The United Kingdom (UK) has officially terminated the recruitment of foreign workers for social care roles in the country.
The measure was part of a sweeping overhaul of UK’s immigration policy aimed at slashing net migration figures and reshaping the meaning of “skilled work.”
UK Government outlined the new policy in an 82-page Immigration White Paper titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System,” which signified one of the most dramatic policy resets in decades.
The policy which takes immediate effect halts acceptance of new overseas applications for social care jobs in a move described as essential to restoring public trust and supporting long-term workforce sustainability.
“We will close social care visas to new overseas applications,” the UK Home Office announced, calling the current visa route “overused and exploited.”
LEADERSHIP recalls that Nigerians and citizens of other nations have taken the social care route to migrate to the United Kingdom in what is now known as ‘japa’ which means immigration to other nations in search of greener pasture.
Medical, IT and other professionals, including entertainers have embraced japa to migrate to the UK, United States, Canada, Australia and other countries promising better career and remuneration opportunities.
UK Home Office however clarified that care workers already residing in the UK will be allowed to extend or switch their visas until 2028 when the government planned to have implemented a comprehensive domestic training strategy to fill the gap created by the end of foreign recruitment.
The White Paper further stressed that the country must “move away from reliance on low-wage overseas recruitment,” focusing instead on investing in domestic workers and increasing training standards.
Also, the UK targets as the core of the changes, a new definition of skilled work under the UK’s points-based system, raising the thresholds for salary, educational qualifications, and English proficiency.
In addition, the Immigration Salary List, which allowed employers to bypass general wage standards for certain roles, will be abolished.
“Skilled must mean skilled,” the paper asserts. “Work that does not meet the bar will no longer be eligible for a visa—regardless of sector.”
The policy shift also mandates that employers prove serious efforts to recruit within the UK before seeking talent abroad, especially in sectors that have previously leaned heavily on migrant labour.
“No employer should be allowed to default to migration,” said the Home Office. “We are rebalancing the system to reward training, not reliance.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the overhaul as “a bold, necessary reset” to tackle unsustainable migration levels and rebuild confidence in the system.
“We must end the perception that immigration is a substitute for skills planning,” Cooper said.
The White Paper also warned that henceforth, temporary migration routes will not be converted to permanent.
Officials further disclosed that the reforms were designed to make immigration work for the UK, and not the other way around.