Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules

Jo White Excerpts

Thursday 3rd September 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Jo White)]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is today laying before the House a statement of changes in immigration rules.

Changes to “Appendix Skilled Worker” to support victims of modem slavery

The sponsorship system is designed to ensure that overseas recruits have a genuine job to come to, that they will be paid appropriately, and that they can enjoy their employment rights. However, we have seen instances of skilled worker visa holders who entered the UK in good faith, complied with the terms of their visa and have experienced exploitation. This is simply unacceptable. Our crackdown on rogue employers continues and this includes taking action against sponsors who have exploited or enslaved their workers. To date, UK Visas and Immigration has revoked more than 7,500 sponsor licences, including 1,800 in the care sector alone. But we recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that victims are protected and supported by our immigration system, as set out in the immigration White Paper.

To ensure that victims of exploitation do not face further vulnerabilities, the changes we are making now allow victims who entered the UK legally and have been recognised as victims of modern slavery to undertake work in any occupation for the remaining duration of the visa validity. This incentivises victims to come forward early and guards against those who seek to weaponise the sponsorship system in order to exploit vulnerable workers.

Changes to facilitate the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ programme

UK standard visitor route

I am expanding the provisions of the visitor immigration route to facilitate new short-term activities under the Erasmus+ programme, which the UK agreed to rejoin as part of the UK-EU common understanding package at the UK-EU summit in May 2025.

I am introducing new changes to “Appendix V: Visitor” of the immigration rules to permit visitors under the Erasmus+ programme to study at UK state schools and academies. State-funded schools and academies will now be able to host Erasmus+ participants under short-term study placements for up to six months.

The changes to “Appendix V: Visitor” will also introduce new eligibility requirements and safeguards to ensure that Erasmus+ participants are legitimate and, where necessary, have permission from their parent or legal guardian and their home institution to undertake Erasmus+ activities in the UK.

Additionally, to facilitate new activities stemming from participation in the Erasmus+ programme, I am introducing new changes to “Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities”. All Visitors will now be able to partake in workshops, debates, and attend skills competitions.

A new section reserved for Erasmus+ activities will be introduced to “Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities”, which will allow participants to undertake courses and provide or receive training, and undertake traineeships—all at UK based organisations and academic institutions. Erasmus+ participants may also partake in coaching and training assignments at UK-based sports organisations through the standard visitor route.

Student route

To facilitate the wide array of activities being undertaken through the Erasmus+ programme, I will be introducing new changes to the UK’s student immigration route.

I will be implementing new amendments to “Appendix Student” to allow Erasmus+ participants to undertake study activities at RQF level 2 and above or SCQF level 5 and above for Scotland. The changes made to “Appendix Student” will also exempt courses through Erasmus+ from the requirement that a course must lead to an approved qualification.

Additional amendments to “Appendix Student” will be made so that, where an Erasmus+ course includes a work placement, the course does not need to lead to an approved qualification and, for below-degree courses, the confirmation of acceptance for studies does not need to be assigned by a student sponsor that is not a probationary sponsor.

The study conditions set out in “Appendix Student” and “Appendix Child Student” will be amended to permit Erasmus+ participants to study at a state-funded school or academy, where the institution holds a sponsor licence and sponsors the Erasmus+ student.

I will be making further changes to the student sponsor licence arrangements to allow state-funded schools and academies to hold sponsor licences to sponsor inbound Erasmus+ students.

Government authorised exchange visa scheme

I will be opening a new scheme on the GAE immigration route to facilitate eligible Erasmus+ programme placements. This will permit those entering the UK for the purposes of Erasmus+ to partake in a range of supernumerary work placements and internships as an Erasmus+ participant.

These changes to the immigration rules are being laid on 3 September 2026. The changes will come into effect on 8 October 2026, 29 October 2026, 30 November 2026, and 9 December 2026, as detailed in the statement of changes.

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