UK shuts door on overseas care worker visas in sweeping immigration overhaul

In a landmark shift aimed at slashing migration numbers, the United Kingdom has officially ended international recruitment for social care roles, unveiling a comprehensive immigration reset that dramatically redefines the country’s approach to labour mobility.

The decision, detailed in an 82-page Immigration White Paper released Monday by the Home Office, marks the most significant overhaul of Britain’s immigration system in decades. Titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System,” the document outlines a series of stringent measures aimed at curbing what the government calls “low-skilled migration.”

“We will close social care visas to new overseas applications,” the Home Office announced, stressing that the visa route “has been exploited and overused in ways that damage public confidence and do not support long-term workforce sustainability.”

The changes take immediate effect. Overseas applications for care roles will no longer be accepted, while foreign workers currently in the sector may only extend or switch visas until 2028, pending the full implementation of a new domestic workforce plan.

The government insists the reforms are essential to shift reliance away from low-wage foreign labour.

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“The health and social care sector must move away from reliance on low-wage overseas recruitment,” the White Paper stated.

“We will instead support long-term workforce planning and training within the UK.”

At the core of the new policy is a stricter interpretation of what constitutes ‘skilled’ work. The government says existing definitions under the points-based system have created loopholes that allowed low-skilled migration under the guise of skilled roles.

“We are tightening the definition of skilled work — skilled must mean skilled,” the document declared.

“Work that does not meet the bar will not be eligible for a visa, no matter the sector.”

In addition, the controversial Immigration Salary List — which enabled employers to offer below-threshold wages for select roles — will be scrapped.

“We will remove the Immigration Salary List to prevent undercutting of UK wages and to ensure that migration supports, rather than suppresses, the labour market,” the paper explained.

The new framework also shifts greater responsibility to employers, requiring them to prove they have exhausted domestic recruitment options before seeking foreign hires, especially in sectors previously dependent on international labour.

“No employer should be allowed to default to migration. We are rebalancing the system to reward training, not reliance,” the Home Office stated.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the reforms as an essential step in restoring order and public confidence in the UK’s migration system.

“We are acting to bring numbers down and restore control. We must rebuild public trust and end the perception that immigration is a substitute for skills planning,” she said.

The tone of the document leaves little room for ambiguity, as it signals an end to transitional migration pathways becoming permanent fixtures of the labour market.

“We will not allow temporary migration routes to become permanent. Our reforms will restore integrity and ensure immigration works for Britain — not the other way round,” the White Paper concluded.

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