Care workforce at “breaking point” as visa changes threaten staffing, says UNISON

Care workers recruited from overseas could be driven out of the sector if the government sticks with plans to make them wait up to 15 years for settlement rights, UNISON said today (Wednesday).

Severe shortages in the care workforce and poor wages have meant providers have increasingly turned to employing overseas workers to find the skilled staff needed to plug the gaps.

Changes to visa rules in July 2025 effectively closed off routes into social care for new overseas workers, and ministers have since proposed further restrictions, including trebling the qualifying period for them to make a long-term home (known as indefinite leave to remain) in the UK from five to 15 years.

Many workers took up jobs on the basis they would only need to wait five years before applying for indefinite leave to remain.

Applying these changes retrospectively to workers who are already here is morally wrong, says UNISON, and will hasten the staffing crisis in social care and leave staff more vulnerable to exploitation from unscrupulous employers.

The union is calling on MPs across the South East to oppose government proposals to extend the qualifying period for settlement and support plans for migrant care staff to move more easily between employers.

Maria*, a care worker who came to the UK from Zimbabwe in September 2022 and lives near Slough, said: “I came to the UK because there was a real need for skilled staff, and I wanted to help people who rely on that support every day.

“I’ve built a life here through my work, and I care deeply about the people I look after.

“But when the rules keep changing, it leaves you feeling unsettled. It’s harder to stay and keep doing the job. That means people who depend on care workers could lose the staff they trust.”

Joanna*, who also moved to the UK from Zimbabwe in October 2022 with her young family and lives in Witney, said: “We made a big decision as a family to move here because we felt it was important.

“I take great pride in my work but moving the goalposts has now made me question whether I made the right choice.

“The stress is making me feel anxious and nervous. I’m close to breaking point. I just want to be able to do the job I came here to do.”

UNISON South East regional secretary Jo Galloway said: “These experiences show the real impact changes to indefinite leave to remain will have on a workforce essential to keeping care services running.

“Care workers from overseas are playing a crucial role in supporting vulnerable people across the South East. Policies that make it harder for them to stay risk worsening an already serious staffing crisis.

“Ministers must recognise the value of care staff and scrap plans to extend the settlement period for workers who are already in the UK. They should also support measures to make it easier for care staff to move between employers to stop staff being exploited and enable services to meet rising demand.”