PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Visas: Care Workers (10 February 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to extend the Health and Care Worker visa scheme for (a) social care workers, (b) care assistants and (c) home care workers beyond 15 February 2023.

Asked by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)

Following a recommendation by the independent Migration Advisory Committee in their recent annual report, the Government has made care worker, care assistant and home care worker roles (Standard Occupation Classification code 6145) eligible for the Health and Social Care Visa and added them to the Shortage Occupation List.

This rule change came into effect on 15 February 2022 and will be in place initially for a 12-month period. Successful visa applicants will have all the same rights, benefits and obligations as other Health and Care visa holders including being able to extend their visa and apply for permanent settlement.

The Government looks forward to receiving the final MAC report into adult social care at the end of April and will review the future of this policy following that report and closer to the end of the 12-month period.

Answered by:
Kevin Foster (Conservative)
7 March 2022