Employers will have to prioritise hiring foreign carers already living in England before recruiting from overseas, under the measures laid in Parliament on Wednesday.
From April 9, care providers who wish to recruit staff from abroad will have to first prove that they have attempted to employ someone already in the country who needs new visa sponsorship, the Home Office said.
The Government hopes the measures will help “end the reliance on overseas recruitment” and bring down record levels of immigration to Britain.
The minimum salary required for Skilled Worker visas is also being increased. From April it will rise from £23,200 per year to £25,000 (or £12.82 per hour) to reflect the rise in minimum wage.
Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, said: “International care workers play a vital role in our social care workforce. We value their contribution and work supporting vulnerable people across the country every day.
“As we crack down on shameful rogue operators exploiting overseas workers here in the UK, we must do all we can to get the victims back into rewarding careers in adult social care.
“Prioritising care workers who are already in the UK will get people back to work reducing our reliance on international recruitment, and make sure our social care sector has the care professionals it needs.”
Changes to the short-term student route, which will expand powers for caseworkers to refuse visa applications suspected of not being genuine, have also been confirmed in a bid to clampdown on abuse of the system.
People from abroad who are studying English in Britain for between six and 11 months are allowed to apply for the permit. But the Home Office said there are increasing concerns that the route is being abused by people who do not actually intend to study or leave the UK at the end of their course.
