The UK Government has once again decided to bring even stricter changes in its worker visa rules especially regarding carers. New changes include the following:
- starting from April 9, care providers in England seeking to recruit workers from overseas must first demonstrate that they have attempted to hire individuals already within the country who require new sponsorship.
- modifications to the Short-Term Student visa route
- implementing additional measures to minimize abuses in the Student and Graduate visa categories
This measure aims to support those who have come to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care while reducing reliance on overseas recruitment. It forms part of the government’s broader Plan for Change, designed to restore order to the immigration system.
“Those who have come to the UK to support our adult care sector should have the opportunity to do so, free from abuse and exploitation. We have already taken action to ensure employers are not able to flout the rules or exploit international workers for costs they were never meant to pay. Now, we are requiring employers in England to prioritize recruiting international care workers who are already in the UK before looking overseas.”
Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship
As announced by the Home Office UK, these new regulations are part of a broader effort to tighten immigration policies. The government is implementing additional measures to minimize abuses in the Student and Graduate visa categories.
Additionally, the government’s actions reflect a commitment to building a fair and sustainable immigration system, supporting both the care sector and the broader workforce while curbing exploitative practices.
Further details on these initiatives will be outlined in the upcoming Immigration White Paper, which will address the challenges posed by high levels of legal migration in recent years.
Increase in Salary
Additionally, the government has updated minimum salary thresholds to reflect recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Skilled Worker visa holders, including care workers, will now be required to earn at least £12.82 per hour.
Professionals in health and education sectors, such as doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and teachers, will also experience salary adjustments to align with national pay scales.
Government Efforts to Improve the Immigration System
Extensive efforts are underway across various government departments, in collaboration with the care sector, to enhance standards within the immigration system. These initiatives also focus on assisting care workers in finding alternative employment when their sponsors have lost their licenses.
Under the “Plan for Change”, a comprehensive approach will be implemented to link immigration, skills, and visa systems, fostering domestic workforce growth and boosting economic development.
Tackling Exploitation and Abuse in the Immigration System
The government remains committed to addressing exploitation and tightening regulations against abuse within the immigration system.
This includes modifications to the Short-Term Student visa route, initially designed for students undertaking English language courses lasting between six and eleven months.
Concerns have arisen over individuals misusing this visa without a genuine intent to study or leave the UK upon course completion. New measures will grant caseworkers greater authority to refuse applications suspected of being fraudulent.
The new regulations build upon actions announced in November, which prevent employers from misusing the visa system. Employers with a history of violating immigration or employment laws will be barred from hiring overseas workers.
These measures also reinforce protections for care workers, ensuring they are not charged for sponsorship costs, which has previously led to financial exploitation.
Worker Visa Numbers Soar in the UK
As noted by infomigrants.net, over the past two years, the UK’s social care sector has increasingly depended on foreign workers to address staffing shortages, particularly in the wake of Brexit.
Independent care providers hired 105,000 overseas workers in 2023-24, a significant rise from 80,000 in 2022-23 and just 20,000 in 2021-22, according to Skills for Care, a UK charity founded in 2001 to support workforce planning and adult social care implementation in England alongside the government and other partners.
Since 2021, the number of non-EU migrant care workers has more than doubled, growing from 140,000 to 300,000. Meanwhile, the British care workforce has declined by 70,000, dropping from 1.26 million to 1.19 million.
Clamping Down on Abuses in the Care Sector
Between July 2022 and December 2024, the government revoked more than 470 sponsor licenses in the care sector to combat exploitation. Since October 2020, over 39,000 workers have been linked to these revoked licenses. These enforcement efforts aim to eliminate unethical employment practices while securing stable employment for care workers.