UK to End Overseas Recruitment of Care Workers in New Visa Crackdown

The UK government has announced plans to stop the overseas recruitment of care workers as part of sweeping new immigration reforms aimed at drastically reducing net migration.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper revealed the policy during an interview on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, stating that the government will close the care worker visa route and focus on attracting high-skilled migrants instead.

“We’re introducing new restrictions on lower-skilled workers because we believe the focus should shift to higher-skilled migration and training workers locally,” Cooper said.

According to her, the new rules will cut the number of low-skilled foreign workers by about 50,000 this year. “We will be closing the care worker visa for overseas recruitment,” she added.

The Home Office confirmed the policy in a statement published on Gov.uk, indicating that detailed proposals will be included in the Immigration White Paper scheduled for release this week.

“This move is intended to strengthen the UK workforce and reduce dependency on foreign labour,” the statement read.

However, the announcement has sparked concern in the care sector. Care England, a leading organisation representing independent care providers, described the move as a “crushing blow.”

Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, warned that care homes already face “mounting vacancies,” and international recruitment has long served as a “lifeline” for the fragile sector.

In response to concerns about workforce shortages, Cooper said care companies should tap into individuals already in the UK on care visas, some of whom have been exploited by employers. She suggested extending existing visas and recruiting from other visa holders currently in the country.

In a separate revelation, the government also plans to deport foreign nationals convicted of crimes in the UK as part of the broader immigration reform agenda.

These announcements come amid mounting political pressure to bring migration numbers under control, with net migration hitting record highs in recent years.