Care Providers Call for Government to Rethink 15-Year Settlement Rule
Small and medium care providers across the UK are rallying behind an urgent letter to the Home Secretary, warning that proposed changes to immigration settlement rules could trigger half a million vacancies in social care.
The letter, coordinated by Providers Unite, challenges the government’s consultation document ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, which proposes extending the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five years to 15 years for overseas care workers in roles below Regulated Qualification Framework level 6.
The intervention comes as the sector grapples with severe recruitment challenges. According to the 2025 Skills for Care report, 385,000 international workers currently fill critical gaps in social care, plugging shortages in nearly one in 10 roles.
The situation has deteriorated sharply since 2024, with overseas recruitment collapsing by 85% following earlier immigration restrictions. Providers Unite warns that without urgent intervention, the sector could face up to 500,000 vacancies by the end of the transitional period in 2028.
The letter highlights social care’s substantial economic contribution, adding £77 billion to the UK economy annually and sustaining 1.6 million jobs. Research shows that every £1 invested in the sector generates up to £2.35 in wider economic benefit.
Providers argue that disrupting the paid care workforce will inevitably increase reliance on unpaid carers, with around 600 people already leaving paid employment daily to care for loved ones. The proposed changes threaten to accelerate this trend, intensifying pressures on households and employers.
The advocacy group raises fundamental concerns about the message the policy sends. While the government maintains that settlement must be ‘earned’ through contribution and integration, providers argue that care workers already demonstrate both qualities daily through their service to vulnerable people.
“Extending the earned settlement period from five years to 15 years sends a damaging signal to the very people our communities depend on,” the letter states. “It suggests that our government places a lower value on social care contributions than on those of other skilled economic migrants.”
Providers Unite is calling on the Home Office to withdraw the proposed 15-year settlement requirement, formally recognise the unique contribution of care workers by maintaining a shorter pathway to settlement, and align immigration policy with the government’s stated commitment to stabilising social care.
The letter emphasises that care providers have turned to overseas recruitment as a last resort, driven by the absence of a sustainable domestic workforce. With the sector already under unprecedented strain, providers warn that the proposed changes risk destabilising social care at precisely the moment when its role is more vital than ever.
