On September 3, 2026, the Home Office published a statement of changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 584). An explanatory memorandum accompanied the statement of changes, as well as a written statement to the House of Commons.
Changes to Appendix Skilled Worker to support victims of modern slavery
The Skilled Worker route exists to allow people to work in a specific, sponsored job. Visa holders cannot normally take up other work if they are not working in the job they were originally sponsored to do. These changes lift that restriction for Skilled Workers who are identified by the Home Office Competent Authorities as victims of modern slavery, allowing them to work for any employer for the remaining duration of their existing permission. This aims to incentivize victims to come forward early and guards against those who seek to weaponize the sponsorship system in order to exploit vulnerable workers.
Changes to facilitate the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ program
At the May 2025 UK-EU summit, the UK and the European Union (EU) agreed that the UK would seek to rejoin the Erasmus+ program, which is the EU’s main program for education, training, youth, and sport activities. Protocol I to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement was amended on April 15, 2026, to implement the UK’s association.
Changes have been made to Appendix V: Visitor of the Immigration Rules to permit visitors to study at UK state funded schools and academies where they are participating in an Erasmus+ project. This will permit state funded schools and academies to host Erasmus+ participants on short-term study placements (up to 6 months).
Additionally, new eligibility requirements have been introduced to ensure Erasmus+ participants are legitimate and, where applicable, have permission from their parent or legal guardian and their home institution to undertake Erasmus+ activities under the Visitor route. This is to prevent any potential abuse of the Visitor route and safeguard Erasmus+ participants who are under the age of 18.
The range of activities permitted under the Visitor route has been expanded to facilitate participation in Erasmus+. Under the Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities, all visitors will now be able to participate in workshops and debates and attend Skills Competitions, provided they meet the relevant eligibility requirements outlined in Appendix V: Visitor.
Additionally, a new subsection titled “Erasmus+ Activities” has been added to the Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities, setting out a new permitted activities section reserved only for those on the Erasmus+ program.
To facilitate participation in Erasmus+ by international students coming to the UK, a number of amendments are being made to Appendix Student and Appendix Child Student. These changes will enable students undertaking programs as part of Erasmus+ to meet the requirements of the Student and Child Student routes where they would otherwise fall outside the existing rules.
An update is also being made to Appendix Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) visa schemes to add the “Erasmus+” scheme.
Other changes
The changes will enable a small number of pre-settled status holders who no longer meet the requirements of the EUSS, e.g. due to a sudden change in family circumstances, but where it is not proportionate to remove their PSS, to remain in scope of the EUSS and qualify for settled status in due course.
The EUSS allows a biometric residence permit (BRP) (which may have expired by up to 18 months) to be used as proof of identity and nationality. As almost all BRPs expired by December 31, 2024, there is no benefit in keeping this provision beyond June 2026 and, therefore, the scope to apply with a BRP is being removed.
The changes will enable a child who has obtained PSS as a family member to retain their PSS (and go on to qualify for settled status), and will enable their primary caregiver (and any dependent under the age of 18 of that person) to obtain or retain PSS (and go on to qualify for settled status), where this is necessary for the child to complete their education in the UK.
The changes will delete the EUSS travel permit route, which enabled an EUSS status holder to return to the UK on a new passport. It has been replaced by scope for an EUSS status holder to use the Update My Details service from outside the UK, including to link their EUSS status to a new passport.
Another change removes the requirement for dependent children on the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route to complete a five-year continuous residence period before qualifying for settlement. This will enable eligible dependent children to settle alongside their parents, where their parents meet the settlement requirements, and where they would otherwise be prevented from doing so by the continuous residence requirement. This aligns the BN(O) route with the well-established approach under other immigration routes.
Further minor changes are described in the explanatory memorandum.
The changes will come into effect on October 8, 2026, October 29, 2026, November 30, 2026, and December 9, 2026, as detailed in the Statement of Changes.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news becomes available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.