Employers will be required to prioritise recruiting international care workers already in the country before recruiting from overseas.
From 9 April, care providers who want to recruit a new worker from overseas will have to first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so and will help end the reliance on overseas recruitment.
As well as continuing to tackle exploitation, the government is also continuing its clampdown on abuse in the immigration system with changes to the short-term student route.
The visa is designed for those studying an English language course in the UK for between six and 11 months. There are concerns, however, that the route is being abused by those without a genuine intention to study or to leave the UK at the end of their course.
“Those who have come to the UK to support our adult care sector should have the opportunity to do so, free from abuse and exploitation,” said Seema Malhotra, minister for migration and citizenship.
Abuse of the visa system
The new requirements continue government action announced in November to crack down on employers who abuse the visa system; barring those who repeatedly break immigration or employment laws from hiring overseas workers and will help support those workers into new jobs.
“Enabling care staff on visas to move to another sponsor more easily is a vital step in protecting them from exploitation,” said Gavin Edwards, head of social care at UNISON, the UK’s largest union.
The changes announced last year also ban companies from charging workers for the cost of their sponsorship, which has never been intended and led to exploitation, unfair treatment of staff and unsustainable levels of debt in the care sector.
Changes announced will also see the minimum salary thresholds updated. Doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and teachers, will see their minimum rates increased to reflect the latest national pay scales.
“Prioritising care workers who are already in the UK will get people back to work reducing our reliance on international recruitment, and make sure our social care sector has the care professionals it needs,” said Stephen Kinnock, minister of state for care.
