Ghanaians who plan to move to the UK on care worker visas are set to suffer a major setback as the UK announces a new immigration policy.

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In a statement by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Sunday, May 11, she announced the government's policy to crack down on the migration of low-skilled roles into their country.

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The elimination of this visa category, she said, aligns with the government's efforts to curb migration numbers.

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The move will significantly impact thousands of foreign workers, particularly from Ghana and Nigeria, who currently use this route to secure jobs in the UK's health and social care sector.

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She told the BBC that these changes aim to cut annual migrant arrivals by approximately 50,000, though she refrained from setting a specific net migration target.

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Net UK migration climbed to a record 906,000 in June 2023, and last year it stood at 728,000.

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The UK’s net migration reached 906,000 in June 2023, with Ghanaian migrants making up a portion of this figure.

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Since 2022, over 470 care providers have had their licence to sponsor international staff suspended, affecting thousands of Ghanaian workers

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The Home Office has not yet officially confirmed what will be in its immigration White Paper, due early next week.

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Per the BBC, applications for UK Health and Care Worker visas peaked at 18,300 in August 2023, then collapsed to 1,700 by April this year following the ban on bringing dependents.

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And on 9 April, an additional restriction was added requiring care firms that want to recruit a new worker from overseas to prove they attempted to recruit a worker from within England first.

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But the new rules will require care companies to recruit from domestic workers or a pool of over 10,000 care workers brought to the UK on visas for jobs that never materialized.

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