Sponsors of international workers will be aware that there has been much in recent news about changes to international workers being able to claim indefinite right to remain in the UK. Following announcements in the week clarifying that some care professionals will be exempt from the proposed 15 years required to qualify we’ve had a statement from the department of health and social care with more detail:
- Care professionals who entered, or switched into, the route before publication of the Immigration White Paper in May 2025 will retain the existing five-year qualifying period for settlement where they meet the applicable salary (£25,000 a year), sponsorship and employment requirements.
- Care professionals will need to meet the strengthened minimum requirements that will apply generally under Earned Settlement, including on criminality and English language, unless an exemption applies. Those who do not meet the requirements will not qualify after five years.
- Those who do not meet the requirements after five years will have a further opportunity to do so through a further five-year Health and Care visa, restricted to genuine work in the sector. They will continue to have no recourse to public funds while on that visa.
We understand that the new minimum requirements to qualify are a spotless criminal record, English spoken to a high standard (A Level or equivalent as a foreign language), no debt owed to the tax payer, and a record of sustained National Insurance contributions (source: Home Secretary unveils new rules for migrants settling in the UK – GOV.UK).
We hope to find out more about the proposed new Health and Care visa in coming months and will update you as we know more.
We are also aware that a number of international workers are in the country and, through no fault of their own, have lost sponsorship through revocations of existing sponsor licenses. The Department of Health and Social Care have recognised this in their statement and say that from 1 February 2027 care professionals who have lost their employment due to the sponsor licence being removed will have up to 120 days to get a secure job offer, and a further 60 days to resolve their visa and employment status. Hertfordshire County Council have a process in place to support these individuals and can be contacted through their dedicated inbox EssexSuffolkHertsIR@essex.gov.uk