Zarah ChoudharyEmployers will be required to prioritise recruiting international care workers already in England before recruiting from overseas.
The new rules were laid in Parliament on 12th March, 2025.
From 9th April, 2025, 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.
This would ensure that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so and will help end the reliance on overseas recruitment.
Under the Plan for Change, the Government will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to their broken immigration system, linking immigration, skills and visa systems to grow their domestic skills, end reliance on overseas labour and boost economic growth.
As well as continuing to tackle exploitation, 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 six 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.
In light of this troubling trend, new rules will give expanded powers for caseworkers to refuse visa applications which are suspected of being non-genuine.
Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, said: ”Those who have come to the UK to support our adult care sector should have the opportunity to do so, free from abuse and exploitation.
“We have already taken action to ensure employers are not able to flout the rules with little consequence or exploit international workers for costs they were always supposed to pay.
“We are now going further, requiring employers in England to prioritise recruiting international care workers who are already here and seeking new sponsorship, before recruiting from overseas.”
Changes announced 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.
Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, said: “International care workers play a vital role in our social care workforce.
“We value their contribution and work supporting vulnerable people across the country every day.
“As we crack down on shameful rogue operators exploiting overseas workers here in the UK, we must do all we can to get the victims back into rewarding careers in adult social care.
“Prioritising care workers who are already in the UK will get people back to work reducing our reliance on international recruitment, and make sure our social care sector has the care professionals it needs.”
