Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Home Office addressed identified compliance and sponsorship capacity issues in Health and Care Worker visas.
Conclusion
The Home Office acknowledged that it could have done more to understand the way the care sector is structured and assess the potential risks, given that it was extending a model designed for highly skilled workers to a different demographic.38 The Home Office said it quickly identified significant issues with Health and Care Worker visas, with some sponsors applying for volumes of visas that exceeded their capacity to employ workers.39 It increased its compliance activity in 2023 and refused 31 C&AG’s Report, para 8 32 Qq 6, 8 33 Home Office, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, May 2025 34 C&AG’s Report, para 6 35 C&AG’s Report, paras 1.9, 1.10 36 Qq 5, 9, 33 37 Q 9; C&AG’s Report, para 7 38 Qq 9, 11, 13, 35 39 Q 33; IMM0021 14 significantly more Health and Care Worker visa applications in 2023 and 2024, with the approval rate of 81% at the end of 2024, compared to over 99% in 2021.40 The Home Office also revoked the licences of 470 care providers over the period July 2022 to December 2024, out of 9,000 sponsors in the adult social care sector.41
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 15 October 2025. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗