Blocking foreign care workers from bringing family has already hurt Britain; Badenoch’s plans to increase salaries for shortage roles and block citizenship routes would be crippling, warns immigration lawyer.

British businesses and immigration lawyers are increasingly concerned that the UK’s immigration policy negatively impacts the country, particularly the recruitment of appropriately skilled workers.

Under the last Conservative government and the current Labour government, several changes designed to reduce immigration have made the UK less attractive, especially for much-needed health sector staff.

Tighter government policies include higher visa application costs, restrictions on bringing dependents to the UK, and a rise in minimum salary requirements. As a result, many people wanting to work overseas may now see other countries, such as Germany and Australia, as more affordable and welcoming, which could harm the UK economy.

Director of the Immigration Advice Service, Ono Okeregha, says, “Care homes and hospitals cannot find overseas workers because they favour other countries with more welcoming family life and routes to residence. Many healthcare workers cannot bring their family to the UK, so they might go to Australia, Canada, Ireland, or New Zealand instead.”

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics show a 20 per cent decrease in net migration from 906,000 in the year ending June 2023 to 728,000 in the year ending June 2024. In total, 210,000 visas were granted to those looking to work in the UK, 37 per cent below the 2023 levels.

The latest figures also reveal an 81 per cent fall in visas issued under the Health and Care Worker pathway. This shows that many healthcare sector businesses are facing rising costs and are struggling to fill crucial vacancies, which could ultimately lead to a fall in the quality of care.

The minimum salary for employing overseas healthcare workers has faced a steep rise, and a forthcoming 120 per cent rise in the cost of issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship means that costs for these businesses with already fine margins are growing fast.

The tougher government crackdown on employers who illegally employ workers from overseas is making legitimate businesses want to ensure they do not violate immigration law, even though it is likely to push up their operating costs.

Businesses, particularly in the healthcare sector, such as care homeowners, are keen to ensure they retain their existing staff as they may struggle to replace them with settled workers.

With more changes to immigration policy expected, the UK is facing an uncertain time, and many wonder about the impact more border restrictions will have. For example, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said that under a Conservative government, the £38,700 income threshold currently for skilled workers who are not in shortage occupations will also apply to healthcare and shortage occupations. She also proposed extending the timeline for immigrants to qualify for UK citizenship to 15 years.

Currently, most immigrants qualify for British citizenship after five years of residence and 12 months after obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain. It is unclear how much public support such a headline-grabbing policy would have, especially if it led to the NHS's inability to recruit talented staff and the loss of the many direct economic benefits they bring.

“We are already in danger of pushing the button too hard on employment immigration, particularly regarding shortage occupations. The dramatic effects that the ‘no dependents rule’ has already had should serve as a warning that if you increase earnings to £38,700 for shortage roles and take away citizenship too, you have no chance of competing to fill shortage occupation roles,” adds Ono Okeregha.