UK ends social care recruitment

The United Kingdom (UK) has made a widespread immigration changes across various sectors.

A white paper released on Monday by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration, the extensive 82-page document marks a sharp policy shift aimed at reducing immigration and reshaping the UK’s border control strategy.

In a news briefing, Starmer emphasised that the plan is designed to “regain control of our borders,” blaming the previous Conservative government for a surge in immigration levels.

“This plan will reduce migration — that’s a promise,” he stated. “If additional action is needed to ease pressure on housing and public services, we’ll take it. But this isn’t just about numbers.”

The White Paper said the UK will halt international recruitment for social care roles, a route that previously enabled doctors, nurses, and adult care professionals to work with approved employers, such as the NHS.

“In line with our wider reforms to skills thresholds, we will close social care visas to new applications from abroad,” the UK Home Office said on its website yesterday.

“For a transition period until 2028, while the workforce strategy is being developed and rolled out, we will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already here. This will be kept under review,” it added.

It said the measures would reshape Britain’s immigration system towards “those who contribute most to economic growth, with higher skills standards for graduates and workers”.

It explained that new requirements on employers to boost domestic training would end the reliance on international recruitment, restoring order to a “failed system” that saw net migration quadruple between 2019 and 2023.

Key policies in the 82-page blueprint, titled ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System,’ include reversing the long-term trend of increasing international recruitment at the expense of skills and training.

It also includes the establishment of the labour market evidence group to make informed decisions about the state of the labour market and the role that different policies should play, rather than always relying on migration, and the engagement of sector bodies by departments across government.

This change aligns with broader reforms to raise the skill threshold for migrants.

Those already in the UK on social care visas may extend or switch their status until 2028, during a transitional period as a domestic workforce strategy is developed.

Migrants will now need to live in the UK for 10 years — double the previous five — before becoming eligible for permanent residency.

This change is intended to ensure only individuals making significant economic contributions remain.

Also, the post-graduation stay period for international students will be cut from five years to just 18 months.

In a final statement, Starmer warned that without robust immigration controls, the UK could become “an island of strangers” rather than a united nation.

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