The UK government has officially banned new overseas applications for social care roles, introducing sweeping immigration reforms aimed at slashing low-skilled migration and tightening definitions of what qualifies as skilled work.
Outlined in a newly released 82-page Immigration White Paper titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System,” the move marks the biggest shift in UK immigration policy in a generation, with a clear message: “Skilled must mean skilled.”
According to the UK Home Office, the social care visa route is now closed to new international applicants, citing widespread misuse and its failure to support sustainable workforce development.
The reforms take immediate effect, although existing care workers already in the UK can extend or switch visas until 2028, pending a new domestic workforce plan. “The health and social care sector must move away from reliance on low-wage overseas recruitment,” the paper stressed.
The overhaul also raises thresholds for salary, qualifications, and English proficiency across most visa categories, aiming to eliminate what the government calls “loopholes for low-skilled migration under a skilled label.”
Additionally, the government is abolishing the Immigration Salary List, which previously allowed certain jobs to bypass general salary thresholds. “This list will be removed to prevent the undercutting of UK wages and ensure migration supports—not suppresses—the labour market,” the document stated.
In another major shift, employers will now need to prove efforts to hire domestically before turning to foreign labour. “No employer should default to migration. We are rebalancing the system to reward training, not reliance,” the Home Office added.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the reform as a “bold, necessary reset” designed to reduce numbers and restore public trust. “Immigration cannot be a substitute for skills planning,” she said.
The White Paper concludes with a firm stance: “Temporary migration routes must not become permanent. Our reforms will restore integrity and ensure immigration works for Britain—not the other way round.”
