Changes to the Skilled Worker route for charities seeking to sponsor care workers

New immigration policy changes announced by the Home Office, implemented from 9 April 2025, will significantly impact the sponsorship of overseas health and care staff under the Skilled Worker route. These changes aim to prioritise the recruitment of care workers already in the UK and increase the minimum salary thresholds payable in order for a role to be eligible for sponsorship. This article outlines the key changes and their implications for charities in England seeking to sponsor care workers.

Prioritising recruitment of existing UK-based care workers

A significant change is the new requirement for care providers in England, before they can sponsor a care worker or senior care worker from overseas or those switching from another visa route, to first prove they have tried and been unsuccessful in recruiting a Skilled Worker visa holder who is already resident in England and needs new sponsorship. 

This means charities will need to show that they have worked with relevant regional partnerships to try to identify suitable candidates from an existing ‘pool’ of overseas workers affected by sponsor licence revocations or those otherwise seeking new employment. The new requirement aims to ensure that overseas nationals who have already come to the UK to work in adult social care have the opportunity to continue doing so and to help end the reliance on overseas recruitment. Importantly, it will only apply to individuals working in England and there are exemptions in place for existing care workers that have been employed by an organisation for at least three months under a different immigration route, e.g. under a Graduate visa, as well as for those who were last granted Skilled Worker permission as a carer or senior carer. 

Increased minimum salary threshold for Skilled Workers

The minimum salary threshold payable for care workers will also increase to £12.82 per hour or £25,000 per annum, up from £23,200. Furthermore, the going rates payable for health and education occupations, such as doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, will also increase to reflect the latest national pay scales.

It's important to note that the National Living Wage (NLW) also increased to £12.21 per hour for those aged 21 and over from 1 April 2025. While the new minimum salary threshold for Skilled Workers (£12.82 per hour) is higher than this new NLW, this increase in the NLW could have implications for existing sponsored workers, who are exempt from the increase to the Skilled Worker Salary threshold (unless they are applying for new permission). Employers must therefore ensure that all current sponsored Skilled Workers meet at least the new minimum National Living Wage threshold of £12.21 per hour as of 1 April 2025. 

Prior to assigning Certificates of Sponsorship to care workers, it is essential that care providers check the proposed salary against the new requirements to ensure that the Skilled Worker eligibility criteria is satisfied. 

Deductions from salary 

From 9 April 2025, any deductions from an applicant’s salary such as repayments of loans or investments into the sponsor’s business will be treated as reductions to their overall gross salary for immigration purposes.

For example, if a sponsored role has a required salary threshold of £45,000, and the applicant is paid a gross salary of £47,500, but has taken a £4,000 employee loan (e.g. to cover visa application costs) to be repaid via monthly salary deductions, the Home Office will treat their annual salary as £43,500 (£47,500 minus the £4,000 loan).

As this falls below the required salary threshold for the role, the role would no longer meet the minimum salary requirement for sponsorship under the relevant occupation code, and a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) could not be assigned.

While certain exemptions apply, if your organisation routinely offers loans to cover immigration costs, these arrangements are likely to fall within the scope of the new rules. To remain compliant, we recommend introducing a clear and robust eligibility policy to assess when and how such loans are offered.

In conclusion, charities seeking to sponsor care workers under the Skilled Worker route must adapt to these new immigration policy changes. UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) are currently heavily scrutinising sponsorship in the care sector and we have also seen a rise in compliance action. It is therefore crucial for charities to stay updated on Home Office guidance to navigate these changes effectively. Stone King can of course advise further on the changes and compliance generally. Please do get in touch with our Head of Immigration, Julie Moktadir (juliemoktadir@stoneking.co.uk), should you require any further support.