HC 733: The UK Government's New Policy on Care Worker Visas– Progress or Persistent Barriers?

The UK government’s recent policy changes (laid out in HC 733 on 12 March 2025) were intended to improve conditions for migrant care workers. New rules aim to prioritize those already in the country for jobs and crack down on exploitative employers. However, despite these reforms, thousands of care workers on Health and Care Worker visas continue to face significant barriers in securing fair employment. This article breaks down the new rules and highlights the ongoing challenges – from bureaucratic hurdles like driving licence delays to poverty and gender bias – and urges policymakers to take further action. The goal is to ensure that the care workers who answered Britain’s call for help can actually work in their field with dignity and security.

Overview of the New Rules under HC 733

Prioritizing in-country care workers: Effective 9 April 2025, sponsors in England must try to recruit care workers already in the UK before hiring from abroad. Specifically, any care provider looking to sponsor a new overseas care worker (occupation codes 6135 or 6136) must first attempt to hire from the pool of Skilled Worker visa holders already in England who lost jobs due to their previous sponsors’ licence revocation or lack of work . Employers have to obtain confirmation from a regional partnership that they tried and no suitable local candidate was available . This change is explicitly aimed at helping displaced care workers “back into work within the care sector before new international workers are recruited” . Notably, this requirement applies only to jobs in England; care roles in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are exempt .

Higher pay thresholds: In tandem, the minimum salary for sponsored care workers has been raised from £23,200 to £25,000 per year (at least £12.82 per hour) . This update, reflecting the latest wage data, ensures migrant care staff are paid above the rising National Living Wage. Updated salary floors also signal that care work should not be a path to cheap labor.

Funding support for affected workers: Alongside rule changes, the government has allocated £16 million in a new International Recruitment Fund for adult social care . Fifteen regional partnerships in England have received grants from this fund to support care workers displaced by sponsor violations. These partnerships assist affected migrants with finding new sponsored jobs, understanding their rights, and even accessing emergency financial aid if they are struggling due to job loss or unpaid wages . The aim is to prevent those already here from falling through the cracks while addressing exploitation in the sector.

Crackdown on exploitative providers: The policy changes build on earlier efforts to root out abuse. Between July 2022 and December 2024, over 470 care sector sponsor licences were revoked for breaching immigration or employment rules (e.g. charging illegal fees or failing to provide work) . Those crackdowns protected workers from rogue operators, but also left many migrants suddenly without jobs or sponsorship. The new priority rules and support funds are meant to give these workers a pathway back into employment . Ministers have also barred companies that repeatedly break the rules from sponsoring any new overseas workers and banned employers from charging migrants for visa sponsorship (a practice that saddled many with debt) . Stephen Kinnock, the Minister for Care, noted that while international care workers are “vital”, the government must “do all we can to get the victims [of exploitation] back into rewarding careers in adult social care” .

These measures signal welcome progress on paper. Yet feedback from the ground indicates that serious obstacles remain for the very care workers the government seeks to help. The following sections outline key challenges still confronting Health and Care Worker visa holders, despite HC 733’s reforms.

Ongoing Challenges for Care Workers on the Visa

Transportation Barriers: Driving Licence Delays and Car Requirements

A major practical hurdle for migrant care staff is the need for driving. Many adult social care jobs – especially home care roles – list a full UK driving licence and access to a car as essential requirements . Care providers often serve clients across a wide area, making driving almost mandatory. Yet newly arrived workers typically do not have a UK driving licence, and obtaining one can take months. DVLA backlogs and delays in processing licences have been well documented; since 2020, roughly 3 million applicants experienced prolonged waits for their driving licences . These delays have real consequences: some people have been unable to start or return to work because their DVLA application is still pending .

For migrant care workers, this bureaucracy can be devastating. Their visa status may allow them to work, but without a car or licence they cannot qualify for many vacancies. While they wait for driving tests or licence exchanges, jobs slip through their fingers. This creates a cruel Catch-22 – they came to fill urgent care shortages, yet cannot fill a role simply due to paperwork delays. Owning a vehicle is another challenge: even if a migrant has a foreign licence or once they get a UK licence, buying a car (plus insurance and fuel) demands funds they might not have. Many arrived after paying hefty recruitment fees or relocation costs and have little savings left. In short, transportation has become a critical barrier to employment for these care workers. Until they can legally drive in the UK, their opportunities in the care sector are severely limited.

Limited Job Opportunities and Risk of Destitution

Despite the new prioritization rule, many care workers already in the UK continue to struggle to find jobs. The policy says sponsors should hire them first, but it does not create new vacancies by itself. In practice, the demand for sponsorship still far exceeds the supply of available care jobs. A recent investigation found that 122 care companies had their licences revoked in 2022–2023, resulting in nearly 3,000 migrant care workers losing their sponsored positions . The Home Office has not reported how many of these individuals found new employment versus how many were forced to leave the country . What is clear is that thousands were suddenly jobless – and even in 2024 and 2025, many remain in limbo.

Care worker Zainab (name changed) described applying to about 300 care providers after her sponsor was shut down, “but without success.” Most employers she contacted either weren’t sponsoring new workers or had no openings; a few recruiters even tried to charge her “upwards of £10,000” in fees just to offer a job . “We don’t know how we will survive,” she said, after exhausting her options . Her words underscore the dire situation of many: they are eager to work, actively looking, yet job offers are scarce. Even with the new requirement for companies to consider this pool, a care provider cannot hire someone if they have no staffing budget or vacancy to fill. Some providers are facing financial pressures or full rosters; others lost confidence in hiring overseas staff after seeing so many licences revoked. And some care organizations, unfortunately, would rather recruit a fresh candidate from abroad (who might be willing to pay fees or accept worse conditions) than take on a worker who is already here and aware of their rights.

The consequence is that significant numbers of trained care workers are left unemployed and unable to earn. Under the visa’s conditions, a person who is not sponsored and working essentially has No Recourse to Public Funds, meaning they cannot claim most benefits or income support. This puts them at high risk of poverty and destitution if they go more than a short time without work. Indeed, the government’s own guidance for regional support acknowledges these workers may be “struggling due to job loss or unpaid wages” and in need of help accessing emergency financial support . Frontline charities report cases of migrant carers living in overcrowded housing, skipping meals, or relying on food banks while they search desperately for a new sponsor. These are people who came to Britain legally to fill an essential job, yet due to systemic gaps they face hardship akin to that of asylum seekers or the homeless. This is not only a moral failing but a waste of much-needed talent in a sector facing chronic staff shortages.

It’s worth noting the paradox: the UK’s social care sector is in ongoing crisis from understaffing, and has grown heavily reliant on overseas recruits in recent years. In 2023–24 alone, independent providers hired about 105,000 people from abroad into care roles, up from 20,000 just two years before . Vacancies remain high across the country. There is, in theory, plenty of work needing to be done. Yet, the care workers already onshore and ready to work can’t find positions, while some employers still lobby to bring in more migrants. This mismatch points to structural issues in how jobs are being offered and matched – issues that policy must address to avoid both waste and humanitarian harm.

Gender Disparities: Male Care Workers at a Disadvantage

Another often overlooked challenge is the gender imbalance in care hiring and how it affects male migrant workers. Social care in the UK is a highly feminized field – roughly 84% of care workers in England are women, versus just 16% men . Employers and clients may carry biases or preferences that favor female carers, especially for roles involving personal care of female patients. In fact, regulations allow care recipients to express a preference for the gender of their caregiver as part of their right to choice . In practice this means many home care agencies explicitly seek female staff (for example, families might request a female carer to assist an elderly mother with bathing). Male care workers can find themselves implicitly excluded from these opportunities.

Migrant men on care visas report difficulties getting hired or even being called to interview, suspecting that their gender is a strike against them in this female-dominated industry. Some have been told outright that a particular vacancy is “female-only” due to client wishes. Others sense an unspoken bias that female recruits are viewed as more suited to caregiving roles. The result is that male care workers often wait longer and struggle more to secure a placement, even if they have the same qualifications. This disadvantage compounds the other issues discussed: a male migrant who lost his sponsor may face not only the general scarcity of jobs, but also a narrower subset of employers willing to consider him at all.

It is important to emphasize that being male is in no way a detriment to one’s ability to be an excellent caregiver – many men provide compassionate, high-quality care. And there are certainly clients (for instance, some male service users) who appreciate or even prefer a male carer. But until stereotypes and hiring practices change, policymakers must recognize that male visa holders are an especially vulnerable subgroup. They may require additional support or targeted encouragement to employers to ensure equal opportunity. Without that, we risk creating an underclass of willing caregivers left idle partly due to gender bias.

Real-Life Testimonials: Care Workers Stuck in Limbo

The human stories behind these issues illustrate why further action is urgent. Take the case of Zainab and Ismail (names changed for anonymity), a sister and brother from India. They each sold property and borrowed thousands of pounds to pay about £18,000 to a recruiter for what was supposed to be a stable care worker job in the UK . The offer promised full-time work, five-year sponsorship, help with airfare and housing – a life-changing opportunity. But when they arrived in Britain in late 2023, the reality was a sham. No work materialized; the care company that sponsored them provided no shifts, no clients – effectively nothing but the visa paperwork. They ended up in temporary lodging on their own dime, desperately contacting the agency. “[They are] taking money from us and not even giving work… It’s not fair,” Ismail said . After a few weeks, the Home Office sent letters informing them that their sponsoring company had lost its licence for abusing the system, and that the siblings now had 60 days to find a new licensed employer or leave the country . All their investment in coming to the UK was at risk of being lost. “We are being thrown out [of the UK] without being heard,’’ Ismail lamented, feeling they were being punished for their employer’s wrongdoing .

Zainab and Ismail applied everywhere they could — hundreds of emails and calls — with no success. They even encountered more scammers: opportunists who offered to “guarantee” them a new job for an extra fee . With their savings depleted and no income, the siblings found themselves living in a single cramped room, borrowing money for food. Zainab had a young child to care for, adding to her anxiety. “We don’t know how we will survive,” she confided when it seemed all avenues had closed . Their story is sadly not unique.

Rachel, a 43-year-old care worker from Nigeria, had a similar experience when her employer’s licence was revoked in early 2024. She had moved her husband and three children to the UK as dependents on her visa. When she suddenly lost her job, the entire family’s future became uncertain. Rachel describes how her children asked her every day after school, “Mummy, have we found another sponsor yet?”, not fully understanding why their life was on hold . “It was really stressful for them,” she said, describing the toll on her family’s mental health . As the 60-day countdown ticked away, Rachel witnessed peers in the same situation descend into panic. “It’s terrible, some of them cry… You see a grown woman crying like a child,’’ she told investigators, recalling how a colleague broke down sobbing at the prospect of having to uproot her life and leave . Fortunately, Rachel managed to secure a new sponsor with just days left before her visa would have expired – through a friend at church who knew a care home willing to hire her . But, as Rachel noted, many others from her previous workplace “have not been so lucky” .

These testimonials highlight the very real human cost of the current system’s gaps. Skilled caregivers have been left jobless, distressed, and on the brink of deportation through no fault of their own. While the recent policy changes are meant to prevent such scenarios, the lived experiences of workers like Zainab, Ismail, and Rachel show that more must be done. No worker who was invited to Britain to help care for our most vulnerable should end up in such a predicament.

Policy Recommendation: Untie Work Visas from Single Employers

To truly protect and empower care workers, the UK government should allow Health and Care Worker visa holders to work for any eligible care employer, rather than binding them to one sponsor. In other words, policymakers ought to decouple the worker’s visa from a single employer’s sponsorship. This would mark a significant reform of the immigration rules, but it directly targets the root cause of many issues: the power imbalance created by tied visas. When a migrant’s right to stay in the country is controlled by one employer, it creates vulnerability. Unscrupulous employers can (and did) exploit this by threatening to cancel sponsorship if workers complain, effectively trapping workers in abusive conditions . And if an employer fails – whether through mismanagement or misconduct – the worker shouldn’t lose their livelihood as a result. Yet that is exactly what happens under the current tied system.

Allowing care workers to freely switch employers (or to hold an open work permit in the care sector) would remove the stranglehold. It would enable them to “take their labour to businesses that need and value them,” as one policy report urged . If a particular job is not providing enough hours or is treating them poorly, they could move on, just like British workers can, without fearing deportation. This single change would dramatically reduce the risk of exploitation and give workers far more agency. The Work Rights Centre, which researches migrant worker issues, concluded that “the most effective way” to address these problems “would be by ending the sponsorship system that puts employers in charge of foreign workers’ leave to remain.” . They recommend giving visa holders greater freedom to change jobs, and at minimum, more time to find a new sponsor if things go wrong . Similarly, trade union leaders have argued that removing tied visas would help “prevent exploitation and drive up standards across the care sector” – good for workers and ethical employers alike.

Critics might worry that loosening sponsorship rules could lead to workers abandoning hard-to-fill posts for easier jobs. But in reality, making care roles more attractive and fair is a boon to retention. A visa holder who can transfer to a better-managed care home down the road is still contributing to UK social care – just under an employer who treats them decently. The sector as a whole would benefit from this flexibility. It would also put honest care providers on a level playing field with dodgy agencies; no longer could a bad actor “lock in” migrants by virtue of visa control. Instead, employers would have to compete for staff on the merits of offering good wages and conditions, which is healthy in a labour market with chronic shortages.

In summary, untethering care workers from a single sponsor is a pivotal reform. It would ensure that the people already here, trained and ready to work, can actually do so without arbitrary hindrance. The government could implement this by converting the Health and Care Worker visa into an employer-independent work visa (perhaps with a requirement to work in health/social care roles to prevent brain-drain into other industries). Even short of that, extending the grace period for finding new employment (beyond the current 60 days) and granting an interim right to work in any sector would provide immediate relief and reduce destitution when job loss does occur . There is precedent in other countries for more mobile work visas, and the UK itself uses such models for other visa categories. Given the humanitarian and practical stakes, this change deserves serious consideration.

How We Are Addressing the Needs of Migrant Care Workers as an Organisation

At Tulia, we recognise the vital contributions that migrant care workers make to our communities. These dedicated professionals provide essential health and social care services, yet many face significant challenges, from exploitative employment conditions to uncertainty about their visa status. As a migrant advocacy and legal support organisation, we are committed to standing with care workers, ensuring they are informed, supported, and empowered to navigate the complexities of their employment and immigration status.

Many migrant care workers come to the UK on a Health and Care Worker visa, reliant on their employers for sponsorship. This system, while providing a pathway to employment, also creates vulnerabilities. Some workers experience unfair treatment, excessive working hours, underpayment, and even threats of visa cancellation if they raise concerns. The lack of clear information and access to legal support often leaves them feeling isolated and powerless.

We firmly believe that no worker should be left in the dark about their rights. Every care worker deserves fair treatment, job security, and the ability to voice concerns without fear of retaliation or deportation.

To provide practical assistance, we have launched weekly drop-in advice sessions specifically for health and social care workers on sponsored visas. These sessions are designed to be a safe, accessible resource for care workers seeking guidance, support, and reassurance.

What We Offer:

• Free expert advice on rights and visa options: Our qualified immigration and employment advisers provide guidance on legal rights, visa conditions, and options for workers experiencing difficulties. Whether it’s understanding contract terms, dealing with unfair treatment, or exploring alternative sponsorship routes, our experts are here to help.

• Tailored one-on-one support: Each care worker’s situation is unique, and we take the time to listen. Our team offers personalised advice, reviews documents such as contracts and payslips, and outlines possible next steps—from negotiating with an employer to seeking a new sponsor.

• A compassionate space to share concerns: Beyond legal and employment advice, we provide a supportive environment where care workers can voice their experiences and receive emotional support. Many migrant workers feel isolated, and knowing that someone understands their struggles can be a great relief.

• Accessible and regular support: Our drop-in sessions take place every Thursday from 2:00–4:00 PM at Methodist Central Hall in Coventry city centre. No appointment is necessary, and all services are completely free. We encourage care workers to seek help at the first sign of difficulty rather than waiting until issues escalate.

While we provide immediate support, we also recognise the need for broader change. The current sponsorship system leaves many care workers vulnerable to exploitation and limits their ability to seek better employment opportunities. At Tulia, we are advocating for reforms that would allow care workers greater freedom in choosing their employers without jeopardising their immigration status. No worker should have to endure mistreatment out of fear that leaving an exploitative job could lead to deportation.

As Rumbidzai Bvunzawabaya, our Founder & CEO, states:

“Migrant care workers are doing some of the most important work in our communities, yet they face a nightmare of legal obstacles and exploitation. At Tulia, we believe in providing not only legal advice but also holistic support—addressing their immigration and employment issues while caring for their overall well-being. However, real change requires policy reform. No care worker should live in fear that leaving a bad employer means deportation. Community-led initiatives like ours empower care workers—giving them hope, a voice, and the tools to stand up for their rights while we push for the systemic changes that will allow them to thrive.”

Call to Action

Policymakers must recognize that the job isn’t finished with HC 733’s changes. Important steps have been taken to prioritize in-country care workers and invest in support, but the system still leaves too many in precarious circumstances. The vision of the Health and Care Worker visa was to attract committed caregivers to bolster our health and social care workforce. Those workers came – often at great personal cost – and they remain an asset waiting to be fully utilized. It is both morally right and in the national interest to ensure they can actually work in the jobs they were recruited for.

The UK government should urgently build on the recent reforms by implementing the following actions:

• End the one-sponsor rule: Free workers to serve any qualified care employer, as detailed above, so no one is stuck without options when a single job ends. This would immediately grant thousands of stranded care workers access to the wider labor market and let them fill vacancies where needed most.

• Streamline licensing and integration: Work with the DVLA and relevant bodies to fast-track driving licence processing for care visa holders, and consider grants or loans to help them obtain a vehicle. A small investment here can pay off in enabling more carers to reach clients (especially in rural areas) and take up posts quickly.

• Extend safety nets: Lengthen the visa curtailment window (from 60 days to, say, 180 days) to give displaced workers a fair chance to find new employment, given hiring processes can be slow. Ensure that during any unemployment period, migrants are not left destitute – for example, allow temporary access to public funds or targeted hardship support if they are actively seeking a care job. It is far better to bridge someone for a few months than to lose a qualified care worker forever.

• Monitor and enforce fair hiring: Require care providers to transparently report their efforts to recruit displaced visa holders under the new rules, and publish data on how many actually get rehired. This will help identify gaps – if, for instance, certain regions or demographics (like male carers) are consistently not getting placements, targeted interventions can be made. At the same time, continue clamping down on any agency charging fees or misusing the system, so that the playing field remains fair.

Time is of the essence. Every month that passes, talented caregivers are languishing without work or income, and some are facing heartbreaking choices about returning to countries they left behind. Meanwhile, elderly and disabled people in the UK desperately need more care staff. The prioritization policy in HC 733 is a positive move, but it needs to be reinforced by broader reforms to truly deliver on its promise. By granting migrant care workers the freedom to work for any employer and the support to overcome practical hurdles, the government can transform this situation. These workers will no longer be “the forgotten third” of the care workforce, but rather fully integrated contributors to the health and dignity of our society.

Policymakers, therefore, are called to act: Embrace the recommendations to untie visas, and implement the additional measures to ensure fairness. Doing so will uphold the UK’s reputation as a country that values those who come to help, and it will strengthen our care sector at a time of great need. The people who care for our loved ones deserve our care in return – through policies that guarantee them fair access to employment and a stable life in the UK. Let us not lose this opportunity to right the ship. The changes made under HC 733 were a start; now, with further bold action, we can finish the job and ensure no care worker already in Britain is left behind.

Sources:

• UK Home Office – Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 733, 12 March 2025 (paras on care workers) .

• Home Office & Dept. of Health – Press Release: New rules to prioritise recruiting care workers in England, 12 Mar 2025 .

• Explanatory Memorandum to HC 733 – Rationale for care worker provisions (Home Office, 2025) .

• Department of Health & Social Care – Regional support for international care workers (guidance), Mar 2025 .

• Community Care – Government curbs overseas recruitment with providers required to prioritise staff already in England, 13 Mar 2025 .

• Bureau of Investigative Journalism/The Observer – “One hell to another”: Thousands of care workers risk deportation…, May 2024 (investigation with testimonials) .

• Bureau/Observer – Testimony of affected care workers (Zainab, Ismail, “Katherine”, Rachel) .

• Reuters – “UK’s migrant care workers face widespread exploitation, survey shows”, 11 Feb 2025 (UNISON survey data) .

• Work Rights Centre – “The Forgotten Third: migrant care workers’ views on the care sector” (Policy report, 2024) .

• Additional statistics from Skills for Care and industry sources .

• Job postings (examples) requiring driving licence for care roles .

• Public Accounts Committee – Driving licence backlogs at DVLA (2022) .