The UK Government has implemented important changes to the Health and Care Worker visa route, impacting how care providers in England can sponsor international workers. These changes, which took effect on April 9th 2025, form part of a broader effort to reduce exploitation in the care sector, prioritise domestic recruitment, and bring greater integrity to the UK immigration system under the government’s “Plan for Change.”
Here’s what care providers and visa applicants need to know.
Key developments
1. UK-first recruitment requirement
Care providers must now demonstrate that they have attempted to recruit from within the UK before applying to sponsor a new worker from overseas. This includes showing evidence of job advertisements and recruitment efforts targeting eligible candidates already residing in the UK.
2. Priority for Skilled Worker visa holders already in the UK
Providers are required to offer sponsorship opportunities to individuals already in the UK on Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visas who are seeking new sponsorship, before offering roles to applicants based outside the UK.
3. Increased minimum salary
The minimum hourly rate for care workers under the Skilled Worker visa has been raised to £12.82, in line with updated data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This change ensures fairer pay and aligns salaries with national standards.
Why the changes were introduced
The government has highlighted a significant rise in abuse of the sponsorship system, particularly within the care sector. Since October 2020, more than 39,000 care workers have been associated with sponsors who were later found to be non-compliant. As a result, over 470 sponsor licences were revoked between July 2022 and December 2024.
Many care workers arriving from overseas found themselves underemployed or left without work, due to false promises from illegitimate sponsors. The new measures aim to protect these individuals and ensure care providers operate ethically and responsibly.
Additional Government actions
In addition to the new care sector sponsorship rules, the government is:
- Strengthening enforcement: Employers who breach immigration or employment laws repeatedly may now be barred from sponsoring overseas workers.
- Banning illegal fees: Companies are prohibited from charging care workers for the cost of sponsorship — a practice that previously led to exploitation and debt.
- Targeting student visa abuse: Caseworkers now have expanded powers to refuse Short-Term Student visa applications that appear non-genuine, in response to rising misuse of this route.
What this means for care providers
If you are a care provider in England intending to sponsor an overseas worker, you must now: