The UK government on Wednesday introduced new rules requiring care sector employers to prioritise hiring migrant workers already in the country before recruiting from abroad. The move is part of efforts to reduce the number of people arriving through legal migration routes.
"From April 9, care providers who want to recruit a new worker from overseas will have to first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so and will help end the reliance on overseas recruitment as we restore order to our immigration system through our Plan for Change," said the UK Home Office in a statement.
New hiring rules for care sector
The rules mean social care employers must first demonstrate that they have attempted to recruit international workers already in the UK who need a new employer.
The Home Office is concerned that some employers are abusing the Health & Care Visa route, which was launched in 2020 to tackle staffing shortages following Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. The visa allows care businesses to sponsor workers from overseas, and more than 300,000 people—or nearly 745,000 including dependents—have entered the UK on this route by the end of 2024.
Migrant care workers on this visa are tied to their sponsoring employer but can work up to 20 extra hours per week for another employer in the same sector. However, some have reported exploitation, including being charged thousands of pounds for Certificates of Sponsorship. Others have arrived in the UK only to find their employer has no work available, leaving them without a salary.
Source: Business Standards UK
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
