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Welcome to our latest International Recruitment Project Bulletin!
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Current Situation
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Since 22nd July 2025, care providers can no longer sponsor new recruits from overseas for Care or Senior Care Worker roles. However, in-country sponsorship remains allowed, including through SESCA’s Displaced Worker Support Scheme, which will remain in place until the end of March 2026.
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Displaced Worker Recruitment Scheme
Supporting Providers to Recruit In-Country Migrant Care Workers
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Over 300 Displaced Care Workers Placed into New Employment Already!
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Receive £6,000 Funding per Care Worker
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Act now – scheme closes March 2026!
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We have a large pool of experienced and committed migrant care staff across the South-East – including car drivers – who are available immediately.
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We’ll introduce you to pre-vetted candidates for interview. For every successful hire, you’ll receive up to £6,000 in funding to support your recruitment costs.
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Don’t Miss Out – Apply Now!
For instructions on how to apply, including our grant funding terms:
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Government Proposes Major Overhaul of Immigration Rules – Consultation Open!
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Home secretary, Shabana Mahmood outlines plans to introduce “Earned Settlement”
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The biggest development affecting international recruitment in adult social care is the Government’s announcement last week regarding plans to introduce the “Earned Settlement” Model — hailed the most significant overhaul of the UK migration system in 50 years. The plans build on earlier measures, including the closure of the Health and Care Worker Visa route in May 2025, signalling a continued tightening of long-term settlement opportunities for overseas care staff.
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A formal consultation is now open until 12 February 2026. The Government has
indicated that legislation will follow, with implementation from Spring 2026.
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If enacted, the reforms will dramatically extend how long migrant workers must live in the UK before becoming eligible for settlement. Adult social care roles would move from the current 5-year to a 15-year route, and anyone who has not secured indefinite leave to remain before the new rules take effect could be moved onto these longer pathways.
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The proposals also indicate that even after reaching settlement, individuals may still face a “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) restriction — meaning access to benefits would only become available once they obtain British citizenship. This marks a major shift from the current system, where ILR typically lifts the NRPF condition.
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Sector leaders warn that the proposals could intensify workforce shortages, limit worker mobility, and increase sponsorship and compliance costs.
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Professor Martin Green OBE, a leading national voice in adult social care, said:
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“Placing care workers on a 15-year settlement route is a grave injustice to the very people who keep our care system standing. These are the people who care for our parents, our partners, our children.... To tell them they must wait a decade and a half before they can build any sense of security in this country is indefensible.”
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SESCA urges providers and individuals to respond to the consultation and make the
case for protecting current visa holders from new settlement requirements.
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NMW Increase -
Impact on Sponsored Carer Salaries
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Following this week’s announcement that
the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for
over-21s will increase from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour from 1 April 2026, providers should begin considering how this may affect minimum salary requirements for sponsored care workers. The Home Office is not expected to confirm the updated minimum salary for Health and Care Worker Visa holders until March 2026.
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It is worth noting that the new NMW remains below the current minimum salary for
sponsored care staff, which is £25,000 per annum or £12.82 per hour (as of 9 April
2025). Historically, the minimum hourly rate for sponsored care workers has been set
above the NMW. If the same approach continues, we estimate a possible new
sponsored-care minimum of around £13.46 per hour, equivalent to an annual
salary of £26,247.
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Assuming the rules remain unchanged, this uplift would apply only to care workers sponsored from 1 April 2026 onwards. Existing sponsored staff would remain on the current minimum of £25,000 (£12.82 per hour). Providers should also be mindful that paying newly sponsored workers more than existing sponsored — or non-sponsored — staff may increase the risk of pay-related discrimination claims.
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Key Considerations for Providers
• Financial planning: Budget now for higher salary costs for new sponsorships from
April 2026, with an estimated uplift of £1,200+ per worker.
• Pay alignment risks: Different pay levels for existing sponsored staff, newly
sponsored staff, and non-sponsored workers may be lawful, but could create
fairness concerns and potential discrimination risks if not managed carefully.
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Supplemental Employment for Migrant Workers
Updated Guidance
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In response to the high volume of questions we receive from providers, the immigration experts at Lester Aldridge Solicitors have prepared detailed guidance on the rules around supplemental employment for sponsored migrant workers.
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The guidance explains:
• what counts as supplemental employment,
• which workers are eligible (and which are not),
• the 20-hour weekly limit and restrictions on working time,
• what employers must check to meet Right to Work requirements, and
• the significant penalties for non-compliance, including fines of up to £60,000 per worker.
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Driving Test Reforms
Good News for Overseas Care Workers
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We welcome the recent announcement by the Department for Transport that major changes are being introduced to the UK driving test booking system, to cut waiting times and stop third-party “bots” reselling test slots at inflated prices.
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Under new rules, only learners will be able to book tests directly with the DVSA, with new limits on moving test dates and 36 additional examiners to help reduce the backlog.
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With average waits at 21.8 weeks, these reforms should make it easier for overseas care workers—many of whom need a UK licence for community roles—to secure genuine test appointments.
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OTHER NEWS
Fair Pay Agreement - Consultation Update
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Following SESCA's previous update on the Government’s plans to establish the firstever Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) for adult social care, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has now released an Easy Read version of the public consultation and survey.
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This version aims to make the process more accessible, helping a wider range of people – including care workers – to share their views on how the agreement should be designed and implemented.
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The Easy Read consultation will remain open for 15 weeks, closing on 6 March 2026 (the original consultation close date is 16 January 2026).
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We strongly encourage all providers and care workers to take part in the consultation. The adult social care sector’s voice must be heard to help shape a fair, practical, and sustainable pay framework for the workforce.
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Employment Rights Bill Consultations
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As part of the Make Work Pay Plan, a number of important public consultations have opened on key measures in the Employment Rights Bill (ERB).
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These proposals have the potential to impact workforce management, recruitment, and employment practices across adult social care.
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We encourages all providers, managers, and sector representatives to submit responses before the deadlines and to share these links across your networks.
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Thanks for reading our latest update!
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