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What happens when the recruitment strategy that saved the care sector is suddenly taken away?

That’s the urgent question thousands of UK care providers are asking in 2024, as new immigration rules put intense pressure on the staffing model that helped the sector recover: international recruitment.

In just two years, global hiring became the care sector’s go-to solution. In 2023/24 alone, over 105,000 overseas workers joined the UK’s adult social care workforce, a 31% increase from the year before. Without this international talent, recovery from the post-pandemic staffing crisis wouldn’t have been possible.

But that lifeline is now fraying and care providers must act fast.

How International Recruitment Became the Sector’s Lifeline

When care workers were added to the UK’s Shortage Occupation List in 2022, the door to global recruitment was flung open.

The conditions were manageable:

• A salary threshold of £20,480
• No requirement for advanced qualifications
• Visa sponsorship rules that, while complex, were workable

Between March 2022 and March 2024, around 185,000 international workers joined the care workforce, that’s almost one in three new starters in the independent sector.

What Changed in March 2024 — And Why It Matters

March’s changes might look small on paper, but the impact is massive:

• Care workers can no longer bring dependants on their visas
• Only CQC-registered providers can sponsor roles, even in domiciliary care
• The Home Office is increasing compliance monitoring and enforcement

The effect? A sharp drop in visa grants. Just 3,300 Health and Care Worker visas were issued in Q1 2024 — down from an average of 26,000 per quarter in 2023. That's an 87% drop.

For providers who built their workforce around international hiring, this is a recruitment cliff edge.

Can the Sector Absorb the Impact?

The numbers speak volumes:

• 93,000 vacancies still existed in adult social care during 2023/24
• The British workforce shrank by 30,000 last year
• Over 126,000 agency or bank staff are used daily

Even with booming overseas recruitment, the sector remained understaffed. Now, with that route collapsing, many providers are at risk of falling short of minimum staffing levels, fast.

A Growing Compliance Burden: Are You Prepared?

The new rules don’t just limit access to international staff, they also raise the stakes for compliance. Sponsoring overseas workers now comes with significant legal and operational risks:

• CQC registration is now a must for all visa sponsors
• Sponsor licences are subject to audits and revocation for non-compliance
• Employers must manage visa tracking, right-to-work updates, and record-keeping

As experts like the Homecare Association and Lewis Silkin have warned, without proper HR systems and legal support, providers could find themselves locked out of international recruitment, or worse, facing fines.

What Can Care Providers Do Now?

With international recruitment on pause, providers need to act, strategically and immediately.

Ask Yourself:

• Are we over-reliant on international workers?
• Have we neglected domestic recruitment?
• Are our HR and compliance systems audit-ready?

Take Action:

✅ Review and strengthen your sponsor licence obligations

✅ Ensure robust systems for record-keeping and visa tracking

✅ Rebalance your strategy: focus on local talent, career switchers, and returners to care

✅ Work with specialist partners who understand care sector compliance and recruitment trends

Why Work With Quality Care Recruit?

At Quality Care Recruit, we understand the unique staffing challenges facing care providers in 2024. Our expert recruitment consultants can help you:

• Navigate new compliance requirements
• Build sustainable, UK-based pipelines
• Cut costs without cutting corners

💡 Explore our new Resourcing+ service, designed to help care providers save 80%+ on recruitment costs while building more resilient workforces.

Call us on 01273 424904 today to discuss how Resourcing+ can transform your hiring strategy.

The Bigger Picture: What If This Is the New Normal?

The political winds are changing. Even in critical sectors like care, the appetite for high immigration appears to be waning. That means providers must ask:

What does a sustainable workforce look like without overseas recruitment?

The care sector was never built to rely on international staff long-term. But when domestic recruitment fell short, global talent filled the gap.

Now, that gap is reopening and providers must be ready to fill it from within.

Final Word: Plan, Don’t Panic

International recruitment might return in a different form, but waiting isn’t a strategy. Instead, focus on what you can control:

✅ Smarter, compliant recruitment

✅ Stronger staff retention

✅ Better internal processes

✅ Local talent development

⚡️ Take back control with Quality Care Recruit’s the future of recruitment in care. 📲 Let’s talk about Resourcing+ today.

Survive the storm. Prepare for what’s next. Partner with Quality Care Recruit, because what worked in 2023 won’t work in 2024 and the future belongs to those who adapt first.