Government to End Overseas Recruitment Route for Care Workers Amid Migration Reforms

The government has announced plans to close the overseas visa route for care workers as part of new measures to reduce net migration.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper revealed the policy direction during an appearance on national television, stating that the Labour government intends to focus future immigration policy on higher-skilled roles while boosting domestic workforce training.

The decision forms part of a wider strategy expected to be detailed in the forthcoming Immigration White Paper. It follows a series of recently introduced changes, including tighter eligibility criteria for skilled worker visas, which now require a degree-level qualification and higher minimum salary thresholds.

The Home Office has indicated that the number of visas issued under the Health and Care Worker route surged from around 31,800 in 2021 to nearly 146,000 in 2023. However, the figure dropped significantly to just over 27,000 in 2024, following enforcement measures and increased scrutiny of visa compliance.

Ms Cooper said the closure of the care worker visa pathway could lead to a reduction of up to 50,000 low-skilled worker visas in the current year. She also noted that an estimated 10,000 individuals who had arrived in the UK on care worker visas are now without jobs in the sector, urging employers to prioritise recruitment from this existing pool.

“These individuals entered the UK in good faith but were let down by a lack of proper checks and safeguards,” she said. “We want to ensure that care providers recruit responsibly and within a fair system that supports ethical employment practices.” She said.

The care sector, which continues to struggle with workforce shortages, has expressed deep concern over the government’s stance. Industry leaders have long highlighted low wages and inadequate funding as key barriers to attracting domestic workers, and fear that tightening overseas recruitment may exacerbate existing challenges.

Scandal

Nadra Ahmed, Chair of the National Care Association, criticised the previous management of overseas recruitment, describing it as “a scandal of the Home Office’s own making.”

“Some care workers were brought in under false pretences, with contracts that did not reflect the roles or protections they were promised,” she said. “While our preference is always to recruit locally, the reality is that we do not currently have the funding or infrastructure to generate sufficient domestic interest in care roles.”

Ms Ahmed emphasised the need for meaningful investment in the sector, warning that without competitive pay and clear career pathways, the workforce crisis will persist.

Crushing Blow

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said: “This is a crushing blow to an already fragile sector. The Government is kicking us while we’re already down.”

“For years, the sector has been propping itself up with dwindling resources, rising costs, and mounting vacancies. International recruitment wasn’t a silver bullet, but it was a lifeline. Taking it away now, with no warning, no funding, and no alternative, is not just short-sighted – it’s cruel.”

“We’re told to wait for the Employment Rights Bill and a Fair Pay Agreement, but those reforms are years away and come with no significant funding attached. In the meantime, we’ve lost 70,000 domestic workers over the last two years, vacancies still remain sky-high, and many providers are on the brink of collapse. Who do Ministers think is going to care for people tomorrow, next week, or next month”?

“Once again, social care is being sacrificed to score political points. There’s a dangerous pattern emerging; action is too slow where it’s needed, and too fast when it’s harmful. The sector cannot take any more. We need proper funding, a real workforce plan, and immediate recognition that without care, the NHS, our communities, and countless families will fall apart.”

Repeating Chaos of 2021

CEO of the Homecare Association, Dr Jane Townson OBE, commented: “International recruitment is a lifeline for the homecare sector, enabling us to provide vital support to older and disabled people in their own homes. Care providers are already struggling to recruit within the UK. We are deeply concerned the Government has not properly considered what will happen to the millions of people who depend on care at home to live safely and independently.”

“About a third of councils are offering fee rates that don’t even cover direct employment costs at the minimum wage. This leaves less than nothing to contribute to other running costs, which relate to meeting care regulatory requirements.” said Dr Townson. “Unethical commissioning creates the conditions for labour exploitation. This is unsustainable. Unless things change fast, providers will be forced to cut care, reduce quality, or shut services altogether.”

“We urge the government to consult with the sector and agree interim measures allowing care providers to recruit sufficient staff. Otherwise, we risk repeating the chaos of 2021, when care shortages increased hospital admissions, delayed hospital discharges and left thousands without the help they needed.”