The UK plans to end the recruitment of care workers from abroad later this year as part of a broader visa reform aimed at reducing net migration, according to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
She announced in an interview with BBC News on Sunday, May 12th, 2025.
According to BBC News, the government plans to introduce a series of changes to the visa and recruitment system, which are expected to reduce the number of lower-skilled workers entering the UK by up to 50,000 over the next year.
New Rules for Care Worker Recruitment
The Home Secretary said that employers in the care sector will need to rely on domestic recruitment or extend the visas of existing overseas workers already in the UK.
“It is time to stop recruiting care workers from abroad”, Cooper said.
The new measures build on restrictions already introduced in April 2025. Since then, care providers have been required to demonstrate efforts to recruit workers domestically before hiring from overseas. Under the upcoming policy, care companies will have to prioritise local workers or choose from more than 10,000 overseas care workers already in the UK, whose sponsorships were recently cancelled.
Cooper also stated that the government would introduce a fair pay agreement for care workers to encourage domestic employment and reduce reliance on international labour.
Planned Migration Reductions and Opposition Response
The policy changes are part of the Labour government’s strategy to bring down net migration, which reached a record 906,000 in the year ending June 2023 and stood at 728,000 by the end of last year. Cooper said the changes to care and skilled worker visas will “come in this year” and are expected to lead to fewer lower-skilled visa issuances.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described the plans as “too small” and called for Parliament to vote on an annual migration cap. Speaking to the BBC, Philp said,
“We are working on the details to specify that number”, but noted that the Conservatives’ proposal would result in a “further reduction that will exceed more than 50,000”.
International Student Visa Compliance and University Oversight
Further measures are expected to affect international students and post-graduation employment rights.
Cooper said, “We will allow them to continue coming, staying, and working afterwards.”
But announced tighter controls on university compliance. Some institutions, she claimed, have approved students who failed to complete their courses or violated visa terms.
The White Paper, titled Restoring Control Over the Immigration System, will outline stricter compliance checks for institutions and new standards for international student admissions.
Other Proposed Immigration Reforms
The government is expected to implement additional reforms, including:
- Skills investment requirements: Employers may be required to show evidence of investment in UK-based skills development before hiring overseas workers, particularly in IT and telecommunications.
- Language testing standards: There may be tougher English language requirements for visa applicants, although the Home Office has rejected claims that the new standard would match A-Level English tests.
- Visa restrictions by nationality: Applicants from countries with high asylum overstay rates, such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka, will undergo stricter scrutiny.
- Permanent residency delays: The waiting period for migrants applying for indefinite leave to remain could be extended from five to up to ten years.
The Home Office has yet to publish the full immigration White Paper, but Cooper said the changes are intended to establish a “controlled and fair” system that encourages domestic recruitment while addressing compliance issues across sectors.
