03/05/2024
83% Decline in UK’s Care Worker Visas Issued in 1st Quarter of 2024...
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The UK has issued 83 percent fewer visas to health and care workers, skilled workers and students in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the same period last year.
139,100 visas were granted to health and care workers, skilled workers and students in the first three months of 2024, compared to 184,000 visas issued in the first quarter of 2023.
The decline resulted from the ban on overseas social care workers bringing their family dependents to the UK.
A total of 83 percent decrease has been marked in the number of visas to health and care workers, skilled workers and students from January to March this year compared to 2023 figures, the Home Office statistics indicate.
In the first three months of this year, 139,100 visas were granted to health and care workers, skilled workers and students, compared to 184,000 visas issued in the first quarter of 2023.
The decrease mainly resulted from the ban on overseas social care workers bringing to the United Kingdom their family dependents, VisaGuide.World reports.
By the end of last year, the Home Office announced new changes to visa rules aimed at reducing immigration, among them preventing most foreign students from bringing along family members, except those on research courses.
Home Office’s statistics reveal that in March this year, there were 11,900 fewer applications for skilled worker health and social visas compared to 2023’s statistics when the restrictions were not in place.
This marks an 83 per cent decline with 2,400 applications compared to a total of 14,300 received in March 2023.
Co-chair of the workforce steering group with Skills for Care, David Pearson, considers that the real impact on the industry is yet to be known after there is often a data lag, but there is still reason for concern, as reported by LGC.
According to him, it is not a surprise that the changes to the visa provisions for social care workers in March will cause a reduction, expressing his concerns after there are 152,000 vacancies in social care already.
There was a 30,000 reduction in domestic recruitment last year and this emphasizes the need for a workforce strategy that links in the working conditions, pay, development, training, and career progression.
He said that the UK must ensure that it has a good plan for the future workforce to help people receive the social care services they need.
As part of efforts to reduce migration and give priority to British workers, authorities in the United Kingdom recently introduced new laws.
Among the changes was the increase in the minimum salary threshold for persons coming to Britain under a Skilled Labor visa and the abolishment of the list of shortage occupations, after the government considered that no sector should constantly depend on foreign labor.
