March 9th, 2024 at 12:09 am

New Laws For UK Health And Care Visa Workers from 11 March 2024

On March 11, 2024, new regulations about foreign health and care professionals will go into force. Health and care workers find it more difficult to immigrate to the UK due to new regulations that prevent them from bringing their relatives with them. Read on to learn more about this new rule’s specifics.

According to Downing Street, a crackdown on visas for overseas workers is being reviewed VI. This announcement causes fear that, as of March 11th, the Home Office has approved the sponsorship of hundreds of new care providers by foreign nationals.

The new restrictions restrict health workers’ ability to bring family members to the UK and force them to register with the Care Quality Commission, or CQC, if they are sponsoring migrants. Moreover, these rules were put in place by the government to reduce the historically high amounts of immigration to Britain.

Yet, concerns have been expressed over the licensing of hundreds of fictitious businesses, many of which are relatively new, having only been in operation for a few months, have no track record of offering care services, and are now purportedly sponsoring visas. This comprises a minimum of 268 businesses that the CQC has never inspected.

Reaction from the Prime Minister

A spokesperson for the prime minister stated that additional Visa restrictions are being considered. He continued by saying that strict measures are being implemented to stop the misuse of the immigration system, such as restricting the ability of caregivers to bring in dependents and requiring caregivers who are sponsoring migrants to register with the CQC.

He added that they have taken strong action to combat the abuse of the visa immigration system and will closely monitor any new initiatives. A record number of international health and care workers were granted UK visas last year, according to recently disclosed numbers.

In summary, 146,147 health visa applications were approved. The figure increased to 349,000 in 2023. Compared to 2021, this is a tremendous increase. Furthermore, charities alerted the public that the government is unwilling to address poor wages in the health industry, which exposes migrants to exploitation.

Proposed Visa Restrictions for UK Health & Care Workers from 2023

The 20-hour work limit for Health and Care Visas is back. This essay is written in particular for UK-based healthcare professionals who plan to apply for a UK Health and Care Visa. You may already be aware of the difficulties staffing shortages have caused in the UK’s health and social care industries.

The UK government has now developed a few measures to deal with this. One of the tactics entails removing the 20-hour restriction on supplemental work for those with Health and Care Visas. This action was taken to provide workers flexibility, although it should be noted that by August 27, 2023, this exemption would end.

Health and Care Visa

The skilled worker visa is essentially a subset of this visa. It provides a straightforward path for trained healthcare workers, such as doctors and nurses, to immigrate to and work in the UK.

What qualifications are required for the Health and Care Visa?

• First, a legitimate employment offer in a qualified health or care field.
• Also, the applicant needs to earn the required wage
• Lastly, possess a current sponsorship certificate from the workplace.

How will the termination of this exemption affect professionals and employers?

Simply expressed, during the temporary lifting of the 20-hour limit, Visa holders had the opportunity to work longer hours. As a result, they can earn more money while significantly improving the UK’s health and care industries. Unfortunately, these specialists would have fewer working hours and lower salaries once the exemption expires in August.

Employers also profited from this exemption because they received a flexible workforce, but they must now ensure that they adhere to robust right-to-work policies to avoid potential penalties. The exemption from the 20-hour limit’s future is currently unknown. The UK government’s choice, though, will be based on the staffing situation that will impact these industries. We could hold out hope for a longer exemption given the current labor deficit.