UK Care Worker Visa Changes: New Salary Thresholds and Recruitment Rules

The United Kingdom has announced new regulations affecting care worker visas and student visa routes as part of its Plan for Change. The updated rules, laid in Parliament on March 12, will take effect from April 9, 2024, aiming to prioritize domestic recruitment and curb visa system abuse.

What is a Care Worker Visa?

A Care Worker Visa allows foreign healthcare professionals to work in the UK’s adult social care sector. It falls under the Skilled Worker route, requiring employer sponsorship and meeting salary and job role eligibility criteria.

New Rules for Care Worker Visas

Care providers in England must now prioritize recruiting local workers who need new sponsorship before hiring from overseas. This policy aims to:

• Help foreign workers already in the UK secure jobs.
• Reduce reliance on international recruitment.

The government is also intensifying efforts to prevent visa system exploitation. Key actions include:

• Revoking over 470 sponsor licenses in the care sector since July 2022.
• Impacting more than 39,000 workers since October 2020.
• Banning employers from charging workers for sponsorship costs, preventing financial exploitation.

Updated Salary Requirements

To align wages with the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, the government has set a new minimum hourly pay rate for Skilled Worker visa holders, including care workers, at £12.82 per hour.

Additionally, the government will adjust salary thresholds for health and education professionals, including doctors, nurses, allied health workers, and teachers, to align with national pay scales.

Stronger Rules for Short-Term Student Visas

In a broader effort to prevent visa misuse, the government is implementing stricter measures on the Short-Term Student visa, which allows individuals to study English language courses in the UK for 6 to 11 months.

Authorities have raised concerns that this visa route is being exploited by individuals with no genuine intention to study or leave the country upon course completion. New regulations will empower caseworkers to reject applications suspected of being fraudulent.

Government’s Stance on Immigration Reform

Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, acknowledged the contributions of international care workers but emphasized the need to reduce dependency on overseas labour. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling exploitation and prioritizing job placements for existing care workers in the UK.

These measures follow the government’s broader strategy to regulate migration levels and prevent abuses in the Student and Graduate visa routes. Further details will be outlined in the upcoming Immigration White Paper.

What This Means for Foreign Workers

• Care workers already in the UK will have priority for new sponsorship over overseas applicants.
• Employers must comply with stricter recruitment rules, reducing opportunities for non-compliant sponsors.
• Higher salary thresholds will apply to Skilled Worker visa holders, ensuring fair wages.
• Student visa applicants face increased scrutiny to prevent fraudulent applications.

The UK government continues to take steps to reform the immigration system, ensuring a balance between economic needs and controlled migration. Prospective workers and students should stay informed about policy changes to avoid disruptions to their plans.

For more updates on UK visa regulations, stay tuned for the latest immigration news.