Do Not Stop the Recruitment of Overseas Care Workers and Keep ILR at 5 Years

The UK care sector is on the brink of collapse if these new policies get implemented, Despite our desperate efforts, British workers are not filling care home roles — so we rely on overseas care workers to provide essential support to vulnerable people. Now, the Government plans to stop recruiting these workers and extend the path to permanent residency from 5 to 10 years.

This will push dedicated care workers to leave the UK for countries like Australia and New Zealand, where immigration is faster and family reunification is easier. Many are already gone — and without them, care homes and home cares will shut down.

We need your help to stop these unfair changes before it’s too late

As a head nurse working in a UK care home, I see every day how vital overseas care workers are. Currently, 75% of our staff come from abroad, recruited via the care worker visa route. Despite repeated efforts, we cannot find British workers interested in these demanding roles.

Without overseas care workers, our care home—and many others—would face closure, putting vulnerable residents at serious risk.

However, the Government is considering two harmful proposals:

1. Stopping the recruitment of overseas care workers, and

2. Extending the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) qualifying period from 5 to 10 years.

These changes would make it harder for care workers and other professionals to settle here and encourage them to leave for countries like Australia and New Zealand, which offer permanent residency in 2–3 years and allow family reunification.

The UK has already banned care workers from bringing their dependents. Many care workers live here separated from their loved ones, causing emotional distress and hardship. Extending the ILR period would only make it worse,increase this pain and push more workers away.

Many of our overseas staff are already planning to leave if these policies get implemented

We urge the UK Government and Home Office to:

• Maintain the overseas care worker recruitment route,

• Keep the ILR qualifying period at 5 years,

value and support the migrant care workers who care for our most vulnerable people.

 

Please sign and share this petition to protect the UK’s care sector and stand with the migrant workers who make it possible.