JAPA: UK to Ban Overseas Recruitment of Care Workers in New Migration Rules
The UK government will end overseas recruitment of care workers this year as part of a broader effort to reduce net migration, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced on Sunday.
Cooper said it is “time to end care worker recruitment from abroad,” and revealed that new rules would require care providers to hire British workers or extend visas for those already in the UK. The government will outline the full changes on Monday, aimed at cutting the number of low-skilled migrants, particularly in the care sector, by up to 50,000 over the next year.
The move comes as the government seeks to address persistently high migration figures. Net migration reached a record 906,000 in the year to June 2023 and remained high at 728,000 last year.
While Cooper emphasized the government’s intention to significantly reduce migration, she rejected the idea of fixed targets, arguing they “undermined the credibility” of immigration policy. She also confirmed the threshold for skilled worker visas will be raised to graduate level, up from the current A-level standard.
Further tightening will include a reduced number of roles eligible for temporary shortage occupation visas. Currently, roles like carpenters, graphic designers, and pharmaceutical technicians qualify for discounted visa rates under the Immigration Salary List, but Cooper said this list will be narrowed.
In addition to the visa changes, new training requirements will be introduced to encourage more UK residents to re-enter the workforce, especially in sectors like social care.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp welcomed the care worker visa ban but criticized the overall plans as insufficient. He called for an annual cap on migration and said the Conservatives would push for a vote in Parliament this week. Though he did not specify a figure, Philp said the proposed cap would go “significantly beyond” the 50,000 reduction expected under the current measures.
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