UK health, care worker visa applications drop 83 per cent

The number of Nigerians and other nationalities applying to come to the United Kingdom on a health and care worker visa has dropped significantly after major changes were made under the previous Rishi Sunak-led government.

According to figures released on Thursday by Home Office, the data shows there were 13,100 applications for the visa between April and August 2024 – 83 per cent fewer than the same five months in 2023, when 75,900 people applied.

In August, there were 2,300 applications for health and care worker visas, down from 18,300 in the same month in 2023, after harsher rules were introduced.

There were 26,500 applications for dependents on the health and care route between April and August 2024 – 73 per cent fewer than the five months in 2023.

However skilled work visas requests increased between April and August 2024 to 33,700 applications – 12 per cent more than in 2023.

The previous Tory government enforced strict new rules on overseas care workers in a bid to lower net migration to Britain.

Foreign carers were banned from bringing their loved ones to the UK in March, while the minimum salary required for those arriving on a skilled worker visa rose from £26,200 to £38,700 in April.

Measures requiring care providers to register with the Care Quality Commission if they are sponsoring migrants were also brought in. Meanwhile the minimum income requirement for those bringing dependents to the UK on family visas rose to £29,000-a-year from £18,600, and was set to rise further.

The new Labour government is reviewing the rules and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has ordered the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to investigate wage thresholds and labour shortages in key sectors and whether visa curbs for skilled workers should be introduced.