UK visa reforms for care workers spark exodus risk, union warns

(UNITED KINGDOM) The UK government’s July 2025 overhaul of the Health and Care Worker visa has shut the door to new overseas sponsorship for frontline care jobs, a move lawyers and mobility specialists say could drain staff from a sector already under strain. Announced on 1 July 2025, the reforms bar new entrants from being sponsored under the Skilled Worker route for Care Worker (SOC code 6135) and Senior Care Worker (SOC code 6136) roles, ending the earlier, looser approach that allowed lower pay thresholds for these jobs. Care providers warn the change will ripple through rotas, training, and safety.

What changed and why

Under previous rules, care employers could sponsor overseas recruits at salary levels far below the general Skilled Worker level. Legal briefings cited guidance noting some roles could be sponsored at about £25,000, compared with £41,700 under the wider Skilled Worker framework. From July 2025, that option ends for new starters in the two care SOC codes.

The government framed the tightening around concerns about:

• exploitation of migrant workers, and
• sponsor non‑compliance in parts of the market.

Officials say the sector will remain under monitoring. Providers and families worry the immediate effect will be fewer staff, longer waits for visits, and more burnout.

Transitional arrangements and key dates

Transitional rules create a narrow runway for people already working in the UK in care roles.

Key dates and conditions:

Important nuance: a person on a graduate visa who started work in June 2025 could still switch, but someone arriving in August 2025 with the same skills cannot be sponsored into Care Worker (6135) under the new rules.

Practical impacts on providers and staff

Advisers and firms tracking the change warn of immediate operational pressures:

• Lester Aldridge: called the end of new overseas hiring a “major impact” on service delivery, especially where providers already struggle with budgets and agency costs.
• Crown World Mobility: warned the reforms could push some staff to leave the sector or the country if career prospects look blocked.
• Many providers already depend heavily on international recruits; managers report rosters where a third or more of night shifts depend on overseas staff.

Consequences described by advisers include:

• home closures or reduced visits if shortages occur,
• increased pressure on hospitals downstream,
• loss of familiar carers for residents when staff leave,
• additional costs and delays for language and training support.

Advisers recommend providers plan for gaps and seek professional immigration guidance. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, timing errors could be costly for both workers and sponsors.

Removal of the “displaced workers” step

One surprising element for employers was the removal of a requirement introduced on 9 April 2025. That rule had required care providers to attempt recruitment from a pool of “displaced workers” before sponsoring someone new from abroad.

• From July 2025, that prior recruitment step is gone.
• However, its removal matters less because sponsorship itself is largely closed for new starters in the two care codes.

Advisers interpret the move as the government trying to halt churn between sponsors while cutting the flow of new arrivals into care roles. Officials have cited exploitation cases and sponsor rule breaking as drivers of both the original and subsequent steps.

Future outlook after the transitional period

The government has signalled the temporary bridge ends in three years. After 22 July 2028:

• Care Worker (SOC code 6135) and Senior Care Worker (SOC code 6136) are set to be removed from:
  • the Immigration Salary List, and
  • the Temporary Shortage List.

Those tools have previously helped employers sponsor roles the UK market struggles to fill. With removal, providers would be expected to recruit domestically for these jobs unless another policy change reverses course.

Employers and local councils warn this plan does not match the pace of ageing and rising demand for home care, and fear increased pressure on beds and services.

Key takeaway: Unless policy shifts again, the sector faces a three‑year window to adapt before new overseas recruitment for frontline care roles is effectively ended.

Wider scope of the July package

The July package goes beyond care. It closes Skilled Worker access for around 180 lower‑skilled occupations below RQF Level 6, while allowing existing visa holders to extend under time‑limited provisions.

• For care providers the effect is especially sharp because international recruitment has been a main route to fill vacancies.
• Managers report long lead times for training and language support; the departure of migrant staff often means residents lose familiar carers.

Official guidance and advice

Official guidance on the Health and Care Worker visa remains available on the UK government website, including current eligibility and how sponsorship works for health roles that are still open to new applicants, such as many nursing and allied health posts. Applicants and employers can find it at the exact government page: Health and Care Worker visa guidance.

Immigration advisers recommend:

• watching for updates, since the Home Office ties the reforms to ongoing compliance work in the sector, and
• avoiding paying recruitment agents upfront for sponsorship promises — a pattern seen in exploitation cases referenced in policy discussions.

International parallels

Debates abroad highlight how difficult it is to reconcile care needs with migration controls.

• In Australia, policy groups such as the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (led by Ms. Cilento) have argued for an “essential skills visa” after finding about 90% of labour agreements were used to keep migrants already onshore rather than bring in new staff.
• Australia’s planned 4+1 Year Work Visa, due to start on 1 November 2025, sets a AUD 90,000 minimum salary. That could leave lower‑paid care work outside the pipeline, echoing the UK’s dilemma over who will do hands‑on care in future.

Final notes for employers and families

• The split between people already in the UK and new arrivals has created immediate operational and personal dilemmas: whether to bring forward start dates, extend contracts, or reassign staff into other qualifying roles.
• Many affected parties will need to seek immigration and employment advice to navigate the transitional window and avoid costly timing mistakes.

For the latest official rules and to check which health roles remain open to new applicants, consult the government guidance page: Health and Care Worker visa guidance.