APSCo UK March Legal Updates

GOV Statement of Changes to Immigration Rules

On 5 March 2026, the Government published a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules introducing a number of updates across several visa routes that may be relevant to businesses engaging overseas workers.

Key changes include:

• Temporary pause on Skilled Worker visa applications from Afghan nationals;
• Refugee and humanitarian protection leave reduced from five years to 30 months;
• Visit visa requirements introduced for nationals of Nicaragua and St Lucia;
• Skilled Worker route updates, including tailored provisions for Prison Service officers and new pay period compliance requirements;
• Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme extended for a further 24 months;
• Appendix Visitor updated, including changes to the Permit Free Festival List;
• Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker route updated, reducing the qualifying overseas employment requirement from 12 months to 6 months; and
• English language requirement for settlement increased to B2 level.

You can access the policy paper through our What’s New page.

DBT Engagement Meetings – Amending the Regulatory Framework

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will be arranging a series of engagement meetings over the coming months to discuss their approach to amending the regulatory framework. We would very much welcome your involvement.

If you are interested in taking part in the meetings with the DBT please notify shaziaimtiaz@apsco.org and we will be in touch shortly with further details.

• Teaching - Thursday 19 March at 10:00-11:00
• Construction - Friday 20 March at 10:00-11:00

DBT Consultation - Threshold for triggering collective redundancy obligations

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has launched a consultation on the new organisation-wide threshold for triggering collective redundancy obligation under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

Under the new rules, the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA) will be amended to introduce an additional alternative threshold based on the total umber of redundancies across the whole business. This means that the new threshold could trigger collective consultation obligations even where fewer than 20 redundancies are proposed at any single establishment.

The consultation is seeking views on how this new rule should be implemented.

Members can answer the consultation online until 21 May 2026.

APSCo Update - Key Umbrella protection clauses in APSCo Model Umbrella Terms

In readiness for the upcoming reform introducing a new Chapter 11, Part 2 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, which will be coming into force on 6 April 2026, and to assist members in protecting themselves against the newly introduced Joint and Several Liability (JSL), APSCo has undertaken a review of its current Model Agreement for Umbrella Companies.

This APSCo Update has been prepared to assist members in identifying the key clauses within our APSCo Model Agreement for Umbrella Companies that support protection against JSL exposure and to help members understand how these provisions operate in practice.

You can access it through our What’s New page here.