UK Immigration White Paper– Part 3: The Care Worker visa

On 12 May 2025 the Home Office published a white paper outlining proposed changes to the UK immigration system. One of the most significant and impactful of the proposed changes relate to those working as care workers under the Health and Care visa (a subcategory of the Skilled Worker visa). We will refer to this visa as the “Care Worker visa” throughout this article.

The government intends to end overseas recruitment under the Care Worker route and for those already in the UK, they will have up until 2028 to apply to remain on this route.

In this article we will consider the drivers behind the introduction of the Care Worker visa in 2022, the landscape of the Care Worker visa over the last year and finally, the white paper’s proposed changes and the potential impact upon the adult social care industry.

Introduction of the Care Worker visa

In 2022 a Skills for Care report revealed that on any given day there were around 165,000 vacancies in adult social care. The industry was experiencing unprecedented levels of labour shortages, leaving care providers unable to fulfil the dire needs of the UK population.

As a result of this crisis, the Home Office (under the direction of the then Home Secretary, Priti Patel) was advised to expand the Skilled Worker route to care workers. Ordinarily, care workers would not qualify under the Skilled Worker route, however, to deal with this crisis and meet the dire needs of the UK population, in February 2022 the route opened to care workers on a temporary basis. 

Fast forward to 2024, reports indicated a significant increase in net migration, with a substantial proportion of visas granted under the Care Worker route. Having said that, it is important to recognise that in 2024, reports also revealed that the vacancy rate in adult social care fell from 9.9% to 8.3% as a result of overseas staff. 

Although it is important to acknowledge that net migration has increased and adjustments may be required, it is incumbent to also recognise the drivers behind the Care Worker visa and the invaluable impact that overseas carers have had, not only on the industry but to the lives of those in need in the UK. Some of the language used in the white paper and the general narrative around immigration can be highly problematic as it risks taking for granted the vital and much needed contributions of overseas workers by focusing primarily on change and numbers. 

A look over the last year

Over the last year, there have been many changes and a great deal of focus on the Care Worker route, for example: 

• Throughout 2024 the Home Office implemented a “crackdown” on sponsor licence holders in the care sector which led to an unprecedented number of sponsor licence suspensions and revocations
• In April 2024, Care Workers were no longer permitted to bring dependants to the UK
• In April 2025, sponsors were no longer permitted to recruit Care Workers from overseas unless they had first tried to recruit from the pool of workers already in the UK 

As demonstrated above, over the last year there have been a number of changes/measures focusing on the Care Worker visa and sponsors within this industry. It therefore does not come as a surprise that the Home Office wish to make further changes to this route, which we explore below. 

Proposed Changes

Ending overseas recruitment for Care Worker visas

The Home Office intends to end overseas recruitment for Care Worker visas. If implemented, this means that care providers will no longer be permitted to meet their staffing needs by recruiting individuals from overseas.  While it is clear that such a drastic change will significantly affect net migration figures, it remains to be seen what impact this will have on the care sector and the essential services required across the UK.

As detailed above, a report revealed that overseas workers had reduced the vacancy rate within the adult social care industry, however the industry continues to face significant labour shortages. In the white paper, the government expresses a commitment to tackle the issues causing the said labour shortages, but how will this be done? How long will this take? And most importantly, what will the impact be on the industry considering its current, dire needs?

In-country Care Worker applications permitted only up until 2028

The Home Office intends to end the ability to apply for a Care Worker visa whilst in the UK by 2028. If implemented, this would mean that if an individual is currently in the UK on a Care Worker visa, they will only have up until 2028 to make any further applications under this route.

It is unclear if this change will have an impact on net migration as it relates to individuals who are already in the UK. The deadline of 2028 seems to have been set to allow those on this route the opportunity to clock up the necessary 5 years to be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (“ILR”) in the future. 

However, it begs the question, what will happen if for some reason individuals are unable to apply by the deadline? Moreover, will these individuals be subjected to the proposed changes relating to settlement which will require individuals to clock up 10 years before being eligible for ILR? - we will explore this proposal in greater detail in a forthcoming article. In combination, these changes could unfairly preclude Care Workers in the UK from reaching eligibility for ILR, however it is not yet clear how these changes will be implemented, if implemented at all.

Final thoughts

We end this article by quoting Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England who states that the proposed changes are “a crushing blow to an already fragile sector…International recruitment wasn’t a silver bullet…it was a lifeline.” 

Although the phased withdrawal of the Care Worker visa may not come as a surprise to some, it is crucial to recognise the instrumental contributions of overseas workers to the UK’s care sector, and to critically assess the potential long-term impact of such changes on the future of the industry.

How we can help

Our solicitors can help your business comply with complex immigration laws. To contact the team, please contact the author of this article - Nanayaa Agyeman