The care sector has continued to raise concerns in response to the Government’s Immigration White Paper, published earlier this week, which they claim will ‘decimate’ the industry and scupper plans for health and social care reform.

Jonathan Beech, managing director of Migrate UK, specialists in immigration law, revealed the key issues raised in the report which will affect UK employers struggling to recruit.

Closing the care worker visa for overseas recruitment  

Beech said: “We already know from our work with employers in the care sector that they are finding it extremely difficult to recruit sufficient staff. 

“By closing the care worker visa to new overseas recruits, tens of thousands of care workers will be prevented from coming to the UK (based on current overseas hiring figures), which will have an immediate effect on employers trying to maintain sufficient staffing and make recruitment of much needed skills even harder.  

“Overall, the Government has stated that it wants to cut up to 50,000 lower-skilled and care workers coming to the UK over the next year and concentrate on finding employment for those overseas workers (and dependants) currently residing in the UK.” 

English language level to be increased to B2 level (‘A’ Level standard) for Skilled Workers and to A1 level for dependants 

“Skilled Workers entering the UK will need to demonstrate a higher level of English language,” he said.

“This has the potential to decimate the hospitality, care, and construction hiring markets.

“Also, for the first time, adult dependants of skilled workers will need to prove their knowledge by passing English language tests at the basic A1 level and progressing throughout their stay in the UK.” 

• Linking the ability to sponsors skilled workers with training local hires 

Beech said: “We don’t know how this will work in principle, and if there will be different rules for small to medium or large employers.

“If Skilled Workers are to be limited in this way, we could see a rise in Global Business Mobility (GBM) sponsorship again.

“This route reduced in popularity when the Points Based System (PBS) was redesigned in December 2020.

“GBM sponsorship does not lead to settlement in the UK, it also does not carry an English language requirement. Workers are mainly here to impart knowledge or work on specific projects.” 

• Limiting graduate visas to 18 months

“This would have the effect of moving graduate visa holders into higher-skilled and higher-paid vacancies sooner, otherwise running the risk of them having to leave the UK,” he told Caring Times.

• Skilled worker route will also have a degree-level vacancy as the barrier to entry 

Beech said: “The skilled worker route will also now carry a qualification threshold of RQF Level 6, equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree.

“For roles that do not meet the new skill level, access to the immigration system will be strictly limited.

“While this will not be a problem for ‘shortage occupations’, it does present a particular problem for the hospitality industry, which does not appear on these lists.” 

• Increasing ILR to 10 continuous years (from five) with increased checks on absences from the UK and finances

“With the explosion of Skilled Workers due to qualify for settlement in the UK from 2026, it is expected that this rule change will be implemented soon,” he said.

“We expect some public sector workers and rare global talent migrants who contribute to society and the economy to still qualify after five continuous years.

“For others, it could mean a lot of extra expense for employers with sponsorship extension applications, especially now that there is a planned uplift in the Skills Charge by 32% in line with inflation. 

“Employers have already been hit by a recent increase in costs for hiring overseas workers, and now this could be more than doubled over the course of a skilled worker’s requirement to remain in the UK for 10 years before they are eligible for settlement. 

“Furthermore, the UK will become a relative outlier on the global stage where 10 years to gain settlement is rare, questioning how attractive the UK will be to those with the skills and expertise the UK requires to be an economic powerhouse.” 

Here you can read more of the responses from the sector.

Melanie Weatherley MBE, co-chair of the Care Association Alliance, said: “Today the Prime Minister has announced a tightening up of immigration rules, including proposals to reduce the number of social care workers recruited from overseas. 

“While we recognise that immigration numbers should be controlled, we urge the Government to implement changes in a carefully-planned and managed way.

“If these changes are rushed through, there is a risk that social care services that are already under enormous stress will be forced to close, causing harm to the NHS and family carers. 

“We wish to challenge the notion that overseas carers are brought in as ‘cheap labour’.

“On the contrary, the many international recruits who work in our care system are highly skilled and we are fortunate to have been able to attract people to work here who have high levels of compassion and commitment.

“Care is not a low-skilled job.

“The Prime Minister says if you can work, you should work, and we support him in this.

“We would like to be able to employ more UK-based care workers, but at present the level of pay is unattractive following long years of under investment in our sector. 

“To make a career in care more attractive to British workers, we need to recognise the importance of carers by giving them the right pay, conditions and training. 

“Improving the pay of care workers will of course require an increase in funding via local authorities and the NHS.”

Laura Chinyere-Ezeh, HR consultant in health and social care at UK and Ireland law firm, Browne Jacobson, said: “The Government’s intention to reduce the number of overseas workers in social care is another major headache for a sector already struggling to recruit and retain people at a time when demand for care is growing, with projections from Skills for Care’s Workforce Strategy showing another 540,000 new workers are needed by 2040.

“Social care faces intense competition from other sectors that are able to offer better pay and conditions such as flexible working, more-sociable shift patterns, and more-structured career progression opportunities.

“It has never been more important for providers to create their own workforce strategies that remain robust amid external headwinds to develop a sustainable pipeline of talent. 

“This will require them to consider how best to train future registered managers by strengthening internal development programmes, attract young people to the profession by collaborating with educational institutions to promote the sector as a great place to work, and transform workplace culture by enhancing flexible working options and childcare support. 

“Social care stands at a critical juncture and, with little government support on the horizon, or much headroom to raise salaries, providers must be ready to innovate their people strategies – thereby futureproofing their provision to meet an increasing demand for their services.”

Lisa Uttley, partner at Gherson Solicitors, said: “This suggests that stark reforms are on the way, which have the potential to cause further damage to the UK economic outlook, far beyond the havoc wreaked by Reeves’ non-dom tax raid.

Predictably, rhetoric on needing to reduce net migration was at the front and centre of Sir Kier and Yvette Cooper’s plans. But, while some of the changes being floated by the Labour Government simply borrow from Immigration Rules of years past – for example, cutting down the duration of Graduate visas from two years to 18 months; raising the threshold to qualify for a work permit from A-Level equivalent qualifications to a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree; and cutting the list of shortage occupations which allow for a more-streamlined work permit application process – many more are troubling.  

“Worryingly, Starmer and Cooper’s paper makes several suggestions which would severely undermine the credibility of the UK as a destination for the brightest and best.

“For example, the prospect of doubling the qualifying period for settlement in the UK from five to 10 years is untenable and completely out of line with the approach adopted by any other country in the developed world.”

Simon Kenny, immigration partner at law firm, Spencer West, who has been advising companies about employment-based immigration for 20 years, said: “The Government’s intention to reduce net migration is apparent, but I feel restriction of the skilled worker and student immigration categories will hinder their objective that highly-skilled migrants have a positive impact on the labour market. 

“Employment-based immigration is highly regulated already, with employers spending many thousands of pounds to ensure skilled workers and global business mobility employees can come to the UK, and severe penalties are imposed if they get this wrong. 

“Sponsorship outside the health and care worker category is actually a small percentage of total net migration to the UK – about 85,000 such visas were issued in 2024 – and restricting this further may deter those workers who could make a positive economic contribution. 

“Increasing the qualification period for settlement to 10 years is, in my view, likely to deter many graduate-level employees who would otherwise seek to migrate to the UK. 

“I think raising salary thresholds further and increasing the Immigration Skills Charge by 32% are likely to be a more-significant barrier to sponsorship.”

Louise Haycock, partner at the global immigration law firm, Fragomen, comments: “The reforms outlined in the white paper reflect a clear effort to rebalance immigration policy, but success will depend on how proportionate and practical these changes are in their implementation. 

“While the intention to reduce reliance on overseas labour is understandable, it’s vital that employers continue to have timely access to the skills that support growth, particularly in critical sectors. 

“Reform of the graduate route must be handled with care. It remains a critical part of the UK’s attractiveness to prospective students looking at all global options. 

“Introducing conditions on sponsorship based on domestic recruitment efforts signals a major shift in compliance expectations.

“Clarity and fairness in enforcement will be crucial.

“This paper marks a directional shift, but what matters now is the detail, and whether the system that follows supports sustainable hiring and long-term workforce planning. 

“It represents a redefinition of the UK’s immigration narrative, from openness to conditionality.

“Whether it delivers depends on how it connects with economic and industrial priorities.

“Tying migration more directly to skills and employment policy makes strategic sense, but it must be done in collaboration with business, not at its expense.

“Employers have consistently engaged with government in good faith. They will now need clarity on what constitutes sufficient domestic recruitment effort, and how compliance will be judged. 

“This isn’t just about migration numbers; it’s about the structure of the labour market and how the UK competes globally for talent.

“Immigration should remain a lever for growth, not a scapegoat.

“A more-structured policy process, including cross-departmental alignment and regular review, is welcome, but delivery will require coherence, consultation, and care.

“Upping the time spent to qualify for permanent residence from five to potentially up to 10 years, introduces a lack of certainty which makes the UK’s immigration routes less attractive to top talent looking to relocate.

“The Government must also be clear about how ‘contribution’ will be assessed across sectors and routes, under the new settlement rules. 

“Despite a clear reduction in migration numbers, including a one-third drop in skilled work visas, the Government has again chosen to restrict access to international talent.

“As with previous administrations, the Home Office appears trapped in a numbers-first mindset, rather than focusing on the needs, benefits, and realities of talent mobility.

“The system risks becoming too focused on headline figures, rather than enabling a well-managed, responsive immigration strategy aligned to growth and public confidence. 

“Employers continue to pay high fees, take on extensive compliance responsibilities, and engage seriously with domestic recruitment.

“The remaining access for roles below RQF6 will be limited and conditional, which could cut off critical supply in sectors where alternative UK talent pipelines do not yet exist. 

“The overt and exclusive focus on specific skills thresholds is potentially at the cost of compromising sector development.

“Sectors require skills across a panoply of levels and there is concerns as to whether the new systems exceptions will be adequately calibrated and sensitive to this.”