The UK Government has confirmed new visa regulations affecting care providers, foreign workers, and students in a bid to reduce immigration and prioritise local recruitment.
From April 9, care providers seeking to hire staff from overseas must first demonstrate efforts to recruit foreign workers already residing in England who require new visa sponsorship, according to measures presented in Parliament on Wednesday.
The Home Office stated that these changes aim to curb dependency on overseas recruitment while ensuring fair opportunities for care workers already in the UK.
The salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas will also increase from £23,200 to £25,000 annually (or £12.82 per hour) to align with the rising minimum wage.
Prioritising Care Workers Already in the UK
Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, acknowledged the crucial role international care workers play in supporting vulnerable people across the country.
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“As we crack down on rogue operators exploiting overseas workers, we must also ensure victims of exploitation can rebuild their careers in adult social care,” Kinnock said.
He emphasised that prioritising care workers already in the UK would help reduce reliance on international recruitment while strengthening the sector’s workforce.
Stricter Rules for Short-Term Student UK Visas
The Government is also tightening regulations on short-term student visas amid concerns about abuse of the system.
Foreign nationals studying English in the UK for six months to 11 months can apply for this visa, but authorities have raised concerns that some applicants do not genuinely intend to study or leave the country upon completing their courses.
The Home Office will expand caseworkers’ powers to reject suspicious visa applications in an effort to prevent misuse of the route.
Immigration Crackdown and Employer Penalties
These changes follow stricter enforcement measures against businesses violating immigration laws.
Between July 2022 and December 2024, the Government revoked over 470 sponsor licenses in the care sector due to repeated breaches. Companies failing to comply with immigration rules now face bans on hiring overseas workers.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to protecting international workers from exploitation.
“We have already taken action to ensure employers cannot flout the rules or unfairly pass costs onto international workers,” she said.
“Now, we are going further by requiring care providers to prioritize hiring international workers already in the UK before recruiting from abroad.”
Decline in Foreign Worker and Student Visa Applications
Recent data highlights a huge drop in visa applications amid the new restrictions.
Between April and December 2024, the UK received 547,000 work and study visa applications – down 42 percent from 942,500 during the same period in 2023.
Applications for health and care worker visas saw the sharpest decline, plummeting by 79 percent from 299,800 in 2023 to just 63,800 in 2024.
Vanguard News.
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