In a statement released on Wednesday, March 13, the UK asked employers seeking to hire foreign care workers must first attempt to recruit within England before looking overseas, providing proof of their efforts.
The new rule which will kick off on April 9, the government said is to ensure that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so.
It added that the changes will help end the reliance on overseas recruitment and restore order to its immigration system.
Furthermore, the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas will rise from £23,200 to £25,000 per year (£12.82 per hour) in line with the national minimum wage increase.
UK new rules on Care Work visa
Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship was quoted in a statement saying:
“Individuals who come to the UK to support the adult care sector should be able to work without facing abuse or exploitation.
“Steps have already been taken to prevent employers from disregarding regulations or shifting costs onto international workers that they were always responsible for covering.
“Now, further measures will require employers in England to prioritize hiring international care workers already in the UK and seeking new sponsorship before recruiting from abroad.”
The government is also tightening regulations on student visas, granting officials more power to reject applications deemed non-genuine, particularly for short-term English language courses.
Also, employers repeatedly violating immigration laws could face hiring bans, with authorities having already revoked over 470 care sector licenses in the past 18 months, BusinessDay reports.
The statement added: “The new requirements build on government measures introduced in November to curb employer abuse of the visa system. Businesses that repeatedly violate immigration or employment laws will be barred from hiring overseas workers, while affected employees will receive support in finding new jobs.
“Last year’s changes also prohibited companies from passing sponsorship costs onto workers a practice never intended, which led to exploitation, unfair treatment, and unsustainable debt in the care sector.
“Between July 2022 and December 2024, the government revoked over 470 sponsor licenses in the care sector to combat abuse and exploitation, affecting more than 39,000 workers linked to these sponsors since October 2020.”
UK updates list of companies eligible to sponsor work visa
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the UK government had updated its list of companies permitted to sponsor foreign workers.
The permission was given under the worker and temporary worker immigration streams.
The development presented new opportunities for Nigerians and foreigners seeking employment in the UK.
Source: www.legit.ng
