Immigration Rules Eased for International Care Workers Applying for a Job in the UK
There is a huge demand for nurses in the UK and it’s expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. In fact, there is a significant shortfall that the Government expects to meet by 2024. They expect to do so by hiring local talent as well as recruiting from overseas. Overseas recruitment is expected to play a major role in meeting this shortfall since the Government does not expect to be able to meet the demand in time by hiring local talent alone. One of the main issues international nurses faces while applying for a job in the UK is the strict immigration issues. However, there have been many recent changes which support the recruitment of international nurses.
Important Changes to Immigration Rules
The UK Government has made a significant announcement relating to the immigration rules for overseas health and social care workers. As per the new rules, there are several types of health and social care workers eligible for a health and care visa, this includes social care workers, care assistants and home care workers. The Government advice also sets out salary criteria stating that overseas workers should receive a minimum salary of £20,480.
The decision was taken to address the massive shortage in the nursing workforce. This temporary change in the immigration rules has been necessary as a result of the global pandemic. Although the world is recovering from the Corona Virus there are several other variants like Omicron that are impacting health care settings and staffing levels.
Benefits of Seeking Help from NursingjobsUK
The relaxing of the immigration rules will make it easier for international health and social care workers to pursue their dream of embarking on a career in the UK but equally it will have a positive impact on employers who face unrelenting pressure as a result of their staffing levels. Any organisations who need help with their recruitment can contact us to discuss how we can help with cost effective and time bound recruitment projects.
With 20 years’ experience in the healthcare sector, NursingjobsUK have placed over 6000 healthcare professionals across Private Nursing Homes, the NHS, Private Hospitals, and other Private Healthcare Organizations across the UK.