The UK government has announced it will stop recruiting care workers from abroad as part of a wider plan to reduce net migration. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said care providers must now hire British workers or extend the visas of existing foreign staff already in the country. The move aims to cut around 50,000 lower-skilled migrant workers from entering the UK in the next year.
New visa rules, expected to be rolled out on Monday, will also raise the skill threshold for work visas to graduate level and limit the list of jobs eligible for temporary visa exceptions. Employers will also face new requirements to train and hire local workers.
The decision has sparked backlash from unions and care industry leaders, who warn that it could worsen staff shortages in the already struggling sector. In 2023, more than 58,000 overseas care workers joined the UK workforce, making up nearly half of new hires.
The government argues the policy will boost domestic employment and make the care sector more sustainable. Cooper maintained that care providers should turn to the local workforce or those already in the country, though she confirmed that new international hiring will no longer be allowed.
The changes come amid pressure from the anti-immigration Reform UK party and criticism of the Labour government’s migration policies. However, international students will still be allowed to work after their studies, and current care workers on visas may be allowed to stay under specific conditions.
