The Health and Care sector visa in the UK has been very famous since its introduction three years ago. Many opt for it from many non-EU developing countries every year. The number is increasing day by day as the main visa holders have been allowed to bring in their dependents to the UK as well. But this scenario has also cost the Carers a lot.
As reported by infomigrant.net , there has been quiet exploitation of health and care workers in the UK. “The Bureau for Investigative Journalism and Citizens Advice” has reported more than 150 cases of se*ual ab**e. The workers have also faced other issues such as overtime without payments, salary theft, and illegal payments for job enrollment.
The UK government issued 47,194 carer visas in 2022, whereas the numbers topped in 2023 to 121,290. The UK still needs more than 122,000 health and care workers by 2030. So these numbers may likely drop gradually with time in the next 6 years.
The health and care worker visa has an exemption from job salary requirements to its fullest. The job title is a part of the shortage occupation list, which means applicants applying for this visa may have 80% of the main salary and still be eligible for the visa. They also are exempt from paying health insurance surcharge in advance.
The health and carer visa is employer-driven. Any employer in these sectors can get a sponsor’s license and then call in foreign workers to work for them. They issue applicants a “Certificate of Sponsorship” that helps them get the visa. It means that foreign workers depend upon the employer. If they want to change the employer after reaching the UK, they only can do it, if they show they have enough money to support themselves (applied only if they have stayed in the UK less than 12 months, and afterward not). If their employer removes or cancels their sponsorship, or they quit their job, they only get 60 days to change the sponsor and get a new visa. They also do not have resources for public funds if they do not have a job. This means they can only stay in the UK if their employers want them to stay. They also now from 11 March 2024, cannot bring their family members to the UK. The new changes will affect the care workers from the occupation codes SOC 6145 and 6146.
So the employers have been given full authority to handle their workers. They are bound to act upon the instructions given by the employers and fear deportation or loss of jobs. They remain silent even after having faced issues such as salary theft.
“There are potentially thousands of people trapped in a system that leaves them vulnerable to abuse and threats, powerless to complain, and often losing thousands of pounds,” Kayley Hignell, the interim director of policy at Citizens Advice, told the British newspaper The Guardian. “These people are skilled professionals who keep our healthcare services running yet are left without a safety net when things go wrong.”
Immigration and Visa expert Umer Rasib from visa-guru.com also threw light on the issue by stating:
“Carers from developing countries such as Pakistan, India, Nepal, Zimbabwe, and many others pay a hectic amount to get the sponsorship. Enrollment into a job costs sometimes between 20,000 to 30,000 pounds. Against this, they are promised 3 or 5 years of work visa in the UK along with family members (children and wife). In many cases, they have to pay extra money if they want to accompany family members and the amount reaches up to somehow 40,000 pounds in some cases”.
“UK observed the unexpected 120,000 dependants of care workers came to the UK last year till September. The Care Workers counted to 101,000 of the skilled worker visas. Seeing a bright future and after having paid a lot of money to the agents, the foreign workers remain silent even after facing a lot of issues in the UK. They accept everything they have to face as they have invested a lot into their journey to the UK. Furthermore, a ban on bringing family members from 11 March 2024, will throw them further in despair”, he further added.