The UK plans to stop giving care worker visas to people from other countries later this year. Care homes must hire workers who already live in the UK instead of bringing staff from abroad. This change will hit Zimbabwe hard because many people leave that country to work in British care homes. The government wants to focus on skilled workers rather than care jobs. Officials expect these rules will cut migration numbers by up to 50,000 each year.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said companies should hire British citizens or extend visas for foreign workers already there. She promised to create better pay for care workers to attract more local people to these jobs. Care sector leaders worry these changes will make staff shortages worse. One leader said they prefer local workers, but not enough British people want these jobs. Previous rules already caused visa applications to fall from 18,300 last August to 1,700 in April.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said companies should hire British citizens or extend visas for foreign workers already there. She promised to create better pay for care workers to attract more local people to these jobs. Care sector leaders worry these changes will make staff shortages worse. One leader said they prefer local workers, but not enough British people want these jobs. Previous rules already caused visa applications to fall from 18,300 last August to 1,700 in April.
