Home Office announces new immigration policy changes
New immigration rules laid down in Parliament on Wednesday 12 March 2025 are set to impact the recruitment of overseas health and care staff.
The Home Office has announced a fresh wave of immigration policy changes that will impact the health and care sector, including entry-level Band 3 staff.
From 9 April 2025, the following changes will come into force:
- Care providers in England seeking to recruit a new worker from overseas, or those switching from another visa route, will have to first provide proof that they have attempted to recruit a worker resident in England.
- The minimum salary threshold for skilled workers will increase to £12.82 per hour or £25,000 per annum, from £23,200.
- Health and education occupations, including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and teachers, will also see their minimum rates increased to reflect the latest national pay scales, meaning that entry level Band 3 roles will no longer meet the salary threshold.
There will also be increased powers for caseworkers to refuse visa applications to the short-term Student Visa route where they are suspected of being non-genuine.
What does this mean for NHS trusts?
Due to the increase to the salary threshold, after 9 April entry-level Band 3 roles will no longer be eligible for international sponsorship. Employers will need to wait until the Agenda for Change 25/26 pay award is announced to determine if it will be above the £25,000 salary threshold.
Those Band 3 roles that require renewals on the top step point of £25,674 will meet the required skills and salary threshold and can continue to be sponsored.
The Home Office says these changes will ensure those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so and that it will help end the reliance on overseas recruitment. You can read more on the GOV.UK latest news.
Under the new rules, care providers in England must work with the relevant regional partnership in the area they are located, or recruiting, and attempt to recruit from a pool of workers impacted by revocation before they can sponsor a care worker or senior care worker from another route or from overseas. A list of regional partnership contact details will be published on the GOV.UK website shortly and NHS Employers will keep employers updated.
The new rules will not apply to international workers who are already being sponsored as a care worker (SOC 6135) or senior care worker (SOC 6136) or where providers are seeking to sponsor someone switching from another immigration route who has already been working for them for at least three months. The relevant section of the immigration rules can be found on GOV.UK.
If you have any further questions, please contact internationalrecruitment@nhsconfed.org
