For London-based companies and C-suite executives, the process of hiring a non-UK Executive Assistant (EA) has been fundamentally reshaped by post-Brexit immigration reforms. As of 2025, the traditional sponsorship route used for many professional roles is no longer an option for Executive or Personal Assistants. This shift has left many employers confused, navigating a complex web of rules while competing for top-tier talent. The assumption that a company can simply get a “sponsorship licence” to hire a non-UK EA is now dangerously incorrect and can lead to wasted time, resources, and failed recruitment drives.

The central challenge stems from the UK government’s strategic pivot to a high-skill, high-wage immigration system. This has reclassified the EA and Personal Assistant (PA) role in a way that makes it ineligible for the primary Skilled Worker visa route. For recruitment agencies specializing in EA recruitment services and for companies seeking elite personal assistance services, understanding this new landscape is not just important—it is the only way to legally secure international talent.

This article provides a definitive guide to the new reality of post-Brexit recruitment in London. We will explain precisely why the old route is closed and provide a practical compliance checklist for the only remaining legal pathways to hire a non-UK Executive Assistant in 2025.

Before 2025, employers could sponsor skilled professionals under the points-based system, which included roles at an “A-level or equivalent” skill level (RQF Level 3). Following significant rule changes, this is no longer the case. The system has been overhauled to prioritize graduate-level professions, creating two major barriers for the EA role.

The most significant change, effective from mid-2025, is the increase in the minimum skill threshold for the Skilled Worker visa from RQF Level 3 to RQF Level 6. An RQF Level 6 qualification is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. This change means that to be eligible for sponsorship, the job itself must be classified by the Home Office at this graduate level.

The official Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code for roles like “Executive Assistant” and “Personal Assistant” is SOC Code 4215: Personal assistants and other secretaries. This SOC code is classified by the Home Office as an RQF Level 3-5 role, placing it squarely below the new RQF Level 6 requirement. As a result, this occupation was one of over 100 roles removed from the list of eligible jobs for new Skilled Worker visa applications.

Alongside the skill level change, salary thresholds have increased dramatically. The new general minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route is £41,700 per year, or the specific “going rate” for the occupation, whichever is higher. Even if the EA role had remained eligible, this high salary floor would have made sponsorship prohibitively expensive for many PA and junior EA positions, which often fall below this threshold in the London market.

There is one crucial exception to this new rule. A non-UK Executive Assistant who already held a Skilled Worker visa under SOC code 4215 before the rule changes on 22 July 2025 is protected by “transitional arrangements.” These individuals can still apply to extend their visa, or even change employers, as long as they stay within the same SOC code. Therefore, it is still possible to hire a non-UK EA who is already in the UK on a pre-existing Skilled Worker visa. However, this is a dwindling pool of candidates, and this route is permanently closed for any new applicants from outside or inside the UK who are not already in this specific category.

With the primary sponsorship route closed, London employers must pivot their recruitment strategy to focus on candidates who already have the right to work in the UK through other visa categories. These routes are “unsponsored,” meaning the burden of cost and complex visa paperwork is removed from the employer. The employer’s legal duty is simplified to conducting a correct “Right to Work” check.

This is a large and growing talent pool for London businesses. This visa allows international students who have successfully completed a UK degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD) to stay and work in the UK for two years (three years for PhD graduates) at any skill level.

• Who is eligible? An individual of any nationality who has graduated from a UK university and holds a valid Graduate visa.
• What is the employer’s responsibility? You do not need a sponsorship licence. You simply conduct a standard Right to Work check, which is done online using the candidate’s “share code” and date of birth.
• What is the limitation? The visa is a temporary, one-time route that cannot be extended. The candidate must switch to a different visa (like a Scale-up visa or family visa) before it expires.

This is an excellent but specific route for hiring younger EAs. It allows young people from participating countries to live and work in the UK for up to two years (three years for citizens of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand).

• Who is eligible? Individuals aged 18-30 (or 18-35 for some countries) who are citizens of specific countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Iceland. (Note: some countries have an annual ballot system due to high demand).
• What is the employer’s responsibility? None, beyond a standard Right to Work check using their digital share code.
• What is the limitation? It is age and nationality-restricted and, like the Graduate visa, is not a long-term route to settlement.

This route is designed to attract the “brightest and best” global talent. It is for recent graduates from a specific list of top-ranked global universities published annually by the Home Office.

• Who is eligible? An individual of any nationality who has graduated from an eligible non-UK university (e.g., Harvard, MIT, Peking University, ETH Zurich) in the last five years.
• What is the employer’s responsibility? None, beyond a standard Right to Work check. This visa is granted for two years (three for PhDs) and allows the holder to work in any job.
• What is the limitation? The university list is exclusive and changes yearly. Like the Graduate route, it is a temporary visa.

This is the only remaining visa that involves employer sponsorship, but it is not for most companies. This route is designed only for fast-growing businesses (known as “scale-ups”) that can demonstrate 20% average annual growth in revenue or staff for three years and had at least 10 employees.

• Who is eligible? The employer must first be an approved Scale-up sponsor. The role must still meet the RQF Level 6 (degree level) requirement and a salary of at least £36,300 (as of late 2025).
• How could an EA qualify? The standard EA role (SOC 4215) is not eligible. However, a high-level “Chief of Staff” or “Senior Office Manager” role that incorporates EA duties could potentially be classified under an eligible RQF 6 code, such as “Business and related research professionals.” This requires careful job description drafting and is a high-risk, complex strategy.
• What is the employer’s responsibility? The employer must sponsor the worker for the first six months, after which the employee can switch to an “unsponsored” Scale-up visa and work for any employer.

Given this new reality, your recruitment process for non-UK EAs must change. The focus is no longer on sponsorship eligibility but on candidate-held visa status.

Stop asking, “Do you require sponsorship?” Instead, to attract the right candidates, your job descriptions should actively state: “Applicants must have pre-existing Right to Work in the UK (e.g., Graduate visa, Youth Mobility Scheme, Settled Status, or other).” This filters out ineligible candidates from the start.

For candidates with these new digital visas (Graduate, YMS, HPI, or EU Settled Status), you cannot accept a physical biometric card. The only legal way to check their right to work is via the Home Office’s online service.

• You must ask the candidate for their “share code.”
• You must ask for their date of birth.
• You must conduct the check online yourself via the government’s “View a job applicant’s right to work” portal. You cannot rely on a check the candidate provides to you.
• You must save a digital or physical copy of the “profile” page from this check, dated, to prove you have met your statutory excuse against a civil penalty.

This complex and shifting landscape makes specialist EA recruitment services more valuable than ever. Generalist recruiters may not be aware that SOC code 4215 is no longer eligible for sponsorship. A specialist agency will understand these nuances. They will have a pre-vetted database of London-based EAs on Graduate, YMS, or HPI visas and can guide you on compliance, saving you from navigating this minefield alone.

The post-Brexit recruitment landscape for Executive Assistants in London is now clear: the door for new sponsorship is closed. This strategic shift by the UK government forces employers to adapt. Success no longer lies in navigating the sponsorship system for this role, but in effectively tapping into the rich, new talent pools of unsponsored non-UK nationals who are already in the country.

By focusing your search on candidates with Graduate, Youth Mobility, or High Potential Individual visas, and by implementing a robust digital Right to Work check process, you can legally and efficiently hire exceptional international EAs. The challenge has shifted from sponsorship bureaucracy to smart, informed recruitment that targets the right talent pool from the outset.