The UK’s adult social care sector is under immense pressure—underfunded, understaffed, and over-reliant on overseas labour to plug chronic workforce gaps. Now, with sweeping new immigration reforms proposed in the May 2025 White Paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System, thousands of international care workers fear that the fragile futures they’ve built in Britain could soon unravel.
At the heart of the anxiety is a policy shift: overseas care workers may soon need to spend ten years in the UK, rather than five, before becoming eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). For many, this change feels like a betrayal—just as they are beginning to find stability, the goalposts are moving again.
This blog post unpacks the implications of the proposed immigration changes, amplifies the voices of affected care workers, and examines the wider socio-economic context of the care sector in the UK.
Life-Changing Roles at Risk
From Hope to Uncertainty
Sumedha Aryaratne moved to the UK from Sri Lanka in March 2023 with his wife and child, driven by hopes for a better future and a belief in the integrity of Britain’s immigration system. Working as a domiciliary care worker in Dawlish, Devon, Sumedha is among the thousands of international recruits who have embraced difficult care roles—often involving long hours, low pay, and emotionally taxing responsibilities.
“We have fully integrated into society,” he told BBC News. “It’s an anxious time for us.” For Sumedha, the uncertainty is not just professional—it’s deeply personal. His child has started school in the UK, his family has settled, and his work contributes directly to the welfare of vulnerable citizens. But with the proposed extension of the ILR qualification period from five to ten years, his family’s future in the UK is suddenly uncertain.
A Sector Dependent on International Labour
The Recruitment Reality
The UK’s social care sector has been historically unattractive to domestic workers, largely due to poor pay, difficult working conditions, and limited career progression. According to industry leaders, efforts to recruit locally have repeatedly fallen short.
Jini Jose and Soumya Sebastian, two care workers from India employed at Sefton Hall care home in Dawlish, echoed these sentiments. Both are highly qualified and deeply committed to their roles, yet they now face an extended period of visa-related vulnerability.
“I came here with a lot of dreams,” said Soumya. “We work hard, we care deeply. But this change makes it harder for us to plan our future or support our families.” Jini added, “We’re not just filling vacancies; we’re making a difference.”
Scarcity of Local Applicants
Gabriela Ogreanu, manager at Sefton Hall, confirms that attracting British nationals to similar roles has proven extremely difficult.
“Even when we advertise and run open days, the response is limited,” she explains. “The international carers we have are skilled, reliable, and compassionate. Without them, our care homes would struggle to function.”
In places like Devon and Cornwall, where the population is older and the workforce is smaller, overseas care workers are not just helpful—they’re essential.
The Policy Shift: Ten Years for Indefinite Leave to Remain
What’s Changing?
Currently, most skilled workers, including carers, can apply for ILR after five years of continuous residency in the UK. ILR provides a pathway to permanent residency, allowing individuals to live and work in the UK without visa restrictions.
Under the proposed reform, overseas carers would need to remain in the UK for ten years before applying for ILR. The government argues this change is part of a broader attempt to reduce the UK’s reliance on migrant labour and encourage domestic recruitment.
A Blow to Stability
For workers like Sumedha, Jini, and Soumya, the extension of the ILR timeframe creates instability. Many have brought families to the UK, enrolled their children in school, and started building long-term lives. Extending the wait for ILR means prolonged visa renewals, higher costs, and continued uncertainty.
This affects not just personal wellbeing, but also professional motivation. “How can we focus fully on our patients,” one carer asked, “if we’re constantly worried about our own status in the country?”
The View from Employers: “We’re Being Undermined”
Managers Sound the Alarm
Across the care sector, employers are deeply concerned that policy changes will jeopardise staffing levels.
Naeem Ahmad, who runs Eschol House Nursing Home in Cornwall, criticised the messaging from the government. “It sends the wrong signal,” he said. “These are people who’ve uprooted their lives to serve this country, and now we’re telling them they’re not wanted.”
Naeem highlighted the morale crisis that could ensue. “When your team hears that they might be pushed out, or that they’ll have to jump through even more hoops, it makes them feel devalued. That’s bad for recruitment, retention, and care quality.”
Service Reductions Loom
Katrina Hall, who oversees care operations for the Bay Care Group in Torbay, fears the consequences of losing international staff could be catastrophic.
“Without our overseas carers, we’d have to reduce our services by up to 40%,” she warned. “That’s not a scare tactic—it’s a reflection of reality. We’ve spent months trying to recruit locally, offering competitive pay and training, and the uptake has been minimal.”
The Government’s Position
A Drive Toward Domestic Training
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the proposed changes, describing them as part of a shift towards a more “selective and fair” immigration model.
She noted that while visas for current care workers would be extended, the long-term goal is to train and recruit more UK nationals into the sector. “We want to stop the cycle of dependency,” she said.
The government claims that the White Paper reforms could reduce immigration by 100,000 people per year by 2029.
Introducing Fair Pay Agreements
To support this shift, the Department of Health and Social Care has promised the introduction of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs) in the adult social care sector. FPAs are intended to improve wages and working conditions through structured negotiation between employers and employee representatives.
Additionally, a universal career structure will be introduced to professionalise care work and enhance progression opportunities. However, critics argue that these proposals, while well-intentioned, are unlikely to yield immediate results.
The Human Cost: Families Left in Limbo
Strain on Mental Health and Finances
The emotional toll of extended visa uncertainty is immense. Many overseas workers have taken out loans, sold property, or left secure jobs in their home countries to pursue what they believed was a stable future in the UK.
Now, some face an extra five years of visa renewals, potential changes in rules, and the continued inability to settle definitively.
Children Caught in the Middle
Perhaps the most overlooked impact is on the children of care workers. Many attend UK schools, speak English fluently, and identify Britain as home. But with parents on temporary visas, their futures remain equally uncertain.
“Every time we explain our situation to a school or GP, they look at us like we don’t belong,” one carer shared. “But our children were born here or raised here. They are British in every way except paperwork.”
The Bigger Picture: Is Reform the Right Answer?
Addressing the Root Cause
While the government’s desire to build a more sustainable care workforce is understandable, critics argue that attacking the supply of overseas workers without fixing the root causes—low wages, poor conditions, lack of prestige—is counterproductive.
“For years,” said Katrina Hall, “we’ve treated care work like something anyone can do, without proper pay or respect. Now we want to make it attractive to British workers without first making it fair.”
The False Binary
Framing the debate as “foreign versus domestic” labour ignores the reality that care is a global profession. Many care systems around the world rely on international mobility to function. Cutting off access to overseas carers may solve a political problem but create a humanitarian one.
Conclusion: A Sector at the Crossroads
The UK’s adult social care system stands at a critical juncture. With a rapidly ageing population and workforce shortages growing more acute, the sector cannot afford to lose the skilled and committed carers it already has.
The proposed immigration reforms may achieve the government’s numerical goals, but they risk undermining a system already on the brink. For carers like Sumedha, Jini, and Soumya, the question is not just about visas—it’s about fairness, dignity, and trust.
For the sake of care recipients, workers, and society at large, Britain must strike a balance—valuing those who are already here while creating pathways for domestic growth. Anything less will cost more than numbers can measure.
