Internal Reference Number: FOI_9349
Date Request Received: 17/04/2026 00:00:00
Date Request Replied To: 12/05/2026 00:00:00
This response was sent via: By Email
Request Summary: Impact of April 2025 visa salary threshold changes on Band 3 and lower-paid staff
Request Category: Companies
| Question Number 1: Please treat this as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I am requesting information relating to the impact of the April 2025 visa salary threshold changes on lower-paid NHS staff, particularly Band 3 and below roles. For the purposes of this request, please provide information covering the period: 9 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 If it is easier for the Trust to provide information for a slightly different date range already used in internal reporting, please do so and indicate the period covered. Employees requiring visas in Band 3 and below Please provide the number of employees at Band 3 and below who, during the period above, required a visa in order to work for the Trust. Please break this down by: 鈥 pay band 鈥 job title / role 鈥 visa type, where recorded (for example: Skilled Worker visa, Graduate visa, Dependant 鈥 visa, Health and Care Worker visa, or other) If visa type is not centrally recorded, please state this. | |
| Answer To Question 1: Please see attached To accompany this answer to question 1 please also see the documents listed below:  FOI 9349 question and answers.pdf | |
| Question Number 2: Staff whose employment ended or changed where visa status was a contributing factor Please provide the number of employees whose employment ended or whose role changed during the period above where visa status, visa expiry, or visa-renewal ineligibility was a contributing factor. Please include the following categories, if held: 鈥 formal dismissals 鈥 non-renewal of fixed-term contracts 鈥 resignations linked to visa-related issues 鈥 staff who left employment before visa expiry due to anticipated ineligibility 鈥 redeployments or transfers to different roles due to visa/salary issues 鈥 cases where sponsorship was not offered or not renewed Please break this down by: 鈥 pay band 鈥 job title / role 鈥 reason category | |
| Answer To Question 2: Please see attachment with all responses plus exemption for part of answer | |
| Question Number 3: Staff in roles below the relevant visa salary threshold Please provide the number of employees who, at any point during the period above: 鈥 required visa sponsorship (or would require sponsorship upon expiry of their current visa in order to remain employed), and were employed in roles whose salary was below the relevant visa salary threshold applicable to them at that time. 鈥 Please break this down by: 鈥 pay band 鈥 job title / role If the Trust does not hold this as a single dataset, please provide any equivalent recorded information, internal reports, or assessments used to identify staff potentially affected. | |
| Answer To Question 3: Please see attachment with all responses | |
| Question Number 4: Sponsorship decisions and Certificates of Sponsorship Please provide the following information for the period above: a) The number of Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) issued by the Trust, broken down by: 鈥 pay band 鈥 job title / role b) The number of cases where sponsorship was: 鈥 not offered 鈥 not renewed 鈥 withdrawn 鈥 determined not to be viable where the salary for the role did not meet the applicable visa salary threshold. Please break this down by: 鈥 pay band 鈥 job title / role | |
| Answer To Question 4: Please see attachment with all responses | |
| Question Number 5: Policies, guidance, and mitigation measures Please provide copies of any policies, guidance, internal instructions, or briefing documents issued during the period above relating to: 鈥 employees unable to meet visa salary thresholds 鈥 handling visa expiry where sponsorship or renewal may not be possible 鈥 any mitigation measures intended to retain affected staff This may include, but is not limited to: 鈥 HR guidance 鈥 manager guidance 鈥 workforce planning instructions 鈥 redeployment guidance 鈥 salary/uplift or role-change mitigation discussions | |
| Answer To Question 5: Please see attachment with all responses | |
| Question Number 6: Internal assessments, risk reviews, or communications Please provide copies of any recorded information created or held during the period above relating to the impact of the April 2025 visa salary threshold changes on staffing. This may include: 鈥 internal impact assessments 鈥 workforce risk reviews 鈥 HR reports 鈥 board, committee, or senior management papers 鈥 internal emails or briefing notes 鈥 communications with NHS England, DHSC, UKVI, or the Home Office To help keep this request within cost limits, if necessary this part may be interpreted as limited to: 鈥 documents or correspondence containing the terms 鈥 鈥渧isa threshold鈥, 鈥 鈥渟alary threshold鈥, 鈥 鈥淪killed Worker鈥, 鈥 鈥淏and 3鈥, 鈥 鈥淗ealth Care Assistant鈥, 鈥 鈥淣ursing Assistant鈥, 鈥 鈥渟ponsorship鈥, 鈥 or 鈥渞ight to work鈥 between: 鈥 HR 鈥 Recruitment 鈥 Workforce / People Directorate 鈥 Executive / senior leadership teams | |
| Answer To Question 6: Please see attachment with all responses. To accompany this answer to question 6 please also see the documents listed below: FOI 9349 - Q6.pdf | |
| Question Number 7: Recording systems Please state whether the Trust has a specific policy, procedure, or system for recording and monitoring employee visa status, visa expiry dates, and sponsorship status. If so, please provide: 鈥 the name of the policy/procedure/system 鈥 a copy of the relevant policy, or 鈥 a summary of the process if a full document cannot be provided | |
| Answer To Question 7: Please see attachment with all responses | |
| Please see Attachments: | |
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