After weeks of speculation following the recent publication by the ONS of high net migration figures, the new Secretary of State for the Home Office, James Cleverly, has announced significant changes to the government’s immigration policy. In a statement to parliament at the beginning of the week, he announced that:

• Care workers coming from other countries will be banned from bringing family dependants to the UK.
• Care firms must be registered with CQC to recruit overseas care workers.
• The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) will be reviewed and companies will no longer be able to pay workers 20% less than the going rate for jobs on the SOL.
• There will be an increase the annual charge foreign workers pay to use the NHS from £624 to £1,035.
• The minimum salary needed for skilled overseas workers will be raised from £26,200 to £38,700 (excluding those on Health and Care Visas) and the minimum income for family visas will rise to £38,700, from £18,600.
• They will ask the government's Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the graduate visa route to "prevent abuse".

The National Care Forum (NCF) think that much of this will come into effect from April 2024, but frustratingly, the detail of the policy changes has still not been published.

This policy shift is alarming in the face of systemic shortages in the frontline workforce. Even with the 70,000 or more international workers joining last year, Skills for Care reported 152,000 vacancies in the sector in October. This is unsustainable for any sector, never mind one upon which millions of people rely for care, each and every day. Last summer the government heralded the arrival of international workers, and indeed funded a programme to support local authorities to encourage the recruitment of staff through this mechanism. However, it would appear that it now wants to restrict the essential arrival of care workers who have been, and remain, fundamental to care. You can read more detail in NCF's response to this announcement.

NCF are aware that there are still some unclear elements to what has been announced. For instance, there isn't clarity on whether the ban on dependants will apply to people already here and working in adult social care, or those moving employers. There is also widespread concern from frontline care workers not understanding what the potential implications are for them, and the people they support.