Recent statements from political leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, have raised serious concerns across the care sector, particularly regarding international recruitment.
Among the proposed changes are the introduction of stricter requirements for skilled worker visas, including the need for a university degree, and a reduction in the post-study visa period from two years to 18 months. Most significantly, care homes may soon be banned from recruiting workers from overseas altogether.
These proposals come at a time when the sector is already experiencing unprecedented strain. Following earlier restrictions that prevented care workers from bringing dependants to the UK, applications for Health and Care Worker Visas have dropped to an all-time low.
According to Age UK, international recruitment has been essential to sustaining care services. Many care providers now warn that banning overseas recruitment could force some homes to close, adding further pressure to the NHS and leaving vulnerable people without the care they need.
Dr. Jane Townson, Chief Executive of the Homecare Association, put it plainly:
“International recruitment is a lifeline for the homecare sector. Care providers are already struggling to recruit within the UK. We are deeply concerned the government has not properly considered what will happen to the millions of people who depend on care at home to live safely and independently.”
The data backs up these concerns. The turnover rate in adult social care is 31%, compared to a national average of 15% across all sectors. Vacancy rates are similarly stark - 8% in social care versus 3% nationally across other sectors. These numbers reflect a workforce under immense pressure, often underpaid, undervalued, and with limited opportunities for career advancement. Perceptions of care work as low-status and the lack of recognition for the skills required contribute to ongoing recruitment and retention issues. Additionally, care providers face significant financial challenges. Many are underfunded by local authorities, making it difficult to offer competitive wages or invest in training.
With an aging population and increasing demand for care, these problems will only intensify if left unaddressed. Yet instead of focusing on reforming the sector, through proper funding, fair pay, and structured career development, the proposed immigration changes place blame on the very workers who have helped hold the system together.
Labour’s Yvette Cooper has suggested the introduction of a “fair pay agreement” to make care jobs more attractive to UK nationals. While welcome in principle, it’s unlikely to provide an immediate solution. Building a domestic workforce takes time, and in the meantime, care providers need access to overseas talent to continue delivering vital services.
Care England, a leading voice for adult social care providers, has called the immigration white paper “a crushing blow.” Its Chief Executive, Martin Green, stated:
“For years, the sector has been propping itself up with dwindling resources, rising costs, and mounting vacancies. International recruitment wasn’t a silver bullet, but it was a lifeline. Taking it away now, with no warning, no funding, and no alternative, is not just short-sighted – it’s cruel.”
The Liberal Democrats echoed this sentiment, with social care spokesperson Helen Morgan stating that the government is “tinkering around the edges yet failing to properly tackle the crisis in our social care.”
At Safe Sure Care, we believe urgent action is needed - not to restrict overseas recruitment, but to value and support it as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the care sector. That means investing in domestic training, ensuring fair wages, improving working conditions, and recognising care work as a skilled and vital profession.
Without these changes, the UK risks deepening the crisis in social care, at the expense of those who rely on it most.
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