Indian UK Work Visas Fall: Nursing Down 79%, Healthcare 67%

(UNITED KINGDOM) UK work visa grants for Indian citizens fell steeply in the second half of 2025, with the biggest collapse in health-related routes after new immigration rules took effect on July 22, 2025, according to figures from the UK Home Office that were tabled in India’s Parliament on December 14, 2025.

The data, covering July to November, shows Nursing visas down 79% to 2,225, and healthcare approvals down 67% to 16,606, as employers and applicants adjust to higher pay bars and tighter sponsorship rules.

Policy change and objectives

Those changes were part of the Labour government’s 2025 overhaul, set out in a May white paper issued under the Sunak/Starmer administrations. The package aims at cutting net migration by over 200,000 a year over five years by reducing reliance on overseas hiring for lower-wage jobs.

For Indian nurses, carers, and junior health staff, the shift has been abrupt. Roles that once met the Skilled Worker test now:

• fail to meet the new salary line, or
• are no longer treated as skilled enough to sponsor.

Ministers in London frame the policy as a reset to encourage employers to train and retain local workers. The rules raised salary and skills thresholds for the Skilled Worker route — a change that has also hit Indian IT staff.

Immediate impacts and statistics

Home Office numbers for July–November 2025 show:

Notes: The IT and overall figures are for the same July–November window or year-to-date as relayed to Parliament.

A further brake has been the cost of sponsoring a worker. The reforms included a 30% increase in the Immigration Skills Charge, the levy employers pay when they sponsor many Skilled Worker migrants. Recruiters and hospital managers say the higher bill, landing alongside tighter budgets and pay disputes at home, has caused some trusts and care providers to:

• slow down overseas recruitment,
• delay offers, or
• try to fill gaps with agency staff or overtime.

Wider eligibility tightening and applicant effects

The white paper also signalled tougher eligibility checks by:

• limiting sponsorship to higher-skilled roles,
• stretching the path to permanent settlement to nearly 10 years, and
• shortening the Graduate Route from two years to 18 months.

The package also tightened English language rules and limits on dependants. Indians have been among the largest users of the post-study route, so narrowing access can ripple into later work visa choices.

Important: For many applicants the squeeze is not just about pay — longer settlement timelines and tougher eligibility can reshape family plans and career choices.

Kirti Vardhan Singh, India’s Union Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, told Parliament that the Home Office tables showed the steepest falls in health-linked visas after the July rule change. While the government statement did not list individual cases, the pattern is clear: fewer job offers are turning into sponsorship certificates, and fewer sponsored roles clear the new thresholds.

Families that planned to move together — often expecting a nurse’s job to anchor the household — are now re-checking budgets and timelines.

Sectoral pressures and employer responses

Health and social care had been a major channel for Indian hires, partly because the NHS and private care homes struggled to staff shifts. The July reforms aimed to cut dependence on overseas workers in lower-paid roles, where much care work sits.

When the salary line rises and the Immigration Skills Charge climbs, the financial calculus changes quickly. A visa that made sense for a large provider can become hard to justify for a small care home, even if vacancies remain.

Employers facing the new thresholds now must also meet tougher compliance checks and keep records ready for audit. Official rules for sponsorship and eligibility are set out on the UK government’s Skilled Worker visa guidance, which is where employers and applicants can confirm the latest thresholds and evidence rules.

Labour mobility, diplomacy, and political risk

The decline lands at an awkward moment for UK–India relations, with labour mobility a recurring theme in trade talks. Delhi has sought easier pathways for skilled workers, while London has argued for tighter controls — particularly in sectors with low wages and high turnover.

Analysts warn that sharp falls in Nursing visas and other health-linked permits can become politically charged:

• The UK faces questions about staffing and patient care.
• India faces concerns about lost overseas options for its young workforce.

Officials in both countries have so far treated the numbers as a policy outcome rather than a diplomatic dispute, but the falls will feed into future talks on mobility.

Where applicants and employers are turning

For Indian professionals who still want to move, advisers say the choice set is shifting toward narrower, higher-skill routes such as:

• High Potential Individual visa
• Global Talent visa
• Intra-company transfers (for those already at multinationals)

Some are also choosing remote work from India instead of relocation. Others are looking to Canada 🇨🇦, Germany, or the Netherlands, where employers may be more willing to sponsor or where health systems also have shortages.

Each option comes with its own:

• eligibility tests,
• fees, and
• language requirements.

UK employers are being told to prepare for stricter sponsorship justifications in 2026, with closer checks on whether jobs truly require overseas recruitment and whether pay matches the role.

• Some firms that previously filed sponsorship paperwork routinely are now running extra internal reviews.
• Losing a sponsor licence can halt hiring across an entire business, which increases caution.
• In the health sector, managers warn the sharper rules risk shifting pressure onto wards and care homes if domestic recruitment does not pick up.

Analysis and long-term implications

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the sharp fall in Indian healthcare approvals is less about a sudden drop in interest from nurses and more about the UK shifting costs and risk onto sponsors. That shift can slow decisions even when jobs exist.

The analysis also notes:

• Policy changes can hit faster than labour market fixes — training a nurse or care worker takes years; a visa rule can change in days.
• For many applicants, uncertainty is as damaging as refusal because they may have already paid for tests, documents, and recruiters.

The Home Office tables presented to Indian lawmakers cover a short period, but they capture the immediate shock of the July 22 reforms. Practically, a provider that once sponsored several recruits a month now must weigh:

1. higher salary bills,
2. larger Immigration Skills Charge, and
3. a longer settlement track that can prompt candidates to ask for more support.

As a result, more recruiters and employers are targeting higher bands and specialist posts to clear the new pay bar, producing a thinner stream of entry and mid-level hires even though staffing gaps remain.

Key takeaway

With Nursing visas at 2,225 and healthcare approvals at 16,606 for July–November, UK–India labour mobility is being reshaped: fewer junior arrivals are expected unless costs ease or salaries rise, while senior and specialist hires remain possible. The rule change has altered who can move, and when — with implications for families, employers, and bilateral talks.