Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of closure of the social care visa route on the availability of staff in the social care sector.

In the technical annex published alongside the Immigration White Paper on 12 May 2025, the Home Office has estimated an annual reduction of approximately 7,000 main visa applicants as a result of ending overseas recruitment for care workers and senior care workers. This is based on their internal management information for entry visas granted covering the period of March 2024 to February 2025. This estimate reflects that there was a drop in visa grants of more than 90% compared with the 12 months ending in March 2024.

The Department for Health and Social Care continues to monitor adult social care workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool, and intelligence from key sector partners.

As set out in the Immigration White Paper, there will be a transition period until 2028, to be kept under review, where in-country applications, including from other visa routes, will continue to be permitted for care workers and senior care workers, provided individuals are already working in these roles in the adult social care sector. This means, for example, that care providers will continue to be able to recruit those who want to switch from student or graduate visas, who we know have provided a vital role in workforce capacity in recent years. The sector can also continue to employ individuals whose immigration status allows them to work in any sector, for example, those on a dependent visa or working whilst on a student visa.

We recognise the scale of the reform needed to make the adult social care attractive as a career and are determined to ensure that those who work in care are respected as professionals. We are introducing new Fair Pay agreements for adult social care workers, with legislation currently going through Parliament, implementing the first universal career structure for adult social care, and providing £12 million this year for staff to complete training and qualifications. These changes will help attract staff to the sector, providing proper recognition and opportunities for them to build their careers.