The Immigration Rules Changed on 3 September. Who Told Your People?
New UK visa rules landed. Did you let your employees know?
On 3 September 2026, the UK Home Office laid a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules before Parliament. HC 584 runs to the usual length of these documents: dense, cross-referenced, entirely unglamorous. Most employees will never see it, never hear its name, and never know it exists. Some of them are about to be directly affected by what is written inside it. What Does the HC 584 Do The instrument itself, published on GOV.UK on 3 September 2026, amends five separate routes: Skilled Worker , Student , Visitor , the EU Settlement Scheme and Erasmus+ . Three of the changes matter for anyone running international HR or mobility. First, and most significant: recognised modern slavery victims who hold a positive Conclusive Grounds decision can now work for another employer, become self-employed, or volunteer while their existing permission runs. That is a genuine widening of the right to work for people the system has already confirmed were exploited once. This is amazing news as it shows a nice move in the right direction for people who have escaped hardships. Second, student visa maintenance thresholds rise from 30 November 2026. The London figure moves from £1,529 to £1,570 a month. Outside London, it moves from £1,171 to £1,203. Anyone sponsoring or supporting a student visa holder needs the new figure, not the old one, from that date. While the sums don't seem so unreasonable, they are important to be kept in mind - some international students may even have to struggle…