New Home Office immigration rules set to impact Health & Care Sector.

On 12th March 20205, the Home Office issued a statement of changes to the Immigration Rules The changes likely to be most significant to the Health & Social Care sector are set out below:
Prioritising recruitment of migrant currently in the UK
The Home Office has revoked more than 470 sponsor licences in the sector which has result in many sponsored workers being left displaced.
To address this, sponsors who are recruiting for care workers or senior care workers must prioritise recruitment from the pool of displaced migrants before offering roles to migrants from overseas or to those in-country who are not already sponsored as care workers or senior care workers.
An exception applies to migrants looking to change jobs but working legally for the sponsor under a different visa route or as a care worker or senior care worker for at least three months preceding the date of application.
Sponsors will be required to provide evidence from their relevant regional or sub-regional partners to confirm they have not found a suitable worker for the role from the pool of displaced migrants. To facilitate the recruitment of displaced migrant workers, the Home Office is restraining from issuing leave curtailment letters to displaced migrants in the care sector.
Increased minimum salary
Another substantial change is the annual salary requirement will increase to £25,000 (or £12.82 per hour) from £23,200 (or £11.90 per hour). It is part of the annual review to ensure the rates remain over the National Living Wage which will increase from April 2025. As usual the hourly rate for sponsored workers is higher than the National Living Wage rate.
These changes are effective for certificates of sponsorship which are assigned on or after 9 April 2025.
If you require specialist immigration advice please contact RWK Goodman’s Health & Social Care team. The team are also able to offer mock compliance audits to ensure you are meeting compliance requirements and avoid your sponsor licence being revoked.
The Health & Social Care team at RWK Goodman is a recognised market leader, with in-depth knowledge and experience in the social care sector. Based across London, Thames Valley and the South West, our team of lawyers are fully immersed in social care, which enables us to cut to the heart of urgent matters quickly, and help you plan for what may lie ahead.
Our aim is to get to know your business and become the strategic advisors you trust to provide insightful, pragmatic solutions. Our clients include nursing and residential homes, hospices, homecare agencies, supported living, specialist colleges and children’s services and our advice covers many areas.
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