Employers will be required to prioritise recruiting international care workers already in England before recruiting from overseas.
Important Changes in Care Recruitment – Are You Ready for April 2025?
How will the April 2025 care recruitment changes affect your hiring strategy? Are you prepared?
With ever-changing regulations, care recruitment is becoming more challenging. Staying ahead of new compliance rules is key to keeping your hiring process smooth and stress-free. If you’re hiring care professionals, you need to be prepared for the important changes coming into effect from 9th April 2025.
From this date, care providers in England must prioritise recruiting international care workers already in the UK before hiring from overseas. This change aims to reduce reliance on overseas recruitment and ensure that those already in the UK have access to job opportunities.
As Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, explained:
“Prioritising care workers who are already in the UK will get people back to work, reducing our reliance on international recruitment, and make sure our social care sector has the care professionals it needs.”
But what does this mean for you as employers? And how can you adapt to these new rules without disruption?
Here’s what you need to know – and how Mash Care can help.
New Employer Responsibilities Under the April 2025 Rules:
These changes add an additional step of compliance to your recruitment process. Before sponsoring an overseas worker, you now need to prove that you have attempted to recruit within the UK first. This includes:
✅ Evidence of recruitment efforts – Employers must obtain confirmation from their regional or sub-regional partnership that they have genuinely tried to recruit from the existing pool of international workers already in the UK.
✅ Higher salary thresholds – The minimum salary for Skilled Worker visa applicants has increased to £25,000 per year (£12.82 per hour).
✅ Changes to sponsorship costs – Employers can no longer pass sponsorship costs onto workers.
These changes may seem daunting for care providers already stretched thin with day-to-day admin. The additional steps you now need to take to stay compliant would require a new strategy for recruiting and additional measures to meet. Failing to meet these new requirements could lead to recruitment delays, visa refusals, and even penalties—adding more pressure to an already stretched workforce. Does this sound like you?
That’s where we can help.
At Mash Care, we specialise in care sector hiring and are ready to help you navigate these new requirements effortlessly. We understand that recruiting the right people is about more than just meeting regulations—it’s about building a committed and compassionate workforce that ensures high-quality care. As specialists in care recruitment, we are here to simplify the process, save you time, and ensure compliance every step of the way.
Here’s how we can support you:
✅ We connect you with skilled care professionals already in the UK – Our network helps you find qualified workers fast.
✅ We guide you through compliance – Making sure you meet the new recruitment and salary thresholds before considering overseas hires.
✅ We streamline the hiring process – Avoiding staff shortages impacting the quality of care.
✅ We help with long-term workforce planning – Supporting retention and career growth for care workers.
Are you concerned about the effects these new changes will have on your business?
Get in touch! Let’s talk about how we can support your recruitment needs. Send us a message today; we’re here to make care recruitment work for you.
To find out more about the new rules coming into action, visit:
