Migration changes announced

Yesterday the Home Secretary announced plans to significantly reduce the amount of legal migration into the country.

You can read the press release here:

Home Secretary unveils plan to cut net migration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Key points for the social care sector to note include:

• Whilst there will be a rise in the salary threshold for the Skilled Worker Visa route to £38,700, this will not apply to the Health and Care visa (which most care professionals use now). 
• The government will end the 20% going rate salary discount for shortage occupations. Careworkers visas have been based on the minimum salary threshold rather than the going rate, so this may not affect careworkers. However, this may affect care managers (at the moment the going rate for care managers is £28,300, with a potential 20% reduction to £22,640 - that reduction would be removed).
• The Government say they will "replace the Shortage Occupation List with a new Immigration Salary List, which will retain a general threshold discount. The Migration Advisory Committee will review the new list against the increased salary thresholds in order to reduce the number of occupations on the list." Careworkers are currently on the shortage occupation list, so it will be key to ensure that they stay on the new List. The new List may also indicate whether the salary threshold will change for careworkers (this is currently unclear).
• Care providers in England will now only be able to sponsor migrant workers if they are undertaking activities regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
• Overseas careworkers will be prevented from bringing their dependants to the UK.
• There will also be other changes including a cut in student visas these changes include "removing the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate research courses and removing the ability for international students to switch onto work routes before their studies are completed."

We will update members as soon as there is further information.

If you have further queries or comments please contact us at [email protected]