In our last update in December 2025, we reflected on what was described as, Brexit aside, the "biggest overhaul of the legal migration model in 50 years". That update covered the major reforms to sponsorship costs, visa eligibility and routes to permanent settlement.
Since then, the pace of change has not slowed. The first few months of 2026 have brought a significant Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules and growing clarity - though not yet certainty - around the timeline for the Government's earned settlement proposals. At the same time, new obligations on sponsors around employment law rights, payroll compliance and right to work checks for contingent workers have come into force.
This update focuses on what has changed in the first few months of 2026, and what is still expected to come for the remainder of the year and into 2027.
Click here to read the Business Immigration report.
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