In a decisive move to reform the adult social care sector, the UK government implemented immigration changes in April 2025 that prioritize the hiring of care workers already residing in England. These changes mark a major policy shift to cut overseas labor reliance, boost workforce stability, and prevent worker exploitation.
In recent years, adult social care has struggled with staff shortages, overreliance on foreign workers, and exploitation. New reforms aim to create a more ethical, sustainable, and locally focused system.
The government’s strategy is multi-pronged:
This marks a turning point in how the UK approaches health and social care workforce planning, shifting away from rapid overseas recruitment toward professionalizing the field and investing in home-grown talent.
Under the new rules, employers in England must demonstrate that they have made a genuine attempt to recruit care workers from within the UK before seeking international candidates. This includes:
🔹 These rules apply specifically to: Care Workers (SOC code 6135) Senior Care Workers (SOC code 6136) |
🔸 Not applicable to: Nursing Assistants (SOC 6131) Jobs in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland |
The goal is to provide fair opportunities for UK-based workers, including displaced foreign nationals already residing in the country, particularly those who may have lost employment due to sponsor license revocations or expired visas.
The emphasis on local recruitment comes amid a crackdown on non compliant employers. Since July 2022, more than 470 sponsor licenses have been revoked due to breaches such as illegal wage deductions, charging recruitment fees, or poor working conditions.
Many overseas workers previously faced the risk of deportation if their sponsor lost its license. Now, the updated rules allow these individuals—if already in the UK—to be prioritized for re-employment with new care providers. This ensures continuity of employment and safeguards against further exploitation.
In line with the NHS Agenda for Change pay scales, the government has increased the minimum salary thresholds for care workers and senior care workers under the Skilled Worker and Health and Care Visa routes.
Key points include:
This change is designed to attract more UK-based candidates to the profession by offering clearer career paths and fairer wages.
Not all care workers are subject to the new recruitment rules. Exemptions include:
These exemptions help provide stability for those who are already part of the care workforce and allow smoother transitions between roles and visa categories.
The UK's updated hiring rules in the care sector have brought substantial changes for all involved. These reforms affect how employers recruit, how current UK-based care workers are retained, and how overseas applicants are evaluated.
While many welcome the crackdown on unethical practices, some care providers and unions have expressed concern about the potential for staff shortages. Over recent years, nearly half of new care workers in England were recruited from abroad due to an insufficient domestic workforce.
Sector leaders have urged the government to back the immigration changes with robust support for local recruitment, including:
Without these supports, some fear that reduced international hiring could lead to service gaps, especially in elderly care and disability support services.
The April 2025 reforms reflect a broader ambition to build a resilient, ethical, and professional care sector. By prioritizing domestic recruitment, enhancing worker protections, and aligning compensation with industry standards, the government is aiming to make care work a more attractive and stable career choice.
While overseas recruitment remains an option, it is now clearly positioned as a secondary route, accessible only when domestic recruitment efforts are exhausted.
England’s prioritization of UK-based care worker hiring marks a profound shift in immigration and labor policy. By holding employers to higher standards and offering displaced or underemployed workers within the country a second chance, the government aims to address long-standing issues in the care sector. The success of these efforts, however, will depend heavily on continued investment in local workforce development and close monitoring to ensure fair treatment for all care workers—regardless of their origin.