LONDON, UK – The UK government is set to introduce sweeping changes to its immigration policies, including a major shift that will bar care providers from recruiting workers from overseas.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, according to BBC confirmed the move during an interview with the BBC, describing it as a necessary step to reduce net migration and prioritise the domestic workforce.
Cooper stated that it is “time to end that care worker recruitment from abroad,” announcing that the new rules will come into effect later this year. The government plans to instead require care companies to hire British nationals or extend existing visas for overseas care workers already residing in the UK.
The changes, due to be unveiled in a new immigration White Paper next week, are part of a broader government strategy to cut net migration, which reached a record 906,000 in June 2023 and stood at 728,000 last year. Officials estimate the reforms could lead to 50,000 fewer lower-skilled visas being issued over the next year.
The visa crackdown is also expected to raise the minimum skills threshold for work visas to graduate level, replacing the current A-level standard. In addition, the government will narrow the list of occupations eligible for temporary shortage visas—a list that currently includes roles like carpenters, graphic designers, and pharmaceutical technicians, which employers can fill at reduced salary thresholds.
The Home Secretary emphasised that the government will not set specific migration targets, arguing that doing so “undermined the credibility” of past policies. However, she did pledge a “substantial reduction” in net migration through the upcoming changes.
In a further effort to bolster the domestic workforce, Cooper announced new training requirements aimed at getting more UK residents into employment. She also committed to introducing a “fair pay agreement” for care workers to improve conditions and make the sector more appealing to local jobseekers.
The new rules will require care providers to recruit from within the UK or from a pool of over 10,000 overseas care workers already in the country but employed in roles that never materialised. A restriction introduced in April already requires employers to prove they have attempted to hire locally before applying for overseas sponsorship.
Nadra Ahmed, Executive Chairman of the National Care Association, warned the new policy could worsen staffing challenges in the sector. “Providers always prefer to have a domestic workforce,” she said, “but it’s simply not available.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp welcomed the end of overseas care worker recruitment but criticised the government’s overall plan as “too little.” He reiterated Conservative calls for an annual cap on net migration, promising a parliamentary vote on the matter this week. Philp suggested a cap could reduce numbers by “significantly more than 50,000.”
Labour also plans to tighten student visa rules, particularly around university compliance and course completion. Cooper said the government would allow international students and graduates to continue working in the UK but stressed the need for stricter oversight of institutions that fail to meet academic standards.
Liberal Democrat social care spokesperson Helen Morgan criticised the Labour-led proposals as “tinkering around the edges” and called for deeper reform, including better pay and clear career pathways for care workers.
The timing of the immigration crackdown has raised political questions, with some observers suggesting it was spurred by Reform UK’s strong showing in the recent local elections. Party leader Nigel Farage claimed the government was reacting to his party’s polling success, and dismissed Labour’s proposals as inadequate.
As the political debate intensifies, the social care sector and migration experts will be watching closely to see whether the planned reforms can achieve their intended impact without deepening staffing crises in critical industries.
