The United Kingdom has officially announced it will end the care worker visa route as part of sweeping immigration reforms.
According to the Home Office, a new policy paper titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System” was presented to Parliament by the Home Secretary.
The document highlights major changes designed to reduce the UK’s reliance on foreign labour in low-skilled roles, particularly in the social care sector.
As part of the plan, the government will no longer allow new care worker visa applications from outside the UK.
However, a transition period will remain in place until 2028.
During this time, those already working in the UK will still be allowed to extend their visas or switch within the country.
This policy shift has raised concerns, but officials say it is a long-overdue reform.
The policy paper made it clear that the issue lies deeper than just a shortage of labour.
It stated, “We recognise that sometimes labour shortages are not due to a lack of skills.
For example, vacancies in the social care workforce are largely driven by historic levels of poor pay and poor terms and conditions leading to low domestic recruitment and retention rates.”
This quote reveals the government’s belief that solving the problem starts with fixing the root causes within the system itself.
Furthermore, the paper noted the introduction of Fair Pay Agreements, which aim to raise pay and improve working conditions.
“These agreements will move the UK away from a dependence on overseas workers to fulfil our care needs,” the paper stated.
Therefore, the reform is not just about tightening borders but also about raising job standards for UK citizens.
It said, “The introduction of this visa route has led to significant concerns over abuse and exploitation of individual workers.”
In addition, the paper stressed that while restrictions on overseas hiring were introduced earlier, “the evidence shows more needs to be done.”
As a result, “We will therefore end overseas recruitment for social care visas. In line with our wider reforms to skills thresholds, we will close social care visas to new applications from abroad.”
It sets a clear path for where the UK is heading in terms of labour policy.
Meanwhile, those affected are encouraged to make use of the transition period before the full closure of this visa route takes effect.
