Scottish Government “Steps in” to Sponsor Visas for Foreign Care Workers

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney announced that the Scottish Government will directly sponsor visas for overseas care workers in a bold move to counter Westminster’s immigration restrictions.

The SNP leader described his intervention as a necessary “solution” to what he called a staffing crisis, with care homes across Scotland desperately short of workers following the UK Government’s tightened immigration controls.

In the year ending June 2025, the number of Health and Care Worker visas issued to migrant workers in Caring Personal Service Occupations fell by 88%, following restrictions introduced by the UK Government to the visa route.

The subsequent decision by the UK Home Office in July to close the Social Care Visa Route altogether will have a further impact on the social care sector.

According to a Scottish Care survey, more than a quarter of the social care workforce in Scotland is made up by international workers – with many sector leaders citing concerns with workforce shortages and recruitment.

The Scottish Government is continuing to call on the Home Office to reverse its decision to close the route and is investing £500,000 to fund a tailored offer to help ‘displaced’ international social care workers who have found themselves without sponsored employment elsewhere in the UK at no fault of their own.

The funding will be used to help support international social care workers meet the costs associated with moving to and working in Scotland’s social care sector.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “The UK Government’s hostile and restrictive migration policies are damaging Scotland’s health and social care sector.

“In Scotland we need a migration system that works for our NHS, our social care sector, our businesses and third sector. Until we have the full powers over migration that will come with independence, we will do all we can within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament to mitigate the UK Government’s harmful approach to migration.

“I am therefore pleased to confirm today that the Scottish Government will create a bespoke offering to help social care workers who have been displaced to come to Scotland and contribute to our care sector.

“We will provide £500,000 to mitigate the devastating impact of the UK Government’s closure of the care worker visa route and provide targeted support to help displaced social care workers.

“This will support international social care workers already in the UK who have lost their social care jobs as a result of their employer losing their visa sponsor licence, to come to Scotland and contribute their valuable skills to our social care sector.

“It is our intention for this work to begin immediately so that social care workers can settle into new jobs before Christmas.”