UK to end care worker visas, affecting migrants from Ghana & Nigeria

The United Kingdom has announced a significant policy shift, planning to abolish the care worker visa route within the coming months.

This decision, revealed by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Sunday, May 11, 2025, is expected to affect thousands of individuals from countries like Ghana and Nigeria who seek employment in the UK’s health and social care sector.

Cooper stated that the phasing out of this visa pathway, which has been heavily utilized by migrants, is a key component of the government’s broader strategy to reduce overall migration figures.

The details of this policy change will be outlined in a white paper scheduled for release on Monday, May 12, forming part of wider restrictions on employers relying on visas for lower-skilled positions.

Describing the previous system as a “failed free market experiment,” Cooper told the BBC that these changes aim to cut annual migrant arrivals by approximately 50,000, though she refrained from setting a specific net migration target. Speaking to Sky News, she indicated her expectation for a “significantly more” substantial reduction than 500,000.

This policy shift comes against a backdrop of recent gains in local elections by the anti-immigration Reform UK party, which is currently polling ahead of the Labour party. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also pledged on Sunday to “restore control and cut migration” through stringent new measures, assuring “British workers — I’ve got your back.”

The impending care visa ban has triggered concerns among care providers, who are already grappling with critical staff shortages. Jane Townson of the Homecare Association questioned the viability of staffing the sector without this migration route and adequate funding.

While acknowledging these concerns, Cooper suggested that care providers should prioritize hiring from the existing pool of 10,000 migrants already in the UK under care visas, some of whom she claimed had taken jobs that were either non-existent or below standard. She also promised a new “fair pay agreement” for care workers, noting the previous failure to address systemic issues despite the surge in overseas care worker recruitment.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the proposed changes as a minor “50,000 tweak,” accusing the Conservative government of acting “too late” after migration peaked above 900,000 in 2023.

In addition to the care worker visa ban, the government intends to limit skilled worker visas to graduate-level roles and restrict non-graduate visas to strictly time-limited positions linked to specific industrial needs. Changes for international students are expected to be less drastic, though universities will face stricter enforcement of visa rule compliance.

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice attributed his party’s success in local polls to public dissatisfaction with high levels of migration, labeling the government’s plan a failure and advocating for a dedicated Department of Immigration.

The post UK to end care worker visas, affecting migrants from Ghana & Nigeria first appeared on 3News.

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