Hundreds of overseas care and NHS staff travelled to Parliament on 17 December 2025 for the first ever migrant-worker lobby of MPs, organised by UNISON. The contingent is protesting government proposals to triple the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain—from five to fifteen years—for Health and Care Worker visa holders.
Workers told MPs the plan breaches promises made when recruiters urged them to fill chronic staffing gaps. Many shared experiences of being tied to single employers under the sponsorship system, facing threats of deportation for raising workplace concerns, or living in overcrowded accommodation arranged by agencies.
![Migrant care workers descend on Westminster to protest visa rule tightening]()
UNISON wants sector-wide visas that are not linked to one employer, faster settlement, and a ‘fair pay agreement’ to tackle the sector’s 165,000-person vacancy rate. The union warns that tougher visa rules will push carers toward Canada, Australia or Ireland, deepening the UK’s social-care crisis.
For care providers, the protest signals growing industrial and reputational risk around overseas recruitment. Sponsors should audit HR practices, ensure no unlawful deductions or coercion, and prepare for potential Home Office scrutiny as the public debate intensifies. Policy-wise, ministers face pressure to balance migration reduction targets with safeguarding vulnerable service users who rely on overseas staff.
Businesses in the wider health ecosystem—private hospitals, medical-tech firms and outsourcing contractors—should monitor whether settlement changes are extended to other visa routes, potentially affecting retention of skilled nurses, radiographers and lab technicians.
Workers told MPs the plan breaches promises made when recruiters urged them to fill chronic staffing gaps. Many shared experiences of being tied to single employers under the sponsorship system, facing threats of deportation for raising workplace concerns, or living in overcrowded accommodation arranged by agencies.
UNISON wants sector-wide visas that are not linked to one employer, faster settlement, and a ‘fair pay agreement’ to tackle the sector’s 165,000-person vacancy rate. The union warns that tougher visa rules will push carers toward Canada, Australia or Ireland, deepening the UK’s social-care crisis.
For care providers, the protest signals growing industrial and reputational risk around overseas recruitment. Sponsors should audit HR practices, ensure no unlawful deductions or coercion, and prepare for potential Home Office scrutiny as the public debate intensifies. Policy-wise, ministers face pressure to balance migration reduction targets with safeguarding vulnerable service users who rely on overseas staff.
Businesses in the wider health ecosystem—private hospitals, medical-tech firms and outsourcing contractors—should monitor whether settlement changes are extended to other visa routes, potentially affecting retention of skilled nurses, radiographers and lab technicians.
Source: UNISON
