality Sponsorship Remains Viable For Existing Skilled Workers

While the Skilled Worker visa 22 July changes have dramatically restricted visa sponsorship in hospitality, there remains a significant pool of eligible workers that employers can still sponsor in hospitality roles.

Understanding the recent changes

On 22 July 2025 the skill threshold for Skilled Worker sponsorship increased from RQF Level 3 (A-level equivalent) to RQF Level 6 (degree level), effectively removing 111 roles from eligibility for new sponsorship.

For the hospitality sector, this means core operational roles can no longer be sponsored for new international recruits. Restaurant managers, chefs, customer service managers, hotel managers, and catering establishment managers are no longer eligible, among many others.

Alongside the skill threshold changes, minimum salary requirements have also increased:

• The minimum threshold for most new applicants has risen from £38,700 to £41,700.
• For new entrants, including university graduates and those under 26, the rate has increased from £30,960 to £33,400.

The combination of degree-level skill requirements and heightened minimum salaries place most hospitality roles out of reach for new sponsorship. Even for roles that do meet the new skill level threshold, the salary thresholds often exceed typical hospitality sector wages.

The opportunity employers may be overlooking

These changes to eligible roles for sponsorship only affect workers who are sponsored for the first time after 22 July 2025. Any individual who held a Skilled Worker visa before 22 July 2025 can continue to be sponsored in hospitality roles under previous requirements.

This means restaurant managers, chefs, customer service managers and other hospitality professionals already in the UK on Skilled Worker visas remain eligible for sponsorship in these roles, including when moving to a new employer. They can be sponsored in the same roles that are now closed to new Skilled Workers.

For workers who were first sponsored before 4 April 2024, the salary thresholds are particularly favourable. The minimum salary threshold is £31,300 per year, which is more in line with typical hospitality sector salaries. This £10,400 difference in salary makes these workers particularly desirable candidates for hospitality businesses looking to maintain access to international talent while managing wage costs.

Employers can check if workers are eligible under this threshold by asking for the date that the individual was first assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship on the Skilled Worker route. If the Certificate was assigned before 4 April 2024, and the worker has held their Skilled Worker permission continuously since then, they can be sponsored at the lower threshold of £31,300.

The retention challenge: A double-edged sword

These same provisions that create recruitment opportunities also pose a significant retention risk. Your existing sponsored workers, particularly those with pre-April 2024 sponsorship, are now highly sought-after candidates in a restricted market.

Given the difficulty of replacing these workers, retention should be a priority. Consider these strategies:

• Don't wait for exit interviews. Proactively discuss career aspirations and concerns with sponsored employees to address issues before they begin job hunting.
• Review compensation packages. While you're not required to increase salaries above the minimum thresholds, market forces may necessitate it. Consider conducting a retention risk assessment of all sponsored employees, particularly those at lower salary thresholds who may be most vulnerable to poaching.
• Accelerate career development. Offer clear progression pathways, additional responsibilities, and skills training. Workers are less likely to move laterally if they see growth opportunities.
• Build loyalty through support. Offer assistance with family visa applications or English language training for dependents to demonstrate long-term investment in the employee.
• Consider longer notice periods and post-employment restrictive covenants. The former will allow you more time to prepare for the loss of a key employee and to possibly deter the poaching of your talent, and the latter may make moving to another business more complicated.

Looking ahead

The existing pool of Skilled Workers represents both your best recruitment opportunity and your biggest retention challenge. Success will require a dual strategy of actively recruiting from this limited pool while simultaneously protecting your own sponsored workforce from competitors doing the same.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.