Care homes under threat as family visa crackdown blocks 100,000 workers
Government’s migration visa crackdown blocks thousands of care workers
- A government crackdown on family visas for overseas care workers has led to a significant drop in applications, threatening the stability of care homes in the UK.
- Applications for health and care worker visas plummeted from 129,000 to 26,000 after new rules prevented workers from bringing dependents.
- This drop exacerbates existing staff shortages in care homes, with over 100,000 vacancies in England alone.
- Age UK warns that care homes may be forced to close due to lack of staff, further burdening the NHS.
- New rules requiring overseas care workers to earn over £25,000 annually will further restrict recruitment.