UK Announces Stricter Rules for Migrant Care Worker Visas

The UK government has introduced a series of changes to its immigration policy affecting care workers, including new rules for visa applications and settlement eligibility. These measures impact both new applicants from overseas and those already working in the UK care sector.

From 22 July 2025, new applications for care worker and senior care worker visas from outside the UK are no longer accepted. The Home Office stated that these changes are part of the Spring 2025 Immigration Rules, which also raised the required skill level for applicants to RQF level 6. Individuals already in the UK on these visas are permitted to extend or switch their visas until 22 July 2028 under a transition period.

As of 8 April 2026, care workers and senior care workers cannot submit new visa applications, but those already present in the UK may continue to extend or switch their status until the end of the transition period. The policy changes also include an increase in the English language requirement to B2 level, effective from 8 January 2026.

The proposed adjustments extend the qualification period for permanent residency from five to ten years for most migrants. For health and social care visa holders, the period is set at fifteen years. Additionally, individuals who have depended on benefits for more than twelve months would face a twenty-year delay before being eligible for settlement, according to the published proposals.

What the numbers show

• Overseas care worker visa applications projected to drop by 5,000 in 2025/26
• In-country applications expected to rise by 3,000 in 2025/26 and 5,000 in 2026/27
• Transition period for in-country visa switching extends until July 2028

The Home Office’s Spring 2025 Impact Assessment estimated a decrease in the number of main applicants for care and senior care worker visas from overseas by about 5,000 in 2025/26, with a further reduction to 7,000 in subsequent years. Meanwhile, the same assessment projected that in-country main applicants would increase by approximately 3,000 in 2025/26 and 5,000 in 2026/27 due to transitional arrangements.

Angela Rayner, former Deputy Prime Minister, said in a statement that making retrospective changes to visa rules for legal migrants already in the UK is wrong and “un-British.” Her comments addressed concerns about the impact of the new rules on those already residing and working in the country under existing visa conditions.

The Home Office confirmed that the transition period allows care workers already in the UK to extend or switch visas until July 2028. This measure is intended to provide time for those affected by the closure of overseas applications and the new requirements to adjust their status if eligible.

According to NHS Employers, the closure of new visa applications for care workers and senior care workers came into effect in April 2026, with the transition period remaining in place until July 2028. The raised English language standard and extended settlement timelines are part of the broader changes set out in the government’s published immigration rules.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.