The new UK immigration rules require employers in England to prioritise recruiting international care workers who are already here and seeking new sponsorship, before recruiting from overseas. From 9 April, care providers who want to recruit a new worker from overseas will have to first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship.
The new requirements continue government action announced in November to crack down on employers who abuse the visa system; barring those who repeatedly break immigration or employment laws from hiring overseas workers and will help support those workers into new jobs.
The changes announced last year also ban companies from charging workers for the cost of their sponsorship, which has never been intended and led to exploitation, unfair treatment of staff and unsustainable levels of debt in the care sector.
Between July 2022 and December 2024, the government has revoked more than 470 sponsor licences in the care sector to clamp down on abuse and exploitation. More than 39,000 workers have been associated with these sponsors since October 2020.
The government is also continuing its clampdown on abuse in the immigration system with changes to the Short-Term Student route. The visa is designed for those studying an English language course in the UK for between 6 and 11 months, however, there are rising concerns that the route is being abused by those without a genuine intention to study or to leave the UK at the end of their course.
The rules come as the government continues implementation of a series of measures to reduce the potential for abuse on the Student and Graduate visa routes.
Changes will also see the minimum salary thresholds updated to reflect the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This will ensure those working on the Skilled Worker visa, including care workers, are paid a minimum of £12.82 per hour.
Health and education occupations, including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and teachers, will also see their minimum rates increased to reflect the latest national pay scales.
Changes to the minimum salary for Skilled Worker visas
Effective April 9, the minimum salary floor will be updated from £23,200 (about US$30,171) per year (or £11.90 per hour) to £25,000 per year (or £12.82 per hour). The annual salaries for these jobs are based on a 37.5-hour working week.